My philosophy of teaching students with disabilities and English Language learners is a commitment to the success of each and every student that I come in contact with. Each student has the right to experience the full access of what their school has to offer. As an educator, teaching is not a 9 to 5 job; you cannot clock in and out and expect to leave your job on the desk and never think of it until the next day. Teaching is a commitment and patient that is not instilled in every person that decides to become an educator. Understanding the importance of the job will allow for a successful teacher within the classroom and the passion for your student’s will show through their success.
Children learn best in a positive environment. Children learn when they feel that what they are learning has meaning and is being delivered in a manner that is not straight from a text book and sitting at their desk doing busy work. Students tend to absorb the content when they are engaged in hands on activity. Academic learning should be motivating and inspirational for both the student and the teacher. Having a teacher that is engaged in what they are teaching and enthusiastic in what they are teaching is reflective on the work product of the students. Being able to recognize potential of each student and accommodate their needs will allow promoting a student’s academic goals and dreams.
Inclusion is a philosophy that involves a way of thinking and acting that allows every student to feel safe, accepted and fully included in general education. Inclusion is where children are placed in general education classrooms with support services. Inclusion will allow the enhancement of diversity in an education setting. The collaboration of the general edu...
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...ate for your students. Your expectations to communicate with administration and general education teachers to make sure that their needs are being met. All of this is to be done while you are required to teach and maintain your own classroom.
In conclusion, becoming a special needs teacher will require you to do many things. The expectations are on a daily basis throughout the school year. It is extremely important to understand the many things that might be asked of you throughout each day. Seeking advice and input prior to entering special education is suggested. As for myself, I have made the commitment to myself and to my students to be a mentor, and an academic and ethical role model. I believe that I am ready to accept the challenges and I promise to provide a well-rounded education for each and every student that I may be blessed to cross paths with.
According to Stout (2001) the concept of inclusion can be differentiated into mainstreaming, inclusion and full inclusion each describing the amount of time special education students become part of a normal education classes. “Inclusion is a term which expresses the commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent possible, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend” (definitions section, para. 2). This commitment is based on the belief that special needs students would profit from the regular classroom environment (Noll, 2014, p. 225). According to Stout (2001) research based evidence supports this belief as “Recent meta-analyses confirm a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcome of special needs students” (Research section, para. 3). There are many who also believe that inclusion is good for the overall class as it can teach empathy, and “teaches us to think about we rather than I” (Sapon-Shevin, 2008, p227). There are others however, who feel that “Contrary to some egalitarians, a good society honors those who through intelligent good will, artistic talent, athletic prowess, or plain honest hard work make our lives better” (Carpenter, 2008, p.235) and therefore believe that it is ok to think of “I” and not we.
Inclusion is one of the very controversial topics concerning the education of students in today's society. It is the effort to put children with disabilities into the general education classes. The main purpose is to ensure that every child receives the best education possible by placing them in the best learning environment possible. Inclusion is a very beneficial idea, supported by law that promotes a well-rounded education while also teaching acceptance of others.
If one looks at the word “Inclusion”, its definition states that the word means being a part of something or the feeling of being part of a whole. By looking at this term, one gets a sense about what inclusion education is all about (Karten p. 2). Inclusion education is the mainstreaming of Special Education students into a regular classroom (Harchik). A school that involves inclusive education makes a commitment to educate each and every student to their highest potential by whatever means necessary (Stout). Their goal is for all children, disabled or not, to be able to attend a typical classroom.
...d on teachers and school leaders. The central factor in deciding whether or not inclusion should be practiced should be the students. Research has shown when practiced correctly, inclusion increases students’ test scores and achievement levels. The inclusion model is considered the “Least Restrictive Environment” for students. As specified by IDEA 1975, special education students have the right to be educated in the least restrictive environment with a classroom of peers. Co-teaching, a method used when practicing inclusion, has shown proven effectiveness on both special education students and normal functioning students. Finally, inclusion builds positive relationships and helps students become more accepting of diversity. In conclusion, students with special needs have a right to be included in the general education classroom, and educated with their peers.
My future classroom will be an environment that is welcoming and engaging with activities that will enhance and encourage each child’s development and learning. Inclusion is difficult, even for adults. Yet without the implementation of inclusion, students are deprived of the opportunity to interact with a variety of people and learn acceptance and respect. It means to make everyone feel loved and accepted just the way they are. Having an inclusion environment will help children grow up to be better adults and citizens of tomorrow.
My personal philosophy of special education drives not from teaching in the field, but from, observations, and personal experience, and the workshops I attended. I have had the opportunity to work with individuals with special needs in many different settings, all this help cultivate my knowledge in handling the needs of the special needed student. Special needs students have the ability to learn, to function, to grow, and most importantly to succeed. The difference comes into how they learn or how they need to be taught. There are as many beliefs about the "hows" as there are teachers and each of us forms our own philosophy through our experiences and research. As a student in a special education teachers’ program, learners with special needs includes all students in special education programs in the public school system or other appropriate settings. However, the students I would like to focus on in my career are students with learning disabilities and therefore when thinking about learners with special needs, my mind focuses on this population.
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
Inclusion in education is permitting all adolescents an equal opportunity to participate in all classroom activities regardless of their capacities. Difference should be treated as a resource and strength rather than exceptional.
Inclusion can be defined as the act of being present at regular education classes with the support and services needed to successfully achieve educational goals. Inclusion in the scholastic environment benefits both the disabled student and the non-disabled student in obtaining better life skills. By including all students as much as possible in general or regular education classes all students can learn to work cooperatively, learn to work with different kinds of people, and learn how to help people in tasks. “As Stainback, Stainback, East, and Sapon-Shevin (1994) have noted, ‘...the goal of inclusion in schools is to create a world in which all people are knowledgeable about and supportive of all other people,’” (Whitworth, 1999)
Inclusion is a major challenge facing educational systems around the world. There appears to be no universally accepted definition. Lisaidou (2012) describes inclusion as a ‘semantic chameleon’ because it adopts a different colour and meaning when used by different people, at different times, in different places. It varies depending on the context. It’s a process not a state. Aspects of inclusion involve academic, social, cultural, holistic, legal, physical and moral views. “Inclusion refers to the right of all people to be fully involved in all aspects of community life. It is not a concept that refers to education alone but reflects a desire of a society to respect the human rights of all. Social justice, social inclusion and inclusive education
This, however, cannot be achieved if those entrusted with this task do not have the training necessary to know how to go about it. The Washington Post has found that, “5.8 million students aged 6 to 21 receive special-education services” (Special-Education par. 11). Meaning, 5.8 million students require some extent of extra help when it comes to their education. This can include disabilities surrounding the most basic of life tasks, such as communicating, to less severe challenges, like struggling to read, a special-education classroom can see it all. Yet, all to often these classrooms are filled with teachers who either are not certified at all, or just do not feel that they are prepared to contend with some of the disabilities presented. Schools are allowing the most vulnerable students with the most needs to be taught by teachers who have not acquired the skills necessary to provide them with the help they need. Perhaps going forward, it would behoove the nation to hold schools accountable for the teachers hired, but also stand behind the importance of special-education teachers. When students are inspired to enter the field, school districts will begin to see an influx of qualified special-education teachers who are prepared to enter the classroom with the confidence necessary for
inclusion is an approach to education based on the premise that all students (e.g., typically developing students, students with disabilities, English learners, students from culturally diverse backgrounds) should be accepted and valued for their unique abilities and included as integral members of the school (What Is Inclusion?, 2016)
...It provides a positive thinking toward the students with disabilities. The training of teachers plays a major role in this whole network of inclusion education. There are no hard and fast rule or solution to inclusion and dealing with students with disabilities. The support of school leaders and teachers are critical to create a conducive environment for students with disabilities. Ultimately, inclusion education targets students with disabilities to be inclusive in the social context for life long learning to take place. This skill will bring them further in life to handle crisis and they will not be defeated by the circumstances or failures. Teachers need to be empowered with skills and confidences to engage students with special needs. The support from school system also empowers them so that their attention on planning and crafting curriculum will be more focus.
When teaching students with disabilities it is important to know and understand the needs of all the students in the classroom. Ultimately, the goal for any educator is to educate all of the students in the classroom and ensure that appropriate accommodations are being made for students with disabilities. By utilizing these skills in reading, writing, and classroom management, an educator will be able to help all students be successful.
There is so much to know about special education that is separate from teaching in a traditional classroom. One thing that has really stood out to me is how many acronyms and terminology these teachers need to know. IEP, LRE, IDEA, FAPE, IFSP, and that is just to name a few (DREDF, 2017). Special education teachers, really need to be knowledgeable about a ton of things. Not only all of the terminology associated with special education, but about disabilities and the best way to go about educating a child with disabilities. When working with children in special education, there will be students of all ages with all kinds of disabilities and different ability levels that you are teaching. It is important to know about each child’s disabilities, what they should be learning and how they should be learning it. There may be times that are challenging education students with disabilities, but when a teacher properly educates themselves on all the aspects of special education and the resources out there for them, it may help make your classroom run more smoothly and easier to