Well, today was pretty awesome, so I thought I’d tell you about it.

In the interest of context, allow me to recap the last few weeks as concisely as I can. Taking my first ever lesson at Massey High School was a pretty big deal. You know, we spend years at University; months contemplating teaching; weeks at Teachers’ College; and it all comes down to one hour, one period, one lesson to answer the big question: can I do this? The answer, I’m delighted to report, was a resounding yes.

It was, in fact, quite the momentous occasion. Going in to my first practicum, I had several obvious hurdles to overcome, and would discover several more in the first few days. How would I cope with not being able to write on the whiteboard? Does it matter that I’m perpetually 4ft? Will the students take me seriously? Will I manage, wheels ‘n all?

So as you can imagine, getting that first lesson under the belt and putting a cautious tick in the “viable career option” box was a huge accomplishment. Since then, things have got better and better.

Please don’t misconstrue my excitement as ego, I’m well aware that this is but a small step on the long road to becoming an accomplished teacher. My mentors make it look so damn easy, and teaching can be really bloody difficult. But the mere fact that I have conquered the first few hurdles and put many head-scratching colleagues’ evident concerns to rest gives me a huge sense of achievement. We need to celebrate our successes, however insignificant!

So, on to what happened today. Yesterday, my lecturer Ngaire Hoben observed me teaching a Year 13 Media Studies class, and my students – bless them – were all so conscious of “being good” that they turned into this terrifyingly silent bunch of teenagers. THEY ARE NEVER SILENT! Anyway, as a token of my thanks I brought in some chocolate for them to munch on during last period. In exchange, I asked them to fill out a short feedback form on yesterday’s lesson – “One thing I liked” / “One thing I thought could have been better”. They all did it, and I’ve just flicked through the responses.

Wow. Their responses were astonishing. They were genuine, well-considered, thoughtful responses that will really aid my teaching from here on in. Suggestions like “Spend a little more time on the middle part of the lesson”, and “Go through some of the techniques used in the film to help refresh our memory” epitomise the level of conscious feedback I received. Reading the “stuff they liked” was also really useful, helping me to understand which elements of the lesson resonated with them. I also got some hearts and smiley faces which, you know, never hurts!

It’s really staggering just how little my wheelchair affects my ability to teach, really. I’ve started using a wireless bluetooth keyboard in conjunction with my laptop to allow me to record class discussions on the board – it’s just brilliant. Much better than a whiteboard! And apart from the odd question about whether or not my wheelchair is “fun” (?!), the students are largely unfazed by it. Truly, it’s something of a revelation. And so encouraging. I’m so excited by what’s to come next!

BRING IT ON!

Hi everyone

So my van’s carked it, again. And it’s going to cost thousands to fix. Excellent news!
It has, however, pushed me to consider getting a new vehicle. I’ve had this one for 7 years now, and it’s cost me almost $4,000 at the mechanic’s in that time. I think I’m due. Plus, if I want to gain employment, reliable transport is a must. And as we all know, public transport + wheelchair does not always equal reliable!

I had a look around and made the startling discovery that for a new, hoist and hand control-equipped car, I’m looking at around $80,000. As absurd as this sounds, it makes sense given the way ACC seems to readily fork out for new cars for their clients, while the rest of us have to dig into our own pockets for that sort of cash.

I’ve also decided that if I’m going to go down this long, arduous process of applying for funding, I only want to do it once. So I’m gunning for a new car. Something like this looks awesome. You might think it’s extravagant and yes, price-wise it most certainly is. But think about this – for the average person pursuing a new career, the assertion “I want reliable transport so I’m going to invest in a new car” would be met with murmurs of approval, of sensibility. That’s because it might only cost them, say, 20k. But $80,000? Ridiculous.

So. Where to from here? I guess I was hoping for some advice/guidance/suggestions around funding avenues. Which agencies/funding streams have you had success with? What other alternatives have you pursued? Any other considerations I should factor in? Sausage sizzles? Ha!

Thanks team!

It’s been a tough few weeks.

A lot tougher than I’d anticipated, actually. 3 weeks ago, one of the interview panel for Teachers College asked me, “Have you considered the challenges you’ll face, teaching in a wheelchair?”. Naively, I scoffed at his question. “Every day is a challenge, mate”, I thought. “I’ve spent 24 years negotiating hurdles, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

But I was wrong: this truly is a whole new ball game.

I, dear readers, have decided to become a teacher!

It’s all very exciting, and am currently in my third week of a Grad. Dip. Secondary Teaching at the University of Auckland.

As such, I’ve been a little bit preoccupied, and I apologise sincerely for that. But I’m about to post my thoughts on my brief foray into teaching thus far, so I hope you get something out of that and keep checking back in every now and then. I’ll still be posting!

What are you all up to for 2011? Drop me a comment and let me know!

I was eating brunch at a cafe this morning, and about 10 minutes after I’d settled in, another wheelchair user came through the door. “Huh!”, I thought, noting the relative rarity of this situation. Still, cool.

As we left, the other wheelchair user left the cafe right behind me. As she wheeled away, my Uncle remarked, “It’s wheelchair central out here!”. Now, make what you will of that comment, but it just hit me how strange it was that two wheelchairs in one location was notable, even remarkable. If “wheelchair central” is defined by two wheelchairs, I wonder what you’d call 3 or more? A stampede?!

I guess my point is, it would be nice if 2011 was a year where seeing more than one wheelchair in one place became a regular occurrence, or at least not as noteworthy.

Did you know – at Rhythm & Vines 2010, I was the only wheelchair user there? The only one. Out of 25,000 people. Come on team – let’s get out there and prove we exist!

So I stumbled upon this great blog post by WildKat, entitled 5 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interacting With a Wheelchair User. It’s a great read, and two of her points in particular rang true for me. So I’ve decided to steal those two and add three more of my own.

Behold: 5 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Hanging With a Wheelchair User

Look, I’m really not sure what to think about the TVC you’ll see below.

I just really resent any primetime imagery (and it was played in primetime) depicting wheelchair users “longing to walk again”. I understand that some would love to return to their lives pre-accident. But as someone that is hugely proud of his contribution to the world’s levels of diversity, and is grateful for the perspective on the world that being a wheelchair user has brought him, watching ads like this makes me cringe.

Like Philip Patston said, “it sets the disability rights movement back 20 years”.

[UPDATE]: Oh yeah, and the music makes me want to throw up.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hey everyone, It’s about time I announced what may already be painfully obvious: I’m taking a break from Walkingisoverrated.com. Not forever, just for a little while. Time to recharge my batteries, brush up in some other areas of my life, and work on a brand new project, which could be even more exciting than this! So if I don’t update for a while, don’t panic. It won’t be long before you hear from me again, I promise In the meantime,

Video blog #3: Travel!! from Red Nicholson on Vimeo.

Yesterday I received an email through this site, and whilst I don’t usually do this sort of thing, I was so astounded at its content I just had to share it with you. For privacy reasons, I’ll omit the sender’s name, email address etc. Amazing. Hi ‘Bright’ (Red.. get it?) um, no? Do you speak normally, or do you have a speech impedament? Doesn’t matter either way, I just wondered, tryin to imagine it, I guess. You look like a