Statement of Purpose to Attend Bank Street's Special Education Program

My aspiration to become an educator of the youth began from my experiences in high school. Working with small children as a young adult unveiled my eyes to the beauty of child development. I began to realize how vital those beginning years are in every child’s life. By nature, I am a helper and I never stop caring for others. I chose to study early childhood and childhood education for my undergraduate degree because I genuinely wanted to know more about how children learn and grow.

At SUNY Fredonia, I not only gained a tremendous abundance of knowledge about the way children learn best, but I developed a desire to make this world a better place for our youth. My concentration in social studies allowed me to view certain situations and topics with a diverse perspective. I felt the fire in my heart ignite with each collegiate course. I consistently thought about our society and the venality that exists within it; I began to realize that as an educator, I would be able to act on my concerns and take a step towards creating an anti-bias society, starting within the classroom. We cannot focus so much on corruption and failure in our society, we must take a step forward in correcting it, and it starts with early childhood. If we as educators provide children with the skills they need to become analytical human beings who strive to solve problems they face with motivation and care, we will make a difference. When we provide children with a wide spectrum of experiences and allow them to discover the world for themselves we open their eyes to the beauty of the world. They become gentle and respectful, and most importantly they gain a love for their interests, differences. They form opinions and know that they are just as important as everyone else. They are prepared with the academic skills they need to continue their education. Through developmentally appropriate education and constant support; children will become a great advantage to our society. They become helpers, leaders, thinkers, friends, and caregivers, which is what our world needs to survive.

Bank Street’s Special Education program adequately befits my interests and educational philosophy. The emphasis that is put on differentiating instruction, environment, learning goals and outcomes is how students learn best and are able to succeed. No child learns the same way and that must always be taken into consideration.