A Clown in the Class
In honor of a truly inspirational teacher9 total reviews
Comment from Barry Penfold
A delightful story. It is fascinating how some people just have a way with children. They provide inspiration to children with disabilities and beyond. So glad you came across someone like Louis. Nicely told. Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Barry Penfold.
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
  |
A delightful story. It is fascinating how some people just have a way with children. They provide inspiration to children with disabilities and beyond. So glad you came across someone like Louis. Nicely told. Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Barry Penfold.
Comment Written 27-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
-
Hi Barry,
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review, it is greatly appreciated.
Yes, Louis was an inspiring individual and I'm so pleased I've managed to tell a little about him.
Charlotte
-
I am sure he is smiling down at you.
Take care.
-
Ha ha he's more likely to be gazing upwards scratching his beard, while contemplating some deep thoughts!
You take care too.
Charlotte
Comment from Cecilia A Heiskary
This is a great true story. I can only imagine how difficult it must be raising a child with special needs. Louis sounded like a great man and the world has lost a special person.
Well done and good luck in the contest.
Cecilia
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
|
This is a great true story. I can only imagine how difficult it must be raising a child with special needs. Louis sounded like a great man and the world has lost a special person.
Well done and good luck in the contest.
Cecilia
Comment Written 23-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
-
Hi Cecilia,
Thank you so much for your lovely review and your kind words.
I have to say though (just to help your imagination! Lol) it's not the raising of a child with special needs that's difficult, it's the way other people, professionals and society, have treated, regarded and reacted to him - oh, excluding Louis of course! Lol
Charlotte
-
I know. People are so cruel and kids are ever crueler. It's a sad world we live in.
-
You've put it in a nutshell! :)
Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
Charlotte, this story really touched me heart. It's told so eloquently, building on the character of Louis and the way in which his intelligence and open-mindedness impacted on Ben. He was never a teacher who did things solely by the book but one who listened to the deep concerns of a parent and was prepared to allow yourself to influence his style of teaching. After all, no one knows your son better than you. And, as I was told when I first studied to be a teacher,- every one of us is a teacher in our lives. It's not just the domain of the one with a qualification! I also worked briefly with special needs children/adults. And am a Francophile:) But, enough of that, your inspiring story was an absolute joy to read and I'm so pleased that Ben achieved so much during that time. The incident with the nail varnish and the creative manner in which Louis dealt with it enhances your prose still more with colour and magic. Very well done and good luck! Debbie
He put his head to (one) side
Ben made the stupid dec(is)ion to be a clown today
be aware (where) possible
and(,) despite at first (being) skeptical...
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
 |
Charlotte, this story really touched me heart. It's told so eloquently, building on the character of Louis and the way in which his intelligence and open-mindedness impacted on Ben. He was never a teacher who did things solely by the book but one who listened to the deep concerns of a parent and was prepared to allow yourself to influence his style of teaching. After all, no one knows your son better than you. And, as I was told when I first studied to be a teacher,- every one of us is a teacher in our lives. It's not just the domain of the one with a qualification! I also worked briefly with special needs children/adults. And am a Francophile:) But, enough of that, your inspiring story was an absolute joy to read and I'm so pleased that Ben achieved so much during that time. The incident with the nail varnish and the creative manner in which Louis dealt with it enhances your prose still more with colour and magic. Very well done and good luck! Debbie
He put his head to (one) side
Ben made the stupid dec(is)ion to be a clown today
be aware (where) possible
and(,) despite at first (being) skeptical...
Comment Written 22-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 28-Jan-2025
-
Hi Debbie,
Thank you SO much for your wonderful review and the six stars! Having had a small taste of your writing I feel truly honoured!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the story and I hope you'll get a chance to read others I've written about Ben - he's such a character and has had so much good and bad happen in his life that I feel it's important to get it all written down.
Thank you too for the corrections which are always extremely helpful to receive and the best way of learning.
So, you've been a special needs teacher and you're a Francophile? How great is that! I think we may have a lot of mutual interests!
Charlotte
Comment from T B Botts
Hello Charlotte,
I love the picture of Ben. I feel bad that he used nail polish. I can't imagine how sore his skin must have been by the time that you were able to get it off, poor kid.
What a great story though. Teachers have so much power at the tips of their fingers. They can make or break a student, and I'm so glad to see that Louis had a heart for children.
I'm curious why you were in France. I'm a bit surprised that the school there would teach English.
The Downs boy I worked with could read and write, and I worked with him to do every day skills like counting money and cooking simple meals. He never did really master the art of counting money, and he had a tendency to want to cook things that weren't all that healthy for him. Fortunately he still lives with his parents, but I dread the day when they pass.
His favorite thing to do is watch movies, especially Disney movies. Perhaps he could get a job as a movie critic some day.
Thanks for sharing your story gal, it was a delight to read.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
|
Hello Charlotte,
I love the picture of Ben. I feel bad that he used nail polish. I can't imagine how sore his skin must have been by the time that you were able to get it off, poor kid.
What a great story though. Teachers have so much power at the tips of their fingers. They can make or break a student, and I'm so glad to see that Louis had a heart for children.
I'm curious why you were in France. I'm a bit surprised that the school there would teach English.
The Downs boy I worked with could read and write, and I worked with him to do every day skills like counting money and cooking simple meals. He never did really master the art of counting money, and he had a tendency to want to cook things that weren't all that healthy for him. Fortunately he still lives with his parents, but I dread the day when they pass.
His favorite thing to do is watch movies, especially Disney movies. Perhaps he could get a job as a movie critic some day.
Thanks for sharing your story gal, it was a delight to read.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment Written 22-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
-
Hi Tom,
How are you? Well I hope.
Oh we originally moved there with my ex-husband (Ben's dad) when the French were offering excellent grants to farm there - I was always a Francophile and he was a farm manager with no prospects of getting his own farm in the UK, it made sense at the time - Ben was just two and a half when we left. Had I known then how backward the French were regarding disabilities (50 years behind the UK I reckon) I'd never have gone. But despite that I did love it there and we only returned to the UK because of Ben being one of the 2,000 kids with no schooling - not that long after the demonstration at the very beginning of the story in fact. It was the best decision for Ben, but I still miss France and the lifestyle there. But hey ho.
All schools in France teach English and they all speak it much better than the Brit equivalents can speak French - the general education there is excellent, just not if you have a disability.
Yes, Ben still has a bit of a problem with money and math - not generally their forte, but his reading and writing are good, if not his spelling! Lol
Gosh yes, the thought of what happens when we pass is always a constant worry, they really ought to try to get him into independent living of some sort (with support of course) in preparation, though I don't know how easy that is in the US. I managed to buy a house when I got back from France and once Ben felt ready to live on his own I moved out into rented accommodation so that he could have the house, and stay in it for life. Now I try not to see him as often as I'd like to in the hope that he'll get used to not having me around and it won't be too much of a shock when I do go - although I know it will break his heart, but hopefully not quite as much.
Thank you so much for your lovely review btw, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the story - did you read any of the other comments? One of them (Alexandra) gave me a really hard time, really quite nasty - her eventual conclusion was that I am ashamed of him!!! Wow.
Take care of yourself Tom.
Charlotte
-
Hello Charlotte,
how interesting that you bought a house and gave it to Ben. I guess that means he's able to live on his own, cooking, shopping, washing his clothes and so on. I'm certain that he will be heart broken when you pass. Downs children have hearts as big as the moon. In fact, I read a book by that very title some years back, I believe it was A Heart as Big as The Moon. It covered, I believe, a whole class of special needs kids. Anyway, with the exception of one young man back in Hoonah, who didn't get the kind of support I felt that he needed in order to strike out on his own, I've never met a Downs person that wasn't very pleasant and loving. Unfortunately, there are always predators waiting in the wings for such an innocent victim to come along.
I can see where it would be enticing to take advantage of a program that would allow a person to farm there in France. What did you grow there? Grapes? I don't know very much about France. I never visited when I was in the navy. Spain, Greece, Germany, Italy, England, Scotland, Finland and Palma De Mallorca, but not France.
I looked at Alex's remarks. I wasn't sure what to make of them. I think you have to take a lot of what is written with a grain of salt.
Take care of yourself gal.
Blessings,
Tom
-
Hi Tom,
Sorry I've been ages in getting back to you!
Yes he does live on his own, but has support coming in daily to help him with shopping, bills and stuff he's less able to do. I studied all the laws and regulations in the UK when he hit 18 and fought tooth and nail with social services to ensure he got the support he needed - it's amazing how much you can achieve if you quote the law at them! Lol
Oh I'll have to have a look and see if I can find that book.
Oh France is beautiful, it's a real shame you've never been. We had cows and sheep mostly and grew a few cereals for feed. Ha ha there were grape vines on the farm, but I think they were for home wine production - pretty revolting for anything else! It wasn't a wine growing area, mostly livestock.
Yes, I decided to ignore Alex's further remarks - I can't bear it when people, who haven't a clue, think they're the experts!
Have a wonderful day,
Charlotte
Comment from Tim Margetts
What a wonderful story, Charlotte.
Would that all teachers could be like this amazingly talented and forward thinking educator.
It was a sad ending to such a wonderful story, but then, life is often like that in its harsh reality.
I hope Ben is doing well.
Tim x
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
|
What a wonderful story, Charlotte.
Would that all teachers could be like this amazingly talented and forward thinking educator.
It was a sad ending to such a wonderful story, but then, life is often like that in its harsh reality.
I hope Ben is doing well.
Tim x
Comment Written 20-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 22-Jan-2025
-
Hi Tim,
I hope you're well?
Yeah wouldn't it just - unfortunately though they're very few and far between, a rare breed.
Yep Ben's good thanks, he's heavily into his fitness training at the moment - long may it last! :)
Thank you so much for your lovely review, it's always so nice to hear from you.
Charlotte
Comment from pome lover
This is a wonderful story that you told honestly, which I've found is unusual when the author actually includes a wrong reaction on her part, and on the part of the teacher. A heartwarming story, especially since it is true.
I loved your description of Auden's smile and friendliness. It was indeed contagious and happy. What a shame that he died of cancer the very next year. A lovely story, enjoyable to read.
Katharine
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
|
This is a wonderful story that you told honestly, which I've found is unusual when the author actually includes a wrong reaction on her part, and on the part of the teacher. A heartwarming story, especially since it is true.
I loved your description of Auden's smile and friendliness. It was indeed contagious and happy. What a shame that he died of cancer the very next year. A lovely story, enjoyable to read.
Katharine
Comment Written 19-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
-
Hi Katherine,
Thank you very much indeed for your review and for the high rating you gave to my story. It meant so much to me - and even more so after having received a very unkind and condemning one soon after.
Thank you.
Charlotte
-
Oh, I'm sorry that happened. Just know your story is good and you are a good writer!
-
Aww bless you! Thank you.
Comment from RodG
This is a beautiful tribute to Louis, a special teacher who worked with students with special needs. I was moved by how he treated your son from the very beginning and how he made every attempt to improve his teaching methods. Thank you for sharing this memoir. Rod
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
|
This is a beautiful tribute to Louis, a special teacher who worked with students with special needs. I was moved by how he treated your son from the very beginning and how he made every attempt to improve his teaching methods. Thank you for sharing this memoir. Rod
Comment Written 19-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
-
Hi Rod,
Thank you very much for your review and for your kind words, I really appreciate both. I'm so pleased you were as moved as I by his treatment of Ben.
Charlotte
Comment from Alexandra Trovato
Having been a teacher of children with special needs, for 3 decades, I was horrified to read your story. You admit to having called your son stupid for one thing. Of course his teacher was great, accepting Ben and trying to make it better. I have taught several children with downes syndrome. I call them angels, as they were always dancing and kind. I've taught children with autism. I've taught mainstreamed children roo. I'm also a mother. Your writing here was difficult for me to read. I gave Ben and his teacher a 5, for their patience wirh you.
Alexandra
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
|
Having been a teacher of children with special needs, for 3 decades, I was horrified to read your story. You admit to having called your son stupid for one thing. Of course his teacher was great, accepting Ben and trying to make it better. I have taught several children with downes syndrome. I call them angels, as they were always dancing and kind. I've taught children with autism. I've taught mainstreamed children roo. I'm also a mother. Your writing here was difficult for me to read. I gave Ben and his teacher a 5, for their patience wirh you.
Alexandra
Comment Written 19-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
-
So, being a teacher, I expect you will need this spelt out for you:
1. If you were to go back and re-read my story you will see that I did not refer to my son as stupid, but to one of his actions.
2. It is not possible for a full time teacher (if you were full time?) who works a mere 1,000 hours out of 8,760 per year, to compare herself to a mother with a lifetime of rejections of, injustices to and battles for her child. It would behove you to have more humility than to set yourself up as the expert in comparison.
3. Can you truly say that you have never got cross with your own child? If you can, then tell me, how has that prepared them for later life when confronted with someone who is angry with them?
4. As a writer yourself, I find it astounding that you cannot comprehend that to enable the character arc to develop within a memoir, it is imperative to be honest and admit to the errors of your actions in order to improve them. What gives you the right to condemn me for doing just that?
5. To become a teacher, does one not have to have acquired the rudiments of spelling – or does that not apply when teaching children with disabilities? My son’s syndrome is Down’s – with a capitol D, an apostrophe and no e – not downes as you have written.
Your review, of my life rather than of my writing, was unnecessary, unkind, uncalled for and in my opinion, extremely unchristian. Perhaps you should review your own actions before hurling that first proverbial stone.
Charlotte
-
God knows my heart, my intentions, and my past actions, Charlotte. I apologize for my tone because I often do not realize how my typed words might sound to another. I know more than anyone what parents go through because 30 years of teaching gives a lot of experience with many families. I have a masters degree in Literacy Reading, Speaking, Writing, so typos in reaction to am emotional story do not represent me. I'm not hurling stones, I'm reviewing your writing. If you meant to show it a different way, I'm sharing how I read it and I can surely read.
Throughout the story if appeared you were ashamed of your son. If you didn't mean it that way, that's for you to write.
I will change the spelling errors. That was auto correct. I was in a rush to tell you I felt bad about how you wrote that. You should realize I'm reviewing your writing not your life.
Peace,
Alex
-
And ps I will reread your story.
Comment from Michael Ludwinder
I'm sorry for your loss. Your story is beautiful! I love how Louis took a potentially embarrassing situation and turned it into a moment of joy for the entire class. It shows his incredible ability to transform challenges into opportunities. The way you shared the depth of your relationship with him, and the lasting impact he had on Ben, really made your story heartwarming. Thank you for sharing this inspiring glimpse of such a special person!
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
|
I'm sorry for your loss. Your story is beautiful! I love how Louis took a potentially embarrassing situation and turned it into a moment of joy for the entire class. It shows his incredible ability to transform challenges into opportunities. The way you shared the depth of your relationship with him, and the lasting impact he had on Ben, really made your story heartwarming. Thank you for sharing this inspiring glimpse of such a special person!
Comment Written 19-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 20-Jan-2025
-
Hi Michael,
Thank you so much for your lovely review, I really appreciate your kind words. I'm so pleased you enjoyed my tribute to him and understood what a very special individual that he was.
Charlotte
