Growing in Understanding

Representation & Partnership in the Classroom (& Beyond!)

Q & A with Shira Wolch!

This week, my guest contributor is Shira Wolch, an educator, parent, lifelong learner, and neurodiversity advocate. Shira and I completed our Master of Teaching degree together and only recently caught up after about a decade. She is doing amazing things! Shira was an elementary teacher for 7 years. Since then, she launched Grey Matters Workshops, a company that teaches children about neurodiversity. Today, Shira is the Education Coordinator for the incredible ReelAbilities Film Festival and for the Access & Inclusion team at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre. (I told you - she’s amazing!) This month, we caught up to talk about her work and her inspirations.

Q: You recently coordinated an event called #OwnVoices: Children's Books by Autistic Authors. What inspired this event or why did this topic resonate with you?

A: This event was a collaboration with my colleagues from the Access and Inclusion team at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre. We knew we wanted to do some sort of event around books, as most of our work is inspired by film (I also work as education coordinator for ReelAbililites Film Festival). “Nothing about us without us” is definitely a guiding principle for the team, so it very naturally evolved into this event where we highlighted great books written by autistic authors. This was also happening as Sia’s film “Music” was coming out. Originally we were going to just have teachers or librarians discussing the books, but we quickly realized it would be more authentic if youth with autism reviewed and shared their opinions of the books. It is their voices that we want to amplify.

The official booklist! - Generously shared by Shira.

Q: I love that guiding principle! I had students on the panel and I knew they were likely anxious about being on camera and in front of an audience, but their passion about the topic prevailed. Why do you think that was?

A: I think the panelists did so well because they really had important insight to share and they knew it. The audience was mostly teachers and parents, and the students’ opinions would teach them a lot about how important it is for kids to see themselves reflected in the books they read. Their opinions and ideas were so well thought out. It was clear that each of them had not only read the books, but took the time to reflect on them as literature and as a model of representation of autism. 

Q: Preparation is so vital for children to feel safe to share, and it was clear to me they did . . . How did you work with the youth on the panel in advance to establish that sense of safety?

A: I did a few things ahead of time to prepare the panelists. I sent them books in different formats. Panelists could choose between hard copies, digital copies and audio books so they could read in the way that best suited them. One of our panelists, Aiden, was actually the one who suggested that. And when they got the books they also got a list of questions, so they could prepare their responses while reading. A week before the event we had a run through of the entire thing. I think this eased everyone’s mind. Everyone knew what to expect and had a chance to ask any questions they had. I am sure they were nervous about the event, but it was honestly impossible to see that! All of the panelists did an incredible job.

Q: I wholeheartedly agree! That’s also an important tip for teachers - learn from our students! As a teacher, you've also worked with a few autistic students over the years. What did they teach you?

A: I think what I learned is that knowing a student with autism is knowing one student with autism. Before teaching and knowing anyone personally with autism, I would generalize and stereotype about the autistic community. Now I know better.

Q: You've also shared with me about your experiences as a new parent learning about the world of disability. What has that journey been like?

A: Oh, it’s been a rollercoaster. I am still at the start of this journey, as my daughter is 3, but it has been overwhelming, challenging, and enlightening. At the beginning I was preoccupied with comparing my child to others or to “normal”. That has faded (although not disappeared) and now I get to enjoy my daughter. I now see her for the amazing kid that she is. I am working hard to address the ableism that runs deep. I’ve spent a lifetime being unaware of it, so I have lots of work to do in that regard.

I think a lot of parents feel that they are on this journey for a reason, or perhaps God chose this for them. I don’t feel like that. It’s a journey, I guess … it’s really just life. Curveballs make it meaningful.  But I do know that I am learning from my daughter and from being her parent and I hope that I am becoming a better person for it. And the journey is mostly good. To be honest, the only bad parts come from within me, not from others and not from my daughter herself. She is flipping incredible. Truly the happiest and sweetest kid you’ll ever know. Love of my life.

 Q: Aww. What advice would you give to parents on the same journey?

A: Learn from people with lived experience. And know that so much of the struggle with having a child with a disability is rooted in ableism. Admit it. Try to chip away at it. I’m just starting to do that, and I’m not great at it. At the beginning, I felt like my daughter’s disability was something horrible happening to me. It’s embarrassing to say that now, but it’s how I felt. This isn’t really about me. I think good parents know how to centre their child’s experience over their own, and I am beginning to understand that.

Q: Thank you for sharing that! How has learning from your child enhanced your teaching?

A: The thing I’ve learned most about this whole journey is that I need to work harder to be a team with my students’ parents. It feels like too often parents and teachers are pitted against each other.  Teachers see the parent that shows up to their class on the first day of school ready for a fight about an IEP or accommodations. But it is important to know that from day one parents like me have had to fight for every single thing for their child. Parents fight for diagnoses, for medical care, for daycare support, for school support, for equipment, for therapy, for funding, for inclusion, for transportation, for accommodation and more. We fight because we have to, not because we want to. So when a parent comes in with their gloves on ... understand it. Show them with your actions that you will do anything to help them. They will come around and work with you, not against you, if you really listen and if you are truly on their side. And once you have that … once you are working as a team with the parents, the possibilities are endless.

Thanks for reading! - Shira & Kara