Sina Wiedemeier’s leg has been paralyzed since a sports accident during her studies. Nevertheless, she stuck to her dream job: being a sports teacher. Today she teaches at a primary school.
After graduating from high school, Sina Wiedemeier’s career choice was clear: she wanted to become a sports teacher at a primary school. “I loved the sport,” says Wiedemeier, who lived for the game of handball. It happened during her teacher training course: During a practical session, the then 23-year-old had an unfortunate fall from the balance beam. Since then, her left leg has been paralyzed from the foot to the hip and she sits in a wheelchair.
The 30-year-old has been working as a sports teacher at the Nordholz elementary school in the Cuxhaven district for two years. It was a long and hard road to get there, she says, adding: “I’m happy that I can do my dream job.”
“Much harder to teach math”
Her timetable includes 20 hours of sports and two hours of mathematics per week, and she has an assistant to assist her during working hours. Her assistance dog Nala is also always there. “Many people think that physical education is not possible for me, but that is a fallacy,” says the teacher. “It’s a lot harder for me to teach math. There are a lot more barriers in the classroom.” Sina Wiedemeier has a high-tech leg orthosis that allows her to walk short distances. But if she overexerts herself, uncontrollable spasticity occurs. That’s why she uses her wheelchair in the classroom. “But when you’re sitting, it’s difficult to write on the board or get to the children’s tables.”
In the gym, however, she can move freely in a wheelchair. She teaches first and second grade children. “We play running, catching and cooperation games,” says Sina Wiedemeier. Together with her assistant and the children, she sets up courses for this purpose. Wiedemeier transports balls in an upside-down box on her lap, and she can also push the mat cart without any problems. When the children have to do backwards and forwards rolls, she guides them. The students help each other. “I explain exactly where each movement needs to be done and see whether they use the correct movements.” Children who can move well also demonstrate the exercises. “The lessons fully correspond to the learning plan,” she emphasizes.
Computer-controlled joint orthosis
It was not foreseeable that she would be able to work as a sports teacher after the serious accident almost eight years ago. “You think life is over,” says Sina Wiedemeier, looking back. She was in the hospital and in rehab for nine months. After her release, she was supposed to go to a nursing facility; living independently was out of the question. Instead, she moved in with a physical therapist friend.
With their help, she strengthened her core so well in riding therapy sessions that she was able to make her first attempts at walking with a computer-controlled joint orthosis in 2019. “It was a hard process,” she says. But it was worth it. “It’s such a great gift to be able to stand up and talk to others on an equal level,” she emphasizes.
Rector: “We saw it as an opportunity”
Despite all resistance, she continued her studies. “I was thinking about whether I should choose another subject instead of sport or go into sports therapy.” But she didn’t want to give up on her dream, she wanted to work with children and teach sports. Many obstacles were put in her way during her studies, she says. But she persevered. She wrote her master’s thesis about her own case: How sports medicine can improve gait quality through therapeutic riding. She completed her traineeship with a grade of 1.9 and has been working as a sports and mathematics teacher at the Nordholz elementary school for two years. Your civil service is imminent.
Primary schools have been inclusive since 2004, long before this became mandatory in Lower Saxony. The focus was primarily on children with physical and motor limitations. Before Sina Wiedemeier, the school had never had a teacher in a wheelchair, says school principal Sabine Peters. However, when she met Wiedermeier, she had no reservations about using them in physical education classes. “On the contrary: We saw this as an opportunity to see how we can adapt and improve physical education lessons to inclusive schools,” says Sabine Peters. She also didn’t hear a single voice from her parents saying that things could be difficult. “Everyone is in a very positive mood,” emphasizes Peters.
Schools are often unsuitable for teachers in wheelchairs
Sina Wiedemeier feels very well supported by her school management and the staff. She would like to see more people with disabilities working as teachers. However, this is only possible at schools with barrier-free access. And in her experience, this is still significantly lacking. She had to withdraw her first applications after her traineeship at various primary schools in her district because not a single one was suitable for teachers in wheelchairs.
When Sina Wiedemeier takes over a new class, she explains in a child-friendly way why she is in a wheelchair or wears an orthosis. “And then the topic is over. The children make no difference whether I walk or sit,” she emphasizes. Her parents have even asked her if she had been in an accident and broken her leg. “The children don’t tell anyone at home that their teacher is in a wheelchair. For them it’s not an issue at all.” On the contrary, in a wheelchair she could literally speak to the children at eye level.