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Margaret Bancroft was a leader in education, but more specifically, a pioneer in my chosen field of special education. I chose Margaret Bancroft because of her dedication to serving children with disabilities in a time when society largely disregarded them. As a young teacher, Bancroft realized the need for children with disabilities to have access to specialized programs that could be adapted to their unique physical and mental needs (Northcentral University, 2017).
With a desire to fill this need, Margaret Bancroft opened the first private boarding school in New Jersey for children with disabilities. Not only did Bancroft’s school provide specialized programs, but it also provides children with proper nutrition, personal hygiene, exercise, daily prayers, sensory and artistic development, and lessons designed for their individual mental ages (Northcentral University, 2017).
At The Bancroft Training School, teachers were also trained to cater to the individual needs of students by tailoring instruction, along with treating the students to recreational activities and trips such as outings to the circus, theaters, museums, and concerts. Giving students with disabilities the ability to enjoy these outings was monumental considering at this time, their living conditions were barely considered. Bancroft’s ideas and empathy towards children with disabilities paved the way and created the foundation of what would become the field of special education.
Margaret Bancroft also demonstrated empathy by using D'Souza's empathetic characteristic of being aware by giving students with disabilities life experiences they never would have participated in to help them develop cognitive skills that prepare them to cope with adulthood in an ungiving society (Calderdale Council, n.d.). By taking her students to the circus, museums, theaters, and concerts, Bancroft used empathy to gain credibility, respect, and trust from others as well as enhance her leadership role (D'Souza, 2011).
Margaret Bancroft demonstrated empathy for children with disabilities by creating a way for them to be taught skills easily and safely, freeing them from such a rigid society and hopeless future (Calderdale Council, n.d.). Founding a school devoted to her students’ literary, educational, and social skills proves Bancroft to be an empathetic educational leader by connecting to the concept of feeling responsible to others, in this case, her students. Margaret saw the need for students with disabilities to be taught by specially trained teachers with materials adapted to their capabilities rather than abandoning them to state institutions with inhuman conditions, which was common during this time. This gives an insight into how Bancroft’s empathy for her students opened a new way of thinking or looking at a particular situation, which opened avenues for societal growth (D’Souza, 2011).
In addition to providing individualized instruction, Bancroft demonstrated the concept described in the empathy column of caring for others. While Bancroft demonstrated caring for others in many ways, one way that stands out is by advocating for the well-being of her students by placing a high value on their nutrition, hygiene, exercise, prayer, and sensory and artistic development. By emphasizing these areas, Bancroft proved that she was able to develop empathy by doing what D'Souza (2011) describes as putting herself in the shoes of others and seeing the world through their eyes, and discovering what her students needed to live the lives they were capable of living.
Lastly, Bancroft demonstrated empathy by displaying D’Souza’s empathetic characteristic of being concerned with her the students she worked with and being able to create winning outcomes for them. Bancroft was worried that students with disabilities were not getting individualized instruction based on their capabilities, so to show empathy and advocacy, she provided teachers with specialized training to adapt to what the children needed. Creating winning outcomes for her students shows Bancroft’s empathetic nature through her ability to accurately perceive the experiences of others, which is empathy at its best (D’Souza, 2011).
Less than one hundred and fifty years ago, specialized education did not exist. Realizing this, Margaret Bancroft used advocacy to bring her vision of giving students a place to study that offered adapted learning taught by skillful, compassionate teachers to life, and changed the educational experience for students with disabilities (Calderdale, n.d.).
Taking action to advocate and create this change led to many positive outcomes such as founding the first school to teach students with disabilities, creating the idea of individualized instruction, and saving children with disabilities from being abandoned to state institutions. Through her advocacy, Margaret Bancroft influenced the educational system worldwide and was a pioneer for educational change.
Learning of how Margaret Bancroft’s empathy and advocacy paved the way for students with disabilities and created much-needed educational change inspired me personally and professionally.
Learning about the actions Bancroft took taught me how important the characteristics of being aware of others' situations and using any concern I have for the feelings, connections, and experiences of my pupils is to be an empathetic individual.
Bancroft taught me this lesson by being aware of the experiences and showing her concern for students with disabilities to put her empathy and advocacy in action to create a fulfilling educational experience for them.
Professionally, I can apply this lesson by ensuring that I am in tune with the feelings and experiences of my students and their families so that I can address any potential concerns and advocate for any changes that they desire.
Additionally, learning that Bancroft was not supported by every colleague and faced a great deal of backlash for leaving the school at which she taught to form The Bancroft Training School taught me how much courage it can take to dare to feel empathy (D'Souza, 2011). While being labeled as "selfish" for not continuing to teach students who were more "worthwhile" according to one of her male colleagues, Bancroft continued to insist that special children must have special schools that adapted to their capabilities (Calderdale, n.d.).
This lesson will be important to apply to my teaching career in instances where others may not agree with the decisions I make regarding a student's educational experience. Using my knowledge to advocate for my students and myself may take a great deal of courage, but courage is a characteristic of empathy that will be needed to ensure the right learning experience is being provided to my students.
Calderdale Council. (n.d.). Margaret Bancroft - Special education pioneer. https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/education-and-learning/adult-learning/blog/margaret-bancroft
D'Souza, G. (2011). EQ from the inside out: Breakthrough tools & ideas for living a fulfilling life. Freedom, CA: Six Seconds.
Northcentral University. (2017, May 2). National Women’s History Month: Female Leaders in Education. https://www.ncu.edu/blog/national-women%E2%80%99s-history-month-female-leaders-education#gref
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