Allow me introduce you to a #hero of #inclusion. This remarkable lady has spent the last 50+ years advocating for speech impaired children of families who often feel they have no voice.
It is safe to say she is an Inclusion expert (though her humility would shy her away from accepting that). Yet, she has been honing her skills as a Speech & Language Therapist since the '60’s. And she has a track record to boot for dealing with cases of exclusion and overcoming them in a fair, just & ethical way.
Now in her 70’s, she is thriving in her career as a Governor for Inclusion at Al Salam Private School & Nursery (Thankfully, the memo about "retirement = slooooow dowwwwwn" passed her by).
And aren’t we lucky she keeps contributing to our #community and society?
Indeed, when you are the daughter of such an Inclusion Champion - a routine activity in your life will include brainstorming solutions to help #defusebullying, with a cup of tea in hand and a rolling game of scrabble to help keep cogs turning and ideas flowing.
I am lucky to call her my mum. 💛
I have long felt that emotionally stable elders in a family should never be too far away from their children - and vice versa - no matter their age.
I increasingly believe the same is true in business and in schools with SLTs.
Here are 3 reasons why:
1️⃣ Support: Being part of a 'herd' with members of varied ages is vital for the wellbeing of all members. They carry each other through different phases, filling in for different kinds of gaps.
2️⃣ Cheerleading: Stable, senior family members can see the reality of a situation when younger ones sometimes can’t. Since they’ve known us as children, they usually know our strengths, weaknesses and temperament better than we do. Thus they can cheerlead us through trying times in just the right way.
3️⃣ Accountability: Senior members in a family are able to hold you accountable & guide you back if you stray away or get ahead of yourself.
For these reasons (+ so many more than this box permits me to share), no matter my age, I will always strive to live close to where she is.
Being close to healthy senior members of your family allows you to have #watercoolermoments, just like in a working office. These moments are when you find yourself mulling over problems. Moments where you become sounding boards. Moments where you crack the code.
There aren’t many professional actions I have taken where she hasn’t had a wise ear listening in and offering her sage advice.
And I know that many at the school she serves feel the same. We all need a #MsMargi around - someone to cheer us on and remind us of the light.✨
P.S. Since appreciating others is something that she always does so readily for us all - let’s give in kind: if you’re a teacher who has experienced or appreciates what she does, do join in and leave a comment. 🌱☀️🕊
Margi Kulsoom Orchard - thank you. 💛🙏🏼
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sumbella_positivity-hero-inclusion-activity-7009557221290168320-xdNB
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