Each year during fall,
I buy little pumpkins and
gourds for my classroom.
They serve not only as
decorations but also as
Visual examples for lessons
with Kindergarten and 1st grade.
Last week, I unpacked my pumpkins
during my exceptional children’s (EC) class.
One of the students immediately
became fascinated by the pumpkins
And started playing with
them.
He even drew faces on them.
I later found out that he was
mimicking a shape activity that they had done
On the smartboard in their
classroom!
As the class left, I gave one
of the pumpkins to the EC teacher.
Two days later, she wanted to
use the pumpkin in a teaching activity
But the pumpkin was gone.
When she asked the fascinated
student where the pumpkin was,
He said, “Home.”
She said, “L! That pumpkin
wasn’t yours!”
He said, “Ms. Deaton.
Musica.”
She said, “Ms. Deaton gave it
to me!”
As the teacher was telling me
this story, laughing,
I got choked up.
“He knows my name?” is all I
could think and say.
He’s autistic.
He doesn’t talk much.
When he does, it’s usually
gibberish Spanish because he’s either happy or mad.
He comes to music with his EC
class and with his mainstreamed class,
But he doesn’t usually directly
participate in the lesson, and
He’s never said my name.
Not to me.
But he said it to his
teacher.
“Ms. Deaton. Musica.”
And it made me cry!
I make it a point to say my
student’s names every time they come to class.
I try to say their names when
I see them in the mornings, in the afternoons, and in the hallways.
I know that names are
important.
But I didn’t know that MY
name was so important until
I heard that teacher say it
as L said it.
“Ms. Deaton. Musica.”
I AM
Ms. Deaton,
Musica.
And inasmuch as the title sometimes
drives me crazy,
It is a privilege
To be a pumpkin bearer
And a joy sharer
To the least of these,
Our children.
Amen.
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