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Philosophy of teaching students with special needs
Classroom management and approaches
Classroom management and approaches
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Special education has not always been a passion of mine. I went back and forth during my college experience deciding if I wanted to be a certified strategist I teacher. I was convinced my last year of college to take summer courses and 18 credits last two semesters just to finish my special education endorsement. Now that I look back on those who encouraged me to go for it and squeezing in those required courses, I am thankful for those people and happy I did it. Before my first day of my special education placement, I was nervous because my students were seventh and eighth graders. This was huge difference coming from kindergarten general education. I did not what to expect other than I knew I was going to have a lot of students with specials …show more content…
Middle school students can be very talkative just like kindergartners, but can be harder to settle down. I did learn that students, especially middle schoolers, love structure. I let them know when they were making bad decisions, which they dealt with the consequences. There were also times where I would have conversations with them just about something they enjoy to build that relationship. This helped me classroom management because they respected me. Even though I developed my “teacher voice” in kindergarten, I would say I have my “teacher voice” down now. Routine just like in any other grade is key when managing a classroom. One of my classroom management strategies I brought to my special education classroom was a positive reinforce. I noticed that students were always being punished for bad behavior but were not being rewarded for positive behavior. If students were on task for 15 minutes of class period, I would let them listen to music for the remaining of the class period while they continued to work. There was one particular student who was being sent to the office every day my first 2 weeks. Once I took over lead teaching, I started this behavior plan with him. If he received no zeros on his point sheet, he would get a prize at the end of the day. He loved this and he behavior completely changed while I was teaching. I believe he is going to take me leaving very hard because I have built such …show more content…
First, I attended many after school PLC meetings every Wednesday after with the special education team. The first hour of PLC was a meeting with the special education team and the AEA. I learned so much during this time and feel more comfortable when it comes to special education. During the second hour of PLC, it varied each week as to what we participated in. I participated in faculty meetings and PBIS meetings. During these times, I was able to have ALICE training as well as a training on autism. Not only did I collaborate with the special education team, I also collaborated with general education teachers. The Oskaloosa school district is such a strong believer in PLC and I am so happy I was able to participate in
Werts, M. G. (2002). Knowing what to expect Introducing pre-service teachers to IEP meetings. Teacher Education and Special Education, 25(4), 413-418.
I began my adventure at Tesnatee Gap Elementary school during the latter part of March. I had no idea what to expect at all. Previously, I had absolutely no experience with public school. Before taking my education course I had little knowledge of the way the public-school system worked, and no knowledge at all about the way public schools run special education classes. This was all so completely new to me, and I’m thankful that I had such wonderful teachers and classes to observe, as well as tons of applicable knowledge for me to take away and apply into my own classroom.
In modern times, special education refers to individualized instruction provided by school districts that fit the needs of a student’s exceptionality (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer & Shogren, 2013). Special education is a rewarding field that encompasses the success of all learners with exceptionalities. Consequently, professionals in this discipline have to exhibit characteristics such as patience, ardor, and empathy. These individuals also have to be “self-aware culturally,” and by meeting that idea, they have to “become aware of [their] stereotypes, biases, and prejudices” (Turnbull et al., 2013, p. 74).
The students in our classrooms, both special education and general education classrooms, require individualized education to reach their full potential. Each child’s potential is different just as each child’s road to reach it is different. Our job as teachers is to be there for the student’s to help them reach their potential through their own unique way.
Special Education was one of those things I never truly understood as a student in the public school system. Who were these children that had to be taken out of the class for reading and math or who remained in a separate class all day? What was so “special” about them? Believe me, I could have tried to find out what was different about them and how they were taught anytime I wanted; my mom teaches Elementary Special Education. I always heard her throwing around terms like resource room and inclusion when she talked about work. But being the typical self-involved child that I was, I never listened to what she said about teaching or asked her more about her students. What I do know is that teaching Special Education involved a lot of ups and down. As a Special Education teacher, the specific tasks of my mom’s job change frequently. She has taught full-time special education classes, has worked with individual students in an inclusive setting, and most recently she teaches resource room. Now that I don’t have to listen to her work stories all the time, I find myself wanting to know more about what special education entails. What I discovered is that none of the methods utilized in Special Education are entirely right or wrong in addressing the educational needs of children with LD. Children with learning disabilities should be educated in the most appropriate way to meet their specific educational needs.
In closing, my time in the kindergarten autistic support room has opened my eyes to say the least. I have a greater understanding and respect for these children and teachers. I have seen many teachers and aids with my work as a case manager but I have not seen a better teacher as Mrs. F. I was fortunate and lucky to work with such an experienced professional in the field to help lay my foundation for my future role as a school psychologist.
My personal philosophy on special education begins with this firm conviction, I believe all children are “uniquely and wonderfully” made, and regardless of their disability, posse unique gifts and talents. My philosophy of special education has developed, not from just being a general education teacher for many years, and a graduate student in special education, but also from being blessed to be a parent of a special needs child. I believe that every child deserves to have the best possible education, regardless of their disabilities or challenges. It is our responsibility, as special education teachers, to not focus on a student’s disabilities and challenges, but rather focus and develop their personal gifts and talents, in an environment
Since I am going to be a special education teacher I started my observation out in a special education classroom at Rocky Hill. Rocky Hill has around 682 kids attending this school, and the grade levels are PreK-5. The main ethnicity at this school is white at eighty-two percent. They also have the ethnicities of Hispanic at seven percent, African American at five percent, Asian at three percent, and two or more races at one percent. The socioeconimic status at this school is upper middle class, with mostly working dads and stay-at-home moms. Twenty-six percent of the kids attending this school are on free or reduced lunches. The class size in this special education classroom is nine children. The diversity of the kids in the classroom are mainly white and black. There is one main teacher, one assistant teacher, and two helpers. Their names are Ms. T, Ms. R, Ms. G, and Mr. L.
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.
My field experience for EDUC 2130 was done at Rabun County Elementary STEM camp. The camp and its instructors had the goal of increasing the student’s awareness, knowledge, and interest in STEM. The student age groups I worked with went from kindergarten to 5th grade which gave me a wide range of behavioral, moral, and developmental stages to observe. The teachers running the program used many of the techniques we have discussed such as whole class discussions, small groups, and observational learning.
During my research for this paper there was so much I knew about special education already. In our Intro to Education class we talked about a lot with this program. As a teacher you have to have your stuff together so you don’t get the students files mixed up. You also have to know exactly what you are doing. This whole thing can be so stressful. You have to make sure the students goals are not too much. Special Education teachers are hard to find. But when you get one you keep them for a long time.
I interviewed a teacher from the Philadelphia School District and here is the result from my interview. I am a teacher in the head start program of Philadelphia .I have been with the head start program for 10yrs. I see children younger than kindergarteners with special needs. I see this problem not only with education but behavioral. Children with special problems can learn. You have to know how to deal with children period. Regular children and special educational children all learn. Special educational children know exactly what they’re doing just as well as regular children.
The stimulations were really eye opening. I was able to see through the eyes of a child with a learning disability in different areas. I always understood that children who have learning disabilities learned differently, but I didn’t imagine how extreme the difference could be. The problems were hard for me and became frustrating. I now know firsthand how frustrating it can be for students who have learning disabilities in different areas. It’s amazing what extra time or shorter questions can do to help increase understanding. I realize that some things that come naturally to me may be extremely difficult for someone who learns differently. As a new teacher, I will make sure to teach children strategies and develop assignments that increase student understanding.
Special Education is becoming more of a concern with each passing day. There are more and more problems with teaching children with special needs as well as there are problems with diagnosing them. In the first half of the 20th century it started to become increasingly popular in the United States. (Ferguson 148). It is a tedious and time consuming task but it can be very rewarding to see the child progress of time and advance their learning skills.
Special education is an incredibly important, but often underappreciated aspect of education. There is a stigma around individuals with disabilities, that leads people to assume those in special education are less capable or smart as their peers in in a strictly traditional classroom setting. That could not be farther from the truth though, and the individuals in special education are just as capable of learning and maturing in to successful adults. As a future teacher, I was not really aware of how little I knew about special education until I enrolled in this course. This course has helped change and shape my views of special education, and helped me gain a better understanding of what exceptional children are and how I can better serve them