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Attitudes toward Them • 175 students with physical disabilities] and 1 became almost like a teacher there. The person who came from my university got very annoyed because 1was actually capable of doing this. It just so worked out that the day he showed up they couldn't find a substitute, so they asked me to run the class ~ith the aide. He was very agitated and he said, "You're just an intern. You're not supposed to be the teacher for the day." But 1said to him, "I am capable of doing it, and if they are going to let me do it, there is no reason that 1can't do it." That just goes to show that there is one thing that universities really have to do. They have to understand how to provide a student teaching experience for a person who is disabled that is going to bring out their abilities as opposed to their disabilities. If 1could have accomplished all those things in eight weeks of internship working with disabled children, 1could have been given that opportunity in sixteen weeks in student teaching. SUJan 1started weeks before Sally in calling this professor who we were to work with [to supervise student teachers]. 1finally got through and had an interview with him. 1can't explain it, but 1 knew he was having a problem with something . He just said his health was bothering him. 1was taking two students. 1 worked my schedule around to take two at another school for him and then at one point he said, "Marcia, this is not working out. 1am having problems with the student." I said, "Well, fine, why don't you let me take another student for you and you will be able to spend more time with her." It turned out that his problem student was also in the building. 1offered to take all four of them, which I didn't have to do. This went back and forth for two weeks. Finally he just said-he's telling me things about when you go in, be sure that you introduce yourself to the principal . Maybe that's okay, 1don't know. But again, if he had taken the time to get to know me as one of his students I would have had better networking skills at that stage. I don't know where his head was. Finally he said, "How are you going to find the room?" I just said, "Find the room?" He said, "Well, you won't be able to see the numbers." Well, most schools nowadays don't even have a number on the door. Interestingly enough, 1got a call. The next day he begged off. He said his health would not permit him to accept another student, and I was his student. As his student I had accepted three of his students. He said he could not accept me as his student because of the amount of extra work. There was no extra work. He was creating the extra work. All I wanted was the students. It's my problem how I get there. "Well, you don't drive." That's my problem. I had 176 • Stories from Educators with Disabilities already made arrangements. I had scheduled busses, private drivers. I would have gotten there. I think it was said so beautifully that disability is not the wheelchair. It's not being able to get to the ramp to get into the building. It's the building that is disabled, not the person. I try to go through just as a teacher. Not better, not worse, just me. Marcia I have a reader who has been assisting me when I give the preschoolers assessments. I thought we had a pretty good understanding that I was the assessor and she was the reader. She was to follow my directions. Only when we were with the child and the child would ask a question, she would answer him. I felt caught. I wanted to discipline her right away, but I didn't want the child to think I was frustrated with him. So after two or three days of letting her do this kind of thing, I came out and I was quite tough on her. I had finally had it. I said, "There seems to be a problem. Either the children are talking to you all the time or you are answering them for me." She said that maybe it's just me. Maybe...

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