The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I had just entered the fifth grade.  I was in a new school.  We had a girl named Susan who had Down's Syndrome.  The first day of school the teacher asked for two students to be Susan's special helper.  I was one of them.  Susan's helpers would help during class time, play with her outside, and help if she needed assistance.  Most of the children made fun of her or looked at her like she had the plague.  Very few took the time to try to get to know her.  Hearing these comments and witnessing the looks made me extremely sad.  I often hoped she didn't realize what was going on.   I felt privileged that I got to know her and her family.  I learned a lot from Susan.  I think the other children made fun of her or looked at her strange because they were either scared or had not had any experiences with others that had special needs.  I think the teacher should have explained to the class that everyone has strengths to add to the class.  I also think being honest about Susan and explaining how we all could help her would have been nice.  I strongly feel that teachers need to teach compassion and acceptance of others!