Re: Vocational help...

[Guest guest]

When applying for a place at the college, the principle was bemused with the

fact that HIS college would have a dwarf (and possibly the first) student!

When the time came for 'teaching practices' (students sent from college to

teach for a few weeks in various schools), my dwarfism was a positive

advantage in lots of ways.

When applying for a post (after qualifying), I had no problems - other than

the acute shortage (excuse the pun) of vacancies at the time.

When teaching, my dwarfism was, without doubt, a HUGE advantage! Especially

in my relationship with the children, and their relationship with me. Also,

parents loved the fact their child's teacher was dwarf:-)

Fred

Vocational help...

> This is a pretty simple question on the surface, but here goes:

>

> Anyone that's in education OR religious work (doesn't have to be pastoral

> care) - what's been the response of those you serve/work for with your

> dwarfism, and also the response of the children/people (if college, for

> ex.)

> you teach or the assembly/congregation?

>

> Thanks for any help you can provide!

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I honestly don't think the dwarfism has been a negative in my roles in

higher education. As a student I was treated no different than

others, one will always run into the ignorant on occasion in any

area, but overall it was a positive experience. I fully participated

in every aspect of student life while I was still a full-time student;

student leader roles, founding organizations, representing whatever my

'group du jour' was at a variety of functions. And yes, I did find

time for classes and the dwarfism never gave me an edge or played

against me.

It can't have made much of a difference in my 'career' since 2 years

into my education I began working full time as the clerk typist in the

department, and after going through several department

transformations, I am now the Director (and not because I applied for

the job). I find myself in leadership roles without even noticing I'm

'it' and I've never felt resistance due to my size. I've received more

resistance due to my mouth and my willingness to use it to express my

opinions. Our University President has a running joke that if he and I

ran for his postion that I'd win due to my popularity. I keep telling

him all they'd see is the dust storm left by my scooter as I attempt

to break the sound barrier running away from that race.

As an occasional adjunct faculty member I find that on the first day

of class I'm holding my breathe in anticipation of any reaction, but

quite honestly they are less than when I walk into the local 7/11 to

pick up gum. We're 2 weeks into a semester now, I have a class of 32

freshman and I know that their reaction to me has been no different

than any other faculty member they run into. If I had seen anything in

the first meeting I would have opened up a discussion, but for now

it's been tabled until we reach the week where we discuss diversity.

I was concerned when I returned to work 1999 much less mobile than I

had been previous and honestly freaked out when I considered my need

for a scooter. I was having personal issues with the added attention

of the mobility device and wondering it would affect perception. By my

second scooter I was buying the nice red flashy model!! If the

dwarfism or the issues involved with it made any difference I think I

would have what people view as the 'typical civil service' job and the

opportunity to coast through to my retirement hiding in a cubicle with

loads of time to surf the Internet. Lately I find I have to block off

time on my calendar so that I remember that bathroom breaks are 'a

good thing'. Lunch? What's that?

After 50 years I've concluded that the dwarfism makes more of a

difference to me at times than it does to others.

>

> This is a pretty simple question on the surface, but here goes:

>

> Anyone that's in education OR religious work (doesn't have to be

pastoral care) - what's been the response of those you serve/work for

with your dwarfism, and also the response of the children/people (if

college, for ex.) you teach or the assembly/congregation?

>

> Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Guest guest]

I teach faith formation( use to be called CCD) to six graders with no problem.

I am also a restuarant manager. I have a lot of teenagers that work for me. They

don't have a problem with my Dwarfism. My assistant managers sometime try to

test me. Ken

Vocational help...

This is a pretty simple question on the surface, but here goes:

Anyone that's in education OR religious work (doesn't have to be pastoral

care) - what's been the response of those you serve/work for with your

dwarfism, and also the response of the children/people (if college, for ex.)

you teach or the assembly/congregati on?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

See, something like that would piss me off. " When

applying for a place at the college, the principle was

bemused with the fact that HIS college would have a

dwarf (and possibly the first) student! " Umm, college

is based on education, not size. If the administrator

ever told me that to my face I would NOT go to that

college. That is such blatant ignorance on the part

of that individual. Wow, you got to be the token

dwarf, how wonderful! I am not anyone's token dwarf.

I am and I want to be accepted or denied

because of my education or past experience, NOT

because of my height. I am not around for anyone's

amusement or to make them feel all warm inside because

they have someone who is " different " attending their

institution.

-

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I do hope that Fred's comments are reflective of the time and not the

general sentiment today. Not that it makes a negative situation into

a positive, but I believe that hmmmm 30 or so years later the

viewpoint is different or at least there are less ignorant individuals

that we come in contact with.

-- In dwarfism , <irish_p_butter@...> wrote:

>

> Hi all,

>

> See, something like that would piss me off. " When

> applying for a place at the college, the principle was

> bemused with the fact that HIS college would have a

> dwarf (and possibly the first) student! " Umm, college

> is based on education, not size. If the administrator

> ever told me that to my face I would NOT go to that

> college. That is such blatant ignorance on the part

> of that individual. Wow, you got to be the token

> dwarf, how wonderful! I am not anyone's token dwarf.

> I am and I want to be accepted or denied

> because of my education or past experience, NOT

> because of my height. I am not around for anyone's

> amusement or to make them feel all warm inside because

> they have someone who is " different " attending their

> institution.

>

> -

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Hmmmmm, guess you got a bit hot under the collar:-)

Sadly, as is often the case on this list, you only appear to have seen some

sort of negative side to what was, very admirable of him.

You see, I had been turned down from another college BECAUSE of my dwarfism.

The first principle wanted to know how I would cope with the physical

education side of the course. I sorta put my foot in it, by referring to

his own assumed difficulties with such a subject BECAUSE of his age:-) He

didn't like that:-)

The second principle only saw me after I had been grilled, and I mean,

GRILLED, by other members of staff at several interviews prior to actually

meeting the principle. (And no, the grilling had absolutely nothing to do

with my dwarfism, just whether or not I was qualified to do the course.)

I ASKED to meet him! He was very down to earth, very pleasant, and most of

all, THE one who put his faith in my ability to cut it! HE gave me my place

on that course!

Yes, he was slightly bemused at the thought of a dwarf going through his

college, but hell, so was I:-)))))

I see absolutely nothing wrong with that:-)

We are talking some forty years ago now! I'd certainly never heard of any

dwarf teachers then. Now of course, it is practically the norm.

Cheers

Fred, who uses his dwarfism as his ticket through life and has been

successful doing so:-)

Re: Vocational help...

> Hi all,

>

> See, something like that would piss me off. " When

> applying for a place at the college, the principle was

> bemused with the fact that HIS college would have a

> dwarf (and possibly the first) student! " Umm, college

> is based on education, not size. If the administrator

> ever told me that to my face I would NOT go to that

> college. That is such blatant ignorance on the part

> of that individual. Wow, you got to be the token

> dwarf, how wonderful! I am not anyone's token dwarf.

> I am and I want to be accepted or denied

> because of my education or past experience, NOT

> because of my height. I am not around for anyone's

> amusement or to make them feel all warm inside because

> they have someone who is " different " attending their

> institution.

>

> -

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

I feel differently, because if I were their 'first', whether I made

the top one-the president down to the r.a. of my dorm feel warm,

giddy and/or bemused about my being the first one, I would feel being

the first one, I opened doors! I opened the way for those like me to

follow and the funny thing is, lol, once more would follow, trust me,

they wouldn't feel as warm, giddy and/or bemused about us all, as a

few of us they'd prolly want to expel after letting us in!

I can't wait for the day NASA announces it's sending it's first dwarf

into space, as I want to see what our responses will be? Of course

from, " How dare they! " Along with that, " If they said that to me, I

would then quit the whole space system to make a point! " haha To the

more positive, " You go dwarfie! May there be many who follow in yer

footsteps! Yer first footsteps too. And may the moon always be on yer

back! " hehe

And I must remind those who prolly have forgotten this already, when

NASA does send its first dwarf, it prolly will make that a point of

that as it did for the others it sent as a first too, from its first

woman to its first teacher-the one who died in 1986 on the

Challenger, and no one complained, but we do all the time and we will

then too, trust me, we will!

Who was it who said just recently, I think, , " Don't sweat the

small stuff, " right? That's sooo true, but I'd like to add to

that, " Don't sweat the small stuff, just the small people! "

OMG, moderator, moderator, Grady is making fun of us again! haha

Nooooo, becuz you see, to me, small people are not those who are

small in height, but in tolerance and in mind;). Everything bothers

them, tho they will say it doesn't, but you know it does cuz they're

the ones who vocalize the most about being short and the ap reaction

to their being short on here!

And to what said, I ditto everything she said, except the age

part as I'm young enough to be her son, well, almost. Perhaps I would

be more like a 'winter romance' to her than a son tho. haha;)

Ya know, that's when a much younger guy dates an older woman.

Yeah, yeah, I think that's what they call it? lol;)

" After 50 years I've concluded that the dwarfism makes more of a

difference to me at times than it does to others. "

Bravo, !

luv y'all, grady

PS-It's funny how the thread title is 'Vocational help' and somehow,

somewhere, it went from that to what one isolated college 'dink',

even if he was big 'dink' in that college. Like who cares, well, I

guess, a few of us do! And when was it said too, like how many

years ago now? To our now getting riled over it in 2006, go figure?

And we truly don't sweat the small stuff, as this is majorly big, ya

know! Umm, I would think being barred from the college cuz of my

dwarfism would be a lot bigger, than one dinky doo-doo's comment! LOL

If you guys want Vocational help, the best bet is to locate the

nearest V.E.S.I.D. office to you, make an appointment, see what they

can offer you based on how much yer disabled and yer income too, and

go from there, all the best:).

[Guest guest]

Fred~ I was surprised to see your incorrect spelling of principal I always

taught my girls ( and their 4th grade teacher~ ahem!) that the principal is your

PAL! Princ-I pal.

It's just the principle of the matter!

Take care,

Love,

Patty

Re: Vocational help...

> Hi all,

>

> See, something like that would piss me off. " When

> applying for a place at the college, the principle was

> bemused with the fact that HIS college would have a

> dwarf (and possibly the first) student! " Umm, college

> is based on education, not size. If the administrator

> ever told me that to my face I would NOT go to that

> college. That is such blatant ignorance on the part

> of that individual. Wow, you got to be the token

> dwarf, how wonderful! I am not anyone's token dwarf.

> I am and I want to be accepted or denied

> because of my education or past experience, NOT

> because of my height. I am not around for anyone's

> amusement or to make them feel all warm inside because

> they have someone who is " different " attending their

> institution.

>

> -

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

Patty, DARLING, I might have been a teacher, BUT, I was a shocking speller:-)

Always kept a dictionary on my desk - just in case one of the kids asked for a

word I was stumped on:-)

Fred

Re: Vocational help...

> Hi all,

>

> See, something like that would piss me off. " When

> applying for a place at the college, the principle was

> bemused with the fact that HIS college would have a

> dwarf (and possibly the first) student! " Umm, college

> is based on education, not size. If the administrator

> ever told me that to my face I would NOT go to that

> college. That is such blatant ignorance on the part

> of that individual. Wow, you got to be the token

> dwarf, how wonderful! I am not anyone's token dwarf.

> I am and I want to be accepted or denied

> because of my education or past experience, NOT

> because of my height. I am not around for anyone's

> amusement or to make them feel all warm inside because

> they have someone who is " different " attending their

> institution.

>

> -

>

> __________________________________________________

>