Activity
Cerebral Palsy: Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter (Book)
Est. Time: 2 Weeks Reading/45 Minutes Class Time
Objective
Gain a better understanding of the challenges that a person with cerebral palsy might encounter and how one man’s perseverance helped him overcomes those challenges.
Synopsis
Author Shelly Brady shares lessons learned from her former employer, salesman Bill Porter, who was born with cerebral palsy. Instilled with a strong work ethic, Bill Porter trudged from door to door selling his wares despite physical challenges and a speech impairment. Although he often experienced rejection and obstacles, Bill’s determination and perseverance paid off when he was named one of his company’s top salespeople.
For Your Information
To learn more about cerebral palsy, visit:
- Cerebral Palsy (Center for Parent Information and Resources)
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Activity
Read the following book and be prepared to discuss the questions below in class.
Title: Ten Things I Learned from Bill Porter (2002)
Author: Shelly Brady
Publisher: New World Library • Novato, CA
- How did Shelly and Bill’s friendship begin?
- In what way did Bill’s mom impact his life?
- Do you think Bill’s mom was too hard on him for taking too long to cut the grass? Why or why not?
- What do you think Bill’s life would have looked like if his parents had lower expectations?
- Who helped Bill with fine motor tasks (e.g., tying shoelaces) after his mother’s death?
- What did Bill agree to do in order to become an employee of Watkins Company?
- How did Bill react when doors were, quite literally, slammed in his face?
