Courtney​ ​Johnson
Teacher​ ​Interview:​ ​Allison​ ​Greenwell
Horace​ ​Mann​ ​Elementary​ ​School
10-27-17
“My
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​ ​‘normal’​ ​is​ ​not​ ​​their
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​ ​‘normal’”:​ ​An​ ​Interview​ ​with
​ ​a​ ​Mother​ ​and​ ​Teacher​ ​in​ ​Special​ ​Education
I​ ​interviewed​ ​a​ ​mother​ ​of​ ​someone​ ​with​ ​special​ ​needs​ ​that​ ​is​ ​also​ ​a​ ​teacher​ ​working
alongside​ ​students​ ​in​ ​special​ ​education.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​two​ ​sons​ ​and​ ​one​ ​daughter,​ ​and​ ​one​ ​of​ ​those
sons​ ​she​ ​has​ ​labeled​ ​with​ ​turrets​ ​syndrome.​ ​Her​ ​children​ ​are​ ​grown​ ​and​ ​lead​ ​healthy​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​their
careers​ ​and​ ​in​ ​college.
Mrs.​ ​Allison​ ​Greenwell​ ​grew​ ​up​ ​in​ ​Chicago.​ ​Taught​ ​conversational​ ​English​ ​overseas​ ​by
phone,​ ​going​ ​over​ ​pages​ ​in​ ​a​ ​book​ ​that​ ​helped​ ​to​ ​teach​ ​students​ ​English.​ ​She​ ​gave​ ​them​ ​better
tools​ ​to​ ​learn,​ ​going​ ​over​ ​their​ ​work​ ​every​ ​Monday,​ ​Wednesday,​ ​and​ ​Friday.​ ​During​ ​the​ ​summer
she​ ​works​ ​in​ ​a​ ​daycare​ ​and​ ​at​ ​Brain​ ​Balance​ ​as​ ​a​ ​tutor/mentor.​ ​Brain​ ​Balance​ ​in​ ​Centerville
helps​ ​autistic​ ​children,​ ​and​ ​others,​ ​“balance​ ​the​ ​weaker​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​brain”​ ​she​ ​says,​ ​it’s​ ​all
non-medical.​ ​She​ ​worked​ ​five​ ​years​ ​for​ ​Standard​ ​Publishing​ ​and​ ​subbed​ ​in​ ​schools​ ​before​ ​she
started​ ​teaching.​ ​She’s​ ​taught​ ​in​ ​Special​ ​Education​ ​for​ ​roughly​ ​twenty-five​ ​years,​ ​and​ ​always
wanted​ ​to​ ​teach.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​in​ ​third​ ​grade​ ​that​ ​she​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​deaf​ ​students.​ ​She​ ​was
inspired​ ​by​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​people​ ​who​ ​overcame​ ​their​ ​disability​ ​and​ ​became​ ​someone​ ​in​ ​history,
possibly​ ​changing​ ​how​ ​we​ ​perceived​ ​and​ ​handled​ ​people​ ​with​ ​the​ ​same​ ​or​ ​similar​ ​disabilities​ ​in
the​ ​future.​ ​She​ ​also​ ​admits​ ​that​ ​sign​ ​language​ ​was​ ​also​ ​a​ ​fun​ ​way​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​her​ ​best
friend​ ​at​ ​the​ ​time​ ​while​ ​across​ ​the​ ​room​ ​during​ ​class.​ ​She’d​ ​practice​ ​with​ ​her​ ​friend​ ​every​ ​day.
Working​ ​with​ ​students​ ​in​ ​this​ ​program,​ ​within​ ​the​ ​school​ ​system,​ ​or​ ​working​ ​with​ ​kids​ ​in
any​ ​system,​ ​you​ ​understand​ ​some​ ​things.​ ​It’s​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​school​ ​at​ ​school.​ ​Yes,​ ​you​ ​get
vacation​ ​time​ ​during​ ​the​ ​school​ ​year​ ​and​ ​in​ ​summer​ ​to​ ​do​ ​as​ ​you​ ​please​ ​and​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​with​ ​your
own​ ​kids​ ​if​ ​you​ ​have​ ​any,​ ​but​ ​for​ ​most,​ ​you’re​ ​never​ ​really​ ​“on​ ​break”.​ ​You’re​ ​working​ ​on
lesson​ ​plans,​ ​working​ ​in​ ​conferences,​ ​learning​ ​new​ ​rules​ ​for​ ​the​ ​coming​ ​semester​ ​or​ ​school​ ​year
and​ ​you​ ​always​ ​carry​ ​with​ ​you​ ​the​ ​stories​ ​and​ ​problems​ ​of​ ​the​ ​students​ ​that​ ​have​ ​come​ ​into​ ​your