The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 8: Soothing Music

image of two bars of The Carnival of the Animals

In this scene, little Kitten reflects on her situation and how much she values her friendship with Tammy, as

well as on how important their mothers are to both of them.

(Image of two bars of music from The Carnival of the Animals courtesy of user:Kaptain~commonswiki, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 8: Soothing Music

Returning to her bedroom after independently showering and changing into her pajamas, she listened to the LP of Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival Of Animals that Mama was playing on the record player. She fell into a state of deep relaxation, forgetting everything.

As sleep crept up on her, she cuddled under her covers, a book about carousels and horses in her hands. When her eyes tired, she put down the book and set her alarm for school in the morning. Mama was present for everything, but did not interfere except to turn out the bedside light. She let Kitten conduct her bedtime routine by and for herself.

Now and then thoughts about Tammy popped up in her mind.

Talking to Tammy made me realize I’m not alone anymore. Perhaps there is a chance for both of us to succeed in learning. Thank goodness, we have our mothers to protect us from the experts, even if Mama can’t be there tomorrow.

Inclusive Teaching Techniques for Special Education Teachers

Recently, someone from TExESTest.org contacted me about a resource they put together to help special ed teachers. It is also for people who are thinking of becoming special ed teachers. Here is some info on it, followed by a link to the resource. I also added it to the Whispers of Hope Special Needs Resources page under Resources for Professionals.

About the resource:

To help teachers in their goal of crafting inclusive classrooms that take into account all types of students, we’ve created a guide full of helpful advice and methods all about inclusivity. As special education students do need some accommodations, they can may feel as if they are not fully a part of their classroom, which is something all teachers strive to change. TExESTest.org created a guide to Inclusive Teaching Techniques for Special Education Teachers to provide comprehensive information to future and current educators on the answers they need the most, such as:

A discussion of learning disabilities
The types of classroom accommodations
Techniques for inclusive teaching, such as station teaching, parallel teaching, and universal design
Ways to design a functional and inclusive classroom space

Click here to go directly to the page.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 7: The Waiver

image of old-fashioned oak secretary desk This scene focuses on little Kitten’s memories of how confident she felt a few months before, and how desperately afraid she is now.

(Image courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 7: The Waiver

Karen opened the front door and trudged down the hall. The house smelled wonderful, like chicken soup. Stopping by the door to Mama’s bedroom, she saw the waiver forms filed in a pigeonhole above the desk. With a deep sigh, she reflected back to the day near the end of the previous term, when Mrs. Pinzetti had sent her home with the forms.

“Come this way with me, please,” Mrs. Pinzetti had said in her most syrupy voice, as she led Karen into her office. “Signing this waiver will make life easier for your Mama. There’s no need for her to take time off work to attend your clinic and evaluation. Everything we do is routine. Don’t worry about it, Sugar.”

When she brought the waiver home, she was full of confidence. She was twelve, going on thirteen. She had met Pegasus and had him as a mentor and friend. She had given the papers to Mama, and Mama had seemed relieved to get them.

“You’re sure this is okay with you, Krana Layala? You’re sure you can handle the clinic and evaluation on your own? You’re twelve years old, now, so maybe it’s time.”

“Yes, Mama, I can handle anything now, and I’m almost thirteen. Besides, I have Pegasus.”

Bringing her mind back to the present, she thought, If only I had listened when my intuition warned me that Mrs. Pinzetti was being too nice. If only Mama hadn’t signed those papers. If only she hadn’t given up her right to be at the clinic. How am I going to face those experts in white coats, all alone? How am I going to defend myself? I’m only a little girl, but I don’t want to hurt Mama’s feelings by telling her how I feel.

Mama’s warm voice came to her from the kitchen and brought her back into the present. “Krana Layala, are you home? Did I hear you come in?”

Karen tried to answer, but she could not speak. She tried to walk to the kitchen, but her legs would not move. Anxiety paralyzed her. After a moment, she felt her mother’s warm hands on her shoulders. She looked up. Mama’s brown eyes overflowed with tears.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Why are you standing here? Are you okay?”

“I’m very worried about the clinic and evaluation tomorrow.”

“I’ve been thinking about them, too, and I wish I could be there, but I didn’t request time off work. Signing that waiver seemed like the right thing to do a few months ago. We both felt that you could handle anything. Remember?”

“Yes, Mama, I remember, but now I’m not so sure.”

They talked more over dinner, and both got ready for bed full of worry.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 6: In a Fog

The story continues building toward a climactic confrontation with Mrs. Pinzetti, as little Kitten struggles to keep herself going in the face of the next day’s dreaded events.

(Photo by cjohnson7 from Rochester, Minnesota, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 6: In a Fog

Her mind fully preoccupied by the dreaded clinic and evaluation, she went through the rest of the school day. Eventually, school ended, and she gratefully realized she was sitting in her seat, riding home on the school bus.

Deep in thought, she sat still and quiet, unaware that she was almost home. When, at last, her eyes focused on Pegasus, she emerged from her trance-like state. However, the world still felt like a dream.

There was her stallion, standing by the curb, waiting to greet her. The bus stopped. She unbuckled her seat belt, walked to the door, and hopped down the two steps. Mr. Hinton motored away, and Pegasus spoke.

“What’s the matter, Karen? My intuition has been telling me that something is bothering you.”

“I had to write an extemporaneous paper at school, and it took a ton of energy. Then, Mrs. Pinzetti gave me a note that my clinic and eval are tomorrow. I’m exhausted, and tomorrow will be miserable.”

Affectionately, Pegasus inched towards her, but she looked away at the cloudy sky, unable to meet his eyes and too drained to talk about anything.

“When you’re ready, Kitten, I will be here for you.”

Despondently, she trod up the steps to her house.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 5: Mrs. Pinzetti Delivers a Note

This scene brings Mrs. Pinzetti into the classroom, and she brings more bad news.

(Image by Christos Vittoratos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 5: Mrs. Pinzetti Delivers a Note

As the teacher collected the writing assignments, Mrs. Pinzetti entered the room, cleared her throat without speaking, and handed Karen a note.

Karen read it.

Clinic tomorrow. 11 A.M. Evaluation afterward.

She looked up at Mrs. Pinzetti, but she had already turned away. Without speaking, she left the room.

Karen forced herself to sit up straight in her chair, even though she felt her mind fill with fear.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 4: An Impromptu Writing Exercise

image of illustration of a yellow pencil

As her Mama talks with Principal Stephie, little Karen struggles through a writing assignment in her classroom. Even though she has studied the subject, under pressure to write on demand she cannot remember what she has learned. School teachers now know much more about learning disabilities than they did in the 1950s and 60s. Back then, dyslexia and dysgraphia were not well understood at all.

(Image by Dean M. Campos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 4: An Impromptu Writing Exercise

Meanwhile, Karen had returned to class. Without warning, her teacher gave an impromptu writing assignment—one page on Andrew Jackson, the seventh President. Kitten felt the muscles in her neck tense. Her strong right hand shook. Paralysis struck her left. Under her cotton dress, she felt drops of sweat roll down her sides, and she knew she was in for trouble. No matter how much knowledge she had about an academic subject, when her body tensed, her perceptual learning difficulty kicked in. At times like this, she acted as her own mentor, emulating the warmth and words of Mama and Pegasus.

Breathe, Karen, breathe. It’s only an assignment. You can do it, if you can calm down. Fear is the biggest barrier. Prove to yourself that you can do this, sweetheart.

Even though she had studied Jackson, under the pressure of the surprise assignment she could not remember anything about him. The wall clock showed that half an hour had elapsed. Her classmates were all busy writing, yet she had not put a single word on paper. She put her pencil into her hand and tried to string words together, writing whatever came to mind. Agonizingly, the words formed sentences. The wall clock ticked as the long hand moved, minute by minute. One by one, the minutes thundered in her head.

As she toiled with the pencil, she wondered what had happened to her starlight oath of strength. Would she ever find a happy purpose in life? Existential and nausea were new words she had recently added to her vocabulary, and she felt them coming to life in the classroom world of dreaded, extemporaneous writing.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 3: Mama Visits Principal Stephie

image of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

After little Kitten sees her mother at school, Mama has a serious talk with the principal. She has always advocated for her daughter, but now she is beginning to think like an activist.

(Image of Elizabeth Taylor in her role as Cleopatra from Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 3: Mama Visits Principal Stephie

Mama said hello to the school secretary and let her know that she had a meeting scheduled with the principal. Mama knew both women well, since she had been an officer in the PTA every year since Karen had enrolled. She sat and reviewed her notes, before the secretary called her into Stephie Sinclair’s office.

Stephanie Sinclair was a buxom middle-aged woman who always wore a suit to work. Today, it was red. She stood five and a half feet tall in matching red heels. Two wide silver streaks ran up from her forehead and through her beehive of black hair. She had adopted the fashionable Cleopatra-style eye makeup but kept her conservative red lipstick. Behind the heavy black eyeliner and blue eyeshadow, her warm brown eyes radiated warmth. As always, Mrs. Sinclair’s emotional warmth impressed Mama. After a brief greeting, Mama came to the point.

“Karen could use some extra help because of her learning disabilities, and she’s not the only student in the school who needs this. I see her struggling more and more as her homework becomes increasingly advanced. Most nights, she isn’t able to complete it on her own. She transposes letters and adds the letter s to the end of every word she reads, and her comprehension diminishes accordingly. She gets frustrated about not retaining the information she learns in class and at home, and she is showing signs of deep anxiety about school. Many nights, she goes to bed at seven-thirty, but she doesn’t get to sleep until midnight because of her worries about not learning. You’ve seen how tired she looks. You and I have talked for years about the school hiring a teacher with special training in learning disabilities, and I feel strongly that the time has come to act on this. I have discussed this with several other parents in the PTA, and we all agree that our children need help dealing with their learning disabilities. The teachers are good with the physical disabilities, but they don’t have the training for learning disabilities. I don’t want you to feel that I am pressuring you, but the other parents and I are willing to back you up if you have to request extra funding for an added staff position from the school board. We want a teacher on staff who can work directly with learning disabled students, and who can advise the classroom teachers too.”

The principal’s smile faded as she listened to Mama.

“You’re right, Katie. You’re absolutely right, but unless the school board approves hiring a specialist teacher, there’s nothing I can do. I ask every year, but so far, they have not seen enough of a need to justify the expense. You know I want to make this school a model for educational reform. In fact, I have already interviewed several candidates, so I will have one lined up if I can get approval. Maybe if you and the other parents speak with the board, you can change their minds. Meanwhile, I believe we have Karen studying on her own every afternoon, with one of the teachers looking in on her every hour.”

Mama took a deep breath and sighed. “I was afraid that was still the situation. I’ll speak with the other parents and try to get a group together to address the board.”

“There’s one other thing,” she continued. “Karen overheard some very disturbing conversations between Mrs. Pinzetti and Mrs. DeLuca. She said they were planning to talk Mrs. Beaumont into letting them put Tammy into a power wheelchair, even if Tammy might get hurt. They want the prestige of being the first therapists in the LA area to put a quadriplegic into a power chair. They also said that Dr. Lambert is demanding that they recommend more children for surgery so he can collect his surgical fees, even if the children don’t need surgery. I hope you have an explanation for why they would say these things.”

Principal Stephie went pale as she listened to Mama’s words.

“Katie, this is news to me. Let me see if I can get to the bottom of it, and let’s get together, again, in a few days.”

With those words, Mama left. The long years of devoting all of her spare time to the school and of advocating for disabled students might eventually pay off, but meanwhile she admitted to herself that she had not made much progress. The school board was more concerned about high school basketball than about disabled children with learning problems, and now there was another issue with the experts. Mama drove back to work, wondering if her efforts would ever pay off but as determined as ever to keep trying. She vowed to herself that she would never give up.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 2: Meeting Mama at School

This short scene leads into a longer one of Mama reveals to the school principal what little Karen overheard.

Scene 2: Meeting Mama at School

Later, after a morning nutrition break spent thinking about Tammy, Karen saw Mama outside the school’s main office. She knew why she was there.

Mama gave her a hug and said, “I’m going to see Mrs. Sinclair, now, just like I said I would.”

Karen thanked her and hurried back toward her classroom. As she walked, she felt a wave of peace come over her.

Everything’s going to be okay, now.

The Healing Horse, Ch. 22, Scene 1: Seeing the Experts

image of painting of skeleton with burning cigarette by van gosh Chapter 22 begins with a short scene. Little Kitten arrives at school and sees the evil experts lurking. She knows they are waiting for her and her friends, but then she remembered something her friend Tammy’s mother said…

(Painting “Head of a Skeleton With a Burning Cigarette” by Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 1: Seeing the Experts

Tuesday morning arrived, and Kitten whispered a solemn affirmation to stay positive and keep hoping that the school would get her a teacher who could help with her learning disability. She vowed she would do everything she could to protect Tammy from the experts. Personal affirmations always calmed and restored her spirit, if only briefly. They were all-powerful, but only for a moment. They impressed upon her mind the changes she wanted to take place, and they helped her hold firm to them. They helped her work through her own indecision and unbelief. She went through her morning routine independently and rode the bus to school.

As the bus pulled into the parking lot, she saw the team of experts awaiting her and the other students. Leaning against the veranda railing outside the therapy room, they laughed over their coffee and tried to hide their cigarettes from the students. She saw that they were relaxed and looking forward to their day. To them the day’s evaluations were routine. Even though their decisions would affect the students’ lives, they did not care. If they cared, they would acknowledge the students leaving the buses, but they focused only on themselves.

Today was Tammy’s clinic and eval, and Tammy had not been on the bus. Kitten knew that Mrs. Beaumont would bring her to school in their family station wagon and stay with her throughout the ordeal. Afterwards, they would go home together so Tammy could rest on the couch.

Karen remembered seeing Tammy’s mom primping her last year, in the girl’s lavatory before school. Mrs. Beaumont took pride in helping Tammy look just so. Karen thought she fussed over her friend as excessively as Mama did over her.

Tammy had playfully teased her mother by saying, “Oh Mama, how much fussing are you going to do on me!”

Tammy’s mother had responded, “Until the experts know what I know.”

The Healing Horse, Ch. 21, Scene 14: Mama Makes an Appointment

This scene is another turning point in the story, as Mama decides she has to tell the principal of her daughter’s school what the experts are planning for her and for her friend Tammy.

(Image by ProhibitOnions at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Scene 14: Mama Makes an Appointment

After finishing her ice cream, Mama brought her mind back to Karen’s school. It served over three hundred students from all over Western LA and Santa Monica. Even though the children had a wide range of disabilities, most of them were in mixed classrooms—mixed in the sense that they had different disabilities—not that there were any non-disabled students in the school. The Down’s syndrome students had their own classrooms, according to their degree of retardation, but Karen and the others shared classrooms that were as normal as possible. The school had classified about thirty children, including Tammy, as severely disabled.

The school’s principal, Stephanie Sinclair, was a good person, and so were the teachers. However, even though the school served only handicapped students, none of the teachers had training in learning disabilities. They were good with physical issues, but unable to help Karen with her dyslexia. Karen needed new instructional methods and one-on-one tutoring. She needed the school to hire a specialized teacher who knew the new techniques and could develop Karen’s confidence so that she would rediscover her love of learning, rather than forcing herself to trudge through her lessons.

Mama did not like asking favors, but she knew that if she did not make a stand, then no one would. Most of the other parents had unrealistic hopes that they would be able to care for their children as long as the children lived, but even disabled children normally outlived their parents. Karen had the potential to become an independent adult, and even to help others, but she had a lot to learn before then. If Mama could not get her on track, academically, she would never be able to earn her own way.

She also needed to make sure that her Krana Layala had interpreted what she overheard correctly. Perhaps there was some other explanation. And, if not, then the principal needed to protect the students from the experts.

The next day at work looked easier than today had been. She could take a little time off. Dialing the principal’s home phone number from memory, she made an appointment for the next morning. Then she phoned her boss at home to let him know that she would need to take some time off. After hanging up, she sighed. Karen’s situation was difficult, but they would persevere. She never gave up, and she knew that Karen was the same way. She would advocate for Karen and teach Karen how to advocate for herself. Regardless of how the meeting with Stephanie Sinclair went, she would get Karen the help she needed.

My dear, sweet Kitten needs help with her academics more than with anything else in this world. She will never become independent without it. I need to get my daughter as strong and capable as I can before I leave this planet.