To Label or Not to Label Reflection Paper on Totoy Guro’s Special Education Labels in the Philippines

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Totoy Guro is a blog written by a Filipino teacher. It is a personal space on the Internet where he shares his insights, notes and personal experiences as an educator in the Philippines. The article listing Totoy Guro’s reasons for espousing the use of “labels” for children with special needs (CSN) is a good insight from a teacher’s perspective. Totoy Guro enumerated that using labels for CSN strengthens the teachers’ roles because labels identify the exceptional students’ needs in the classrooms. He also opposed the use of euphemisms for exceptionalities as this prevents people from truly understanding what needs understanding. He said euphemisms promote gossips and unfair labels among children, parents and even teachers. Instead, he recommended public and classroom discussions to educate everyone about exceptionalities.

Reading about students’ exceptionalities and special education (SPED) has opened my mind about the topic. The most experience and knowledge I have about it was a special classroom in my high school where the lone SPED teacher conducted lessons to students with disabilities. These students joined their class the same way regular students would, but gathered daily in the SPED room long after the regular students have gone home. Inside that room was a mystery unknown and uninteresting to me until now. 

Totoy Guro’s piece on using labels gave me an overview of what regular students, CSN, parents and teachers stand about exceptionalities. SPED and exceptionalities are facts of life everyone should accept, deal and live with respectfully of one another. As a parent and future educator, I know that having correct diagnosis of students’ learning disabilities is beneficial for the concerned student, parent and family of the student and most especially, the teacher. It is the start of addressing the necessary accommodations, therapy and changes in order to make the CSN succeed at school.

Totoy Guro has freely used the term label to mean this diagnosis. However, I understand also the possible negative reaction of those who oppose the use of labels for the stigma and wrong connotations they give. The same way that our society today has opted for politically correct phrases and terminologies in order to appease people groups coming from diverse backgrounds and concerns. Adopting politically correct phrases though is synonymous to watering down the issue, if not totally evading it. The problems with using labels then is miscommunication and lack of respect for those who are different from us. Job 6:25 KJV says, “How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?” Right words set us towards the correct path. Arguments divide people, familites and societies. We need and deserve truth all the time, but we need to serve it with love, respect, understanding and encouragement all the time too.

Reference/s

T. G. (2011, September 3). MY LIST WHY “LABELS” FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ARE GOOD [Web log post]. Retrieved June 19, 2016, from https://totoyguro.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/my-list-why-labels-for-children-with-special-needs-are-good/#comments

Happy Birthday, Lola Inang!

She was obviously happy, and therefore we are happy too. :D Though a foiled surprise party, it was all worth the hassle, pleasing our dearest mother who turned 71 last March 11.

I admire that she has bore 10 individuals, half based abroad living comfortable lives and generously helping the rest of us here live better. Most are married, with different parenting styles, I guess inspired and influenced by how we were brought up. Inang has lived a very hard life, with her mom dying while she and her other siblings were still young. She didn't finish school that was why she was keen to see all of us finish ours. Together with our tatay, they labored hard to send us to school. I can still remember the various trades they entered in order to make ends meet for our family. Aside from the staple farming, they also entered trading eggs, rice and other produce to Cubao Market, took on sub-contracting deals with cloth importers. I remember tatay also used to drive a jeep. Ours was really the simple life. We had the basics, and that's commendable. I learned how to value money, to the point that my husband kid me that I'm such a kuripot. We'll, I'm fine with that! I wish Lois would also grow up knowing that money can be spent, saved or given to those who need it more.

She and my dad were active in the baranggay, teaching nutrition, livelihood, dabbling in politics. I learned integrity, honesty and tact seeing them applied everyday.

My greatest desire now is for my mother to experience the same life ruled by faith that my own family lives on now. May God bless her with more fruitful years.