As a teacher working with special needs students, I've seen a lot of difficult things. I've seen all kinds of rooms with all combinations of people, with all kinds of results and new ways to be disappointed. Some of this stuff stays with you. Some of it doesn't quite ever go away. But like all difficult things, the more you are immersed in it, the more it becomes the new normal. The shock wears off. The reality sets in. And it's just another day, like any other.
But I've also seen a lot of incredible things. I've seen moments where my students show far more humanity and caring than I can muster myself. I've seen students with so little left give away their very last possessions. I've seen the kinds of things that you never forget, that you bring up in conversation as the ultimate trump card that says, yes, there is value in every person.
But just last week, I saw something in my classroom that wasn't just disappointing or simply incredible.
I saw the nerdiest drawing ever.
For privacy and legal reasons, I can't say much about this student. But I can say this student is a young child with special needs and who is absolutely, unconditionally in love with Han Solo. And I specifically mean the 1977 Harrison Ford Han Solo. If this student sees a picture of the old-school Han Solo, an immediate hand-shaped heart is made.
So on this particular afternoon, the student had time to draw. The student first showed me a picture of a My Little Pony-ish horse with a Han Solo tattoo on it's hindquarters. It was impressive. But I'd seen that kind of random creativity before. She then showed me her next picture. And this is what I saw:
But I've also seen a lot of incredible things. I've seen moments where my students show far more humanity and caring than I can muster myself. I've seen students with so little left give away their very last possessions. I've seen the kinds of things that you never forget, that you bring up in conversation as the ultimate trump card that says, yes, there is value in every person.
But just last week, I saw something in my classroom that wasn't just disappointing or simply incredible.
I saw the nerdiest drawing ever.
For privacy and legal reasons, I can't say much about this student. But I can say this student is a young child with special needs and who is absolutely, unconditionally in love with Han Solo. And I specifically mean the 1977 Harrison Ford Han Solo. If this student sees a picture of the old-school Han Solo, an immediate hand-shaped heart is made.
So on this particular afternoon, the student had time to draw. The student first showed me a picture of a My Little Pony-ish horse with a Han Solo tattoo on it's hindquarters. It was impressive. But I'd seen that kind of random creativity before. She then showed me her next picture. And this is what I saw:
What you are seeing is a young student's perception of the ongoing, especially heated debate of Who Shot First? For those who are unaware, recall the first Star Wars film in which we first meet Han Solo. He's in the cantina, surrounded by a bunch of weird-looking aliens and is making a deal with an especially weird-looking alien named Greedo. The deal does not go well, grows increasingly unsettled, and ends with Han shooting the poor sucker from underneath the table. Whatever your feelings for weird-looking aliens may be, the intent is clear: Han Solo is a badass. It has been established.
However, in the 1997 Special Edition, George Lucas couldn't help himself, and tweaked the scene to show that Greedo drew first and Han Solo merely shot in self-defense. There are many stories about why such a change was made. Lucas has gone so far as to say that Han only shot first due to poorly-done cinematography that didn't make his storytelling intentions clear. But there are many who feel like the verdict is clear: Lucas doesn't even understand his own iconographic character.
Now, maybe I am reading too much into this. You could I even say I may be reading what I want to see in it. But maybe, just maybe, it's exactly what it is. The universe is bigger than we can ever imagine, so there should be enough room for one charming student with special needs to adore Han Solo and draw the nerdiest picture ever.
However, in the 1997 Special Edition, George Lucas couldn't help himself, and tweaked the scene to show that Greedo drew first and Han Solo merely shot in self-defense. There are many stories about why such a change was made. Lucas has gone so far as to say that Han only shot first due to poorly-done cinematography that didn't make his storytelling intentions clear. But there are many who feel like the verdict is clear: Lucas doesn't even understand his own iconographic character.
Now, maybe I am reading too much into this. You could I even say I may be reading what I want to see in it. But maybe, just maybe, it's exactly what it is. The universe is bigger than we can ever imagine, so there should be enough room for one charming student with special needs to adore Han Solo and draw the nerdiest picture ever.