Put Me on Stage and Let Me Shine: A Model for Life Skills Inclusion Integrating Music, Movement and Theatrics in Teaching and Learning Tina Gagliana In August of 1998, 21 years old and fresh out of La Salle University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education, I was offered my "dream position" at Churchville Elementary in Bucks County, PA. This school was adopting a new life skills class for children ages 9 to 11 and they needed a qualified teacher. That teacher ended up being me and I had no idea the challenges and triumphs I would witness in my classroom that year. I was gifted with six extraordinary children, overflowing with personality but lacking greatly in basic skills and social awareness. Their I.Q.s labeled them as "low functioning" and their disabilities varied. A majority of the children were affected by Downs Syndrome. Several of the children were also dealing with health issues and other physical impairments and disabilities. So, I was assigned a class, an assistant, a tiny classroom, little materials, no curriculum guidelines, and six amazing children. During the week I had for preparation for that first day of school, I read, planned, created materials, decorated a classroom, read Individualized Education Plans, contacted parents and spoke with other teachers. However, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to face. Needless to say, I learned a lot about these children during those first few weeks. I also learned a lot about myself. In the beginning, it was frustrating because I did not see immediate progress. I did not realize it then, but each day we were all growing and making tiny steps toward success.