This is a true story. When Liam came to my classroom, I knew something was off. What was I supposed to do with this extremely withdrawn student? I didn’t know, but I knew I had to find out ̶ a challenge that I could not ignore. This book isn’t only about bullying, though there was plenty of that. It’s about a boy who needed help to allow his potential to surface. If you are a teacher, a parent, or anyone who has witnessed, or have themselves experienced this, you need this book. LIAM will give you hope.
R. Janet Walraven's book, Connect for Classroom Success, is an insightful guide to the challenges and rewards of teaching. This companion book, LIAM, reaches another level. Compelling and powerful, this against-all-odds success story of a severely marginalized student demonstrates the importance of an individualized approach in education, as well as the tremendous life-changing impact that a dedicated, compassionate teacher can make. An inspiration to all of us!
This is a true story. When Liam came to my classroom, I knew something was off. What was I supposed to do with this extremely withdrawn student? I didn’t know, but I knew I had to find out ̶ a challenge that I could not ignore. This book isn’t only about bullying, though there was plenty of that. It’s about a boy who needed help to allow his potential to surface. If you are a teacher, a parent, or anyone who has witnessed, or have themselves experienced this, you need this book. LIAM will give you hope.
R. Janet Walraven's book, Connect for Classroom Success, is an insightful guide to the challenges and rewards of teaching. This companion book, LIAM, reaches another level. Compelling and powerful, this against-all-odds success story of a severely marginalized student demonstrates the importance of an individualized approach in education, as well as the tremendous life-changing impact that a dedicated, compassionate teacher can make. An inspiration to all of us!
LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down Chapter 1: Boys Will Be Boys Near the middle of September, I sat in my 8th-grade classroom grading papers while finishing my lunch.
“Ms. J, Ms. J, come quick…come quick!” Willow ran back out of the room. I dropped my sandwich and pen and ran after her. The chatting reached my ears before I saw what was happening.
Re-tard, re-tard, cat got your tongue? Crybaby, crybaby, you’re so dumb.
In the gym on Liam’s third day, the boys surrounded him. He stood crying in the middle of the circle. The girls hung off to the side, whispering, not knowing what to do. I looked around. No faculty member in sight. Mr. Chadwick, the principal, was supposed to be supervising the gym during lunchtime.Â
“Stop it. Stop it right now,” I shouted as I broke through the circle. “Free time is over. Get back to class. Now!”Â
“You can’t take our lunchtime away from us. That ain’t right. I’ll tell my dad about this.” Alan spoke up in his normal you-can’t-tell-me-what-to-do voice. Dick chimed in, “Yeh, I’m gonna tell my dad, too.” Alan’s dad, the business manager of the school, and Dick’s father, the school chaplain, were both golfing buddies of Horatio Chadwick, the principal. This wasn’t going to make having administrative support any easier. Mr. Chadwick had continually refused to believe, or do anything about, my reported bullying incidents.
I narrowed my eyes, glaring straight into Alan’s and Dick’s. “I said get back to class, and if I get there before you do, I will speak to both of your fathers.” Students scampered, quickly emptying the gym.
I put my hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Liam. That will never happen to you again. Let’s go back to class.” He wiped at his cheeks, head hanging, and shuffled back to class. The students were silent when I entered, but the looks Dick and Alan shot at each other let me know the trouble was not over.Â
One by one that afternoon, the girls quietly told me they were sorry, that they weren’t the ones who were mean to Liam, and that they didn’t know how to stop the boys. I told them that Willow had done the right thing by coming to get me, and from now on, I was to be told if anyone bullied anyone else, no matter who it was. Several of the boys looked contrite, but not one spoke to me about what had happened.
After school, I reported the incident to Principal Chadwick. “Excuse me, but could you please tell me why there was no adult supervision in the gym during lunchtime?”
He looked at me over his black square glasses perched halfway down his nose. His silver coiffed hair and grandfather looks belied his arrogance. “Now, look here, young lady, you’re not to question my whereabouts. I have important things to do. Those kids are fine. They know how to behave. What you’re talking about is just what boys do. Think of it as sort of an initiation. Liam is the new kid. They just had to find out how he’d fit in. Boys will be boys, ya know.”
I bit my tongue. Shaking with anger, I left his office and returned to my classroom. I sat back in my chair, hands clasped over my head, thinking of how to make any headway with the situation. It wasn’t enough to have a mentally challenged student put into my already overflowing classroom. But to give me no more administrative support than that was unthinkable. Looking after Liam was going to be up to me.
I recoiled at labeling students, but I was not a special education teacher, so what did I know? Labeling Liam as mentally retarded went against everything I believed about student potential. I had checked Liam’s records that were transferred with him. They were of little help in diagnosing his particular situation. I didn’t know how to interpret the test scores, the special education jargon, and the brief personal notes gave no helpful insight.
Gathering ungraded math papers, I put them in my briefcase, grabbed my purse and car keys, and decided I needed some fresh air. Nikki, my silver toy poodle, was waiting for me at home and would be gleeful about a walk before dinner. As we walked, I reflected on the previous few days when Liam’s parents enrolled him in our school. Let it go for now. One step at a time. I need to do some research to figure this out for myself.Â
There was a time when anyone who didn't catch on at the same pace as others were labeled "retarded." R. Janet Walraven notes thanks to former President Obama passing Rosa's Law, "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded” were replaced with "intellectual disability" and "individual with an intellectual disability." Unfortunately, this change in federal law did not replace the use of these terms in state law. The author also states in chapter eight, "In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a law guaranteeing that every child with a disability would get Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This is supposed to be included in the Individualized Education Programs, IEP's, that special education teachers write. From there, they have options of working with the child onsite, sending them away for therapy, ...or waiting for litigation." R. Janet Walraven states that many teachers look the other way at a child's apparent struggles because they lack support in costs and help from the administration. LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down is a prime example of when the administrator fails a teacher, fails to support the students and makes doing a teacher's job harder than necessary.Â
Thirteen-year-old Liam has made a move from public to private school. His parents made a choice, not out of a need for better education. No, they are transferring him because they feel he's unsafe in public school. Ms. J, the 8th-grade teacher at the private school, has a full class, but the principal, Mr. Chadwick, doesn't care. That's a recurring theme with him. He doesn't care about the students' safety, best interests, or helping the faculty. He abuses his power on several occasions.Â
Ms. J. could've been like Liam's other teachers and accepted Liam as "mentally retarded" and let him float by. Liam's parents, even Liam, accepted the label. Since Ms. J didn't have proper special education training, the parents and Liam wouldn't have faulted her. However, Ms. J was different from the other teachers. She thought Liam was mislabeled. She saw his intelligence, his potential. Ms. J stood up to the principal. She put her foot down when the bullies chants shredded Liam's confidence. She sought outside help for Liam and even drove him to his sessions at Hope Clinic.Â
Hope Clinic properly diagnosed Liam, and he was not "retarded." Liam has visual perception dysfunction. The book explains it in length, but (basically) Liam's brain wasn't computing what his eyes saw. He needed special glasses and exercises to retrain the brain. Thanks to Ms. J and her cousins, Liam never missed an appointment. Liam could afford specialized care thanks to his parents selling their home and moving into a trailer. I was angry to see the colossal sacrifice his parents had to make but also touched by their display of love.Â
LIAM: The Boy Who Saw the World Upside Down was FULL of emotions. I wanted to cry when the boys tore him down with their chants. I wanted to cry again at his graduation. My heart nearly burst when Willow asked Liam to join her in Jump Rope for Heart and the school newspaper. I cheered Liam when he repeatedly showed the world they were wrong about him.Â
I've worked in mainstream and special education classrooms. I've seen how people treat students that need extra help. Basically, I've run into my share of Mr. Chadwick's. However, I also had the great pleasure of working with teachers who resemble Ms. J. They go the extra mile and then a thousand more.Â
Ms. J didn't know to teach Liam (at first), but she didn't give up on him. Students like Liam are highly intelligent. They only need to discover a way to show it. It could be reading glasses. It could be having questions read to them. I know teachers are overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid, but this story is a prime example of what can happen when teachers, administrators, and parents work together.Â
I encourage educators and parents of children with intellectual disabilities to read this book. It's inspirational. It's heart-warming. It's worthy of five stars!Â
Be sure and look at the bonus material at the back of the book. Meet "Liam" and his best friend "Willow." See where they are now. View writing samples from Liam. Also, check out appendix C: Characteristics of Dyslexia.