I have seen Educating Peter several times throughout my education and my feelings about it change as my experiences in teaching become more diverse. By now, Peter's actions are a little less shocking. However, the reality of trying to find the best way to integrate a special needs child into a normal classroom is still slightly intimidating. Since schools are more willing to integrate all types of children into classrooms, it is a teacher's responsibility to create a teaching style, which provides a fair education to each and every student. .
Peter's story is quite inspiring. Seeing the children respond to Peter in a caring and enthusiastic way encourages me to believe that such a situation can be manageable and successful with the proper patience and assistance from others. Peter's enthusiasm is quite distinct and I believe that it is a result of the willingness of his classmates to include him in every aspect of their learning experience, therefore, furthering his opportunities to develop both mentally and emotionally. .
My continuing concern, after seeing Educating Peter from several different contexts, remains to be the role that Peter's mother plays in his life. It is only natural for a parent to be concerned for the welfare of his or her child. Nonetheless Peter's mother seems a bit overbearing and eager to see Peter succeed. Though I have never worked with a special needs child, I believe that it is important to maintain the understanding that such a child has inherent disabilities, and therefore will ultimately need to be treated differently.
At times, Peter becomes frustrated when things do not go his way. However, this behavior is reflective of nearly every growing child. The only difference is in the way Peter reacts to an existing problem. At times, his actions are violent and disruptive to other students in his class and although many students understand that it is important to acknowledge Peter's misbehavior and tell him "no", it is unsettling to see children having to manage a violent peer.
