When I think about my education, I don’t just think about classes or assignments. I think about the teachers who made those experiences meaningful. During National Teachers Week, I want to share what their support meant to me as someone who has cerebral palsy and how their efforts made all the difference.
Throughout my life, I’ve always had an innate curiosity and love of learning. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of activities that I did in school. I’ve been blessed to have many amazing teachers, all of whom I am forever grateful for.
Cerebral palsy affected my education in many ways, especially my visual perceptual skills. Visual perception is the brain’s ability to interpret what the eyes see. For someone with cerebral palsy, this process can be disrupted, making it difficult to judge spatial relationships, recognize shapes, or understand complex images.
Trying to explain these challenges is often difficult, because they are not visible. People don’t understand why I don’t do mazes or why I have difficulty working with two-dimensional shapes.
Art class was another hurdle. When pictures contain many different colors, shapes, and patterns, I find it hard to focus on any one part of the image. Most of my art is quite simplistic for this reason. I tend to use similar color schemes and shapes to help me maintain focus and express myself.
When I was in school, my teachers often found ways for me to complete the same work as my peers. This was especially true in my math and science classes.
When I took geometry in my sophomore year of high school, using a graphing calculator made it easier to understand the material. Plotting a graph on the calculator was simpler for me than doing so on paper.
When I took anatomy and physiology during my senior year, seeing body parts on a skeleton model was easier than labeling diagrams on paper. My teacher recognized my struggles and found something that worked for me.
This kind of accommodation made a meaningful difference. It showed me that teachers are not just educators. They are advocates for their students’ unique ways of learning. Their willingness to adapt lessons empowered me to engage fully and succeed in subjects that might otherwise have felt out of reach.
I have fond memories of my school years, largely because of the many wonderful teachers I have had. To all my teachers, I want to say thank you for your patience, encouragement, and belief in me. Your impact has shaped who I am, and I carry your lessons with me every day.
Source:
Snider, Mike. “Teacher Appreciation Week 2026 Deals Include Freebies, Discounts.” USA Today, USA TODAY Co, 5 May 2026, http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/05/04/teacher-appreciation-week-2026-deals-free-food/89774687007/.