Serious Simulations

This week was full of simulations! I did them all in two days which was good and bad. Good because it helped me to have more empathy for people with these different disabilities. It was bad because each of these experiences were more emotional than I anticipated and that’s a lot of emotions for two days.

Hours in a wheelchair: I was not too nervous about the wheelchair simulation, I just didn’t know WHAT I would do for 3 hours! Basically, anything in a wheelchair takes FOREVER so it really wasn’t an issue. One of the activities we had to do was get from the wheelchair to the toilet and back to the wheelchair by ourselves and without help. I did it and it wasn’t too hard, but I didn’t actually use the restroom! I literally don’t know how they do it. Also you would think that going down the hill would be the easy part of the hills on campus. Well going down the hill was terrifying. I couldn’t slow down and was SURE I would crash. My hands had a rug burn type thing on them by the time I got to the MC and I wasn’t sure how I would ever make it back up the hill. As I first wheeled out of the building I needed to zip up my jacket. Usually I zip it up as I walk out, but in a wheelchair both hands were busy. As soon as I was out of the building I was on a hill. I couldn’t even stop to zip up my jacket so I nearly froze to death!! I didn’t have to attend class in the wheelchair, but I thought about the classrooms on campus, they are not very wheelchair friendly! I imagine that if I had to go to class in a wheelchair I would be physically forced to sit in the desk closest to the door because I wouldn’t be able to navigate the room. This is definitely something to think about when I have and organize my own classroom.

Stuttering in Walmart: I was SO SO SO nervous to do this. I just asked if they had paper plates and if they had Christmas ones and where they were located. (She told me wrong…) When I was done I still had a super nervous feeling. I imagined how student feel when they actually have a stutter and have to give a speech or are just nervous to talk to someone. I can’t even imagine! I want to be very aware of my students and their fears and help them not to be scared when possible.

Learning Disability in Walmart: This was a simulation that I probably didn’t learn as much from because I anticipated it SO MUCH. I had been thinking about it for weeks and new exactly what I was going to ask so it actually came out pretty smooth. It honestly spent hours thinking about it, I am sure it’s a lot harder when you haven’t thought it through a MILLION times.

Hours in a mask: This activity was different than I thought it would be! I was pretty much nonfunctional, until I wore the mask with the bigger holes. I decided to watch a show that I had never seen before to see what it’s like taking information in with a visual impairment. I couldn’t understand half the show…. I couldn’t see well enough to read their lips and was reminded how much I rely on my eyes to hear! My roommate had to get everything set up because I couldn’t see well enough to do it. I also found that my eyes were SO TIRED. I just wanted to take a nap. I also got a bit of vertigo because I had to move my head around SO MUCH just to see the little I was able to see. If I have a visually impaired student in my class I will assign another student or two that will be in charge of helping them with the little things like getting up and getting glue. I want them to be able to focus on LEARNING.