WHAT a peculiar twist of fate. Never would I envision myself as a teacher in the slightest. Let alone one specializing in Special Needs Education. Yet, here I am, a few breaths away from graduation. It's quite surreal actually. The journey has been strenuous and stressful, bound by so many hurdles and mishaps that I was able to overcome alone, also giving me opportunities for personal growth.

     Initially, the idea of working and connecting with children was a foreign concept to me. As an only child, I had little experience and opportunities to interact with the younger ones. However, as the years went by and I became more familiar with the infinite concepts and learnings in the field of education, I discovered that all this time, maybe it wasn’t just these youthful individuals of society I was destined to work towards helping. Still, rather, the other children, often discouraged, abandoned, and misrepresented— those with Special Educational Needs would be the ones that I have made my life’s mission to help and teach.

     In caring for these students, I found myself again in ways I never thought I would have. A part of myself thought had long been dormant. By tapping into my creative skills through creating instructional materials and visual aids, revisiting childhood media like cartoons and animated shows, conversing and interacting with these innocent souls on a day-to-day basis, and even opening popmart blind box toys like Labubus and Hironos, I was inadvertently healing my own inner child. A part of me thought I was lost in the process of overcoming the challenges of college that I had no choice but to face.

     Moving forward, what more about these children? The stigma that they face? The ones who society often labels as "different," "difficult," or even "less than" those who have Special Educational Needs. I've seen firsthand the stigma that surrounds these children as more of them get diagnosed. According to data coming from UNICEF, there are 1.6 million Filipino children with disabilities: a growing reality that this country needs more teachers, special education teachers, to be exact. If more people see the reality we are currently facing and do their part, maybe this stigma and judgment will disappear if more individuals have the goodness in their hearts to see what is missing, what needs to be done, and what guidance to give to these youth who will be the voice of the future ahead of us. Then maybe we will have a more progressive and open-minded state.

     That is the heart of a future teacher in the Special Needs Education field. You see beyond the labels, recognize the unique potential within each child you encounter, and challenge a world that too often fails to do the same.

     And slowly but surely, the kids will be alright.