Chapter 9: Teaching Tiny Tim from My Tiny Tim Closet—A Personal Essay

Abstract

Palmer surveys the two decades of her teaching career examining why she stayed in the closet as a disabled teacher. She concludes that the lack of curriculum by and about disabled people, inaccessible school buildings, the lack of disabled colleagues and a disability rights movement, and the pervasive ableism built into the very definition of “a good teacher,” all made it difficult for her to reach out to disabled students more effectively. The chapter concludes with a call to see disabled students collectively as a marginalized group, as students who deserve disabled role models, disabled curriculum, space, resources and their own voice in education.