A Philosophy of Special Education The profession of teaching can be challenging at times. It is a constant juggling act of ongoing responsibilities; including classroom management, engagement, and curriculum. Add in the prospect of teaching multiple students with special needs and it is downright overwhelming. Still, special education is one responsibility that we cannot afford to get wrong. Instruction can play a significant part in their prospective outcomes. Therefore we need to develop a well-defined philosophy regarding special education that considers the laws, your beliefs, and feelings related to working with students with exceptionalities. To become a better educator, I have developed my own personal philosophy with those considerations …show more content…
That adage, “it takes a village...”, perfectly sums up special education. It takes the combined efforts of many educators to provide the most optimal education for the student. So be open to advice and really listen. Together, we can provide the best suited education for the child (Hallahan et al., 2012). My Classroom Environment Ideally, my classroom would be a strong community of interactive learners. I would like to use cooperative learning to engage students at various academic levels. This would also give me the opportunity to employ direct teaching for those students that need it while others work in groups. Groups also allows me to use peer tutoring and help build an inclusive classroom by integrating groups (Hallahan et al., 2012). I would also like to provide continuous progress monitoring. Assessments like the Response to Intervention model (RTI) will better inform me of the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Then with this knowledge I can better adapt my instruction to continually meet the student’s needs (Hallahan et al., …show more content…
I feel comfortable with my knowledge of disabilities and their educational considerations, but I worry about my ability to implement, especially in a general classroom. I fear having to severely differentiate instruction for students with special needs while still providing a lesson fitting the educational needs of the general classroom. I also worry about my ability to identify students with special needs. I know identification is a multi-layered, multi-person procedure, but I worry that I will mix up struggling students with students with special needs. So with these fears in mind, my goals are to practice creating lesson plans that include differentiation for students with special needs and to learn more about the identification process through observation and interviews. Conclusion In conclusion, after determining my own philosophy of special education I am better equipped to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Informed by this course, laws related to special education, and own beliefs, I have created an ideal classroom plan. I am also more aware of comfort level and fears in regard to special education. My goals for the future are to improve my ability to differentiate lessons and my ability identify students with special needs. I look forward to improving as a teacher of students with
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Show MoreSome people argue special education segregates the students. Having access to educational services isn’t enough. There are different views on the implication of special education, but emphasizing individual educational benefits for all students is a worthy
We believe that every child is entitled to an education no matter what background they are from. We encourage our staff to listen to the suggestions and needs of our children and take all matters seriously, building an inclusive community on trust and self-worth. The Salamaca statement and framework for action on special needs education 1994 (UNESCO, 1994) also states ‘Each child’s learning needs are different’
As a future educator, I will look at my class as a complete unit and not separate the children that have disabilities. I will concentrate on the needs of all my students and plan
The video “Beyond F.A.T. City: Look Back, Look Ahead-Conversation about Special Education”is an excellent source to utilize for special education teachers, parents, and general teachers alike. Richard D. Lavoie has a direct approach on helping children with disabilities succeed. The in-depth discussion opens the eyes of teachers and parents regarding what is fair in the classroom, how to bring the concepts of fairness to the home environment, and the importance of not assuming things about individuals. Richard D. Lavoie defines fairness in the classroom as everyone gets what he or she needs (Beyond, 2005). Many children believe that fairness means that everything is equal, however, that is not the case, especially in an educational setting.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997 and 2004. It is designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring that everyone receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE), regardless of ability. Furthermore, IDEA strives not only to grant equal access to students with disabilities, but also to provide additional special education services and procedural safeguards. Special education services are individualized to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities and are provided in the least restrictive environment. Special education may include individual or small group instruction, curriculum or teaching modifications, assistive technology,
The first observation was conducted on August 30th at 9:00 a.m., while the student was participating in the special education resource room. The observation took place for a total of 25 minutes. For the duration of the observation the student was seated at a small table working one-on-one with the special education teacher. Along with the student being observed and the special education teacher, two other students, as well as, two paraprofessionals were in the special education resource room during the observation time. One student and paraprofessional were working one-on-one at a small table, while the other student was sitting in a bean bag chair reading a book.
Special education is a discipline marked by a lot of controversy and which elicits a heated debate among education administrators, parents, and teachers. Full inclusion, which is the belief that disabled students should be incorporated into regular classrooms, regardless of whether they meet conventional curricular standards or not, is the major point of controversy. Full inclusion embraces the idea that disabled students should undertake regular education and only be excluded in a class when important services cannot be offered to them (Nelson, Palonsky, & McCarthy, 2010). This paper seeks to delve into the arguments surrounding full inclusion and establish their validity. It will achieve this by highlighting the arguments for and against
Informative Speech Preparation Outline I. INTRODUCTION A. Gain the audience’s attention: Koch states in the article Special Education in 2000 that 1.7 million disabled children were not able to attend public schools until IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, was implemented (Koch, 2000). Transition to Thesis: A high school diploma is necessary in todays life, but many students with special needs are still facing challenges to receive theirs. B. Thesis: The environment where a student is taught has a major impact on their general education, their future educational experiences, and the likelihood of graduating and continuing their education. C. Credibility Statement: After extensive research on special education and background knowledge from a Children with Exceptionalities class, I have gained the knowledge and information to inform you of the impacts of teaching special education inside of the general education classroom.
Teachers may profit from having a varied population of students as teachers get a chance to improve their teaching skills and ability to distinguish lessons and activities when such different children are in their class. Regular teachers need to work closely with other teachers and specialists to meet the needs of diverse children, thus enhancing their collaboration skills. It also allows to develop an awareness and appreciation of students’ individual difference (National Center on Inclusive Education 2001). Besides, children with disabilities can motivate regular teachers to be more imaginative with their teaching methods, skills and come up with up-to-date methods of delivering lesson that fits all learners. Regular teachers may realize that all pupils have potencies, which can be useful and vital to their entire classroom, and these potencies can be fostered to produce a profound school experience (Kinza 2008).
“Special Educational Needs” is defined as a restriction in the capacity of the person to participate in and benefit from education on account of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or learning disability or any other condition which results in a person learning differently from a person without that condition... (Government of Ireland, 2004b, section 1) Aims and principles of Special Education The aims of education for students with special educational needs include (a) enabling the student to live a full life and to realize his or her full potential as a unique individual through access to an appropriate broad and balanced curriculum; (b) enabling the student to function as independently as possible in society through the provision
Now, I realize that a student needing special education does not automatically mean that they will need help with everything and have an extremely difficult time learning. Most of the students I observed did not seem any different than the students not in special education. They just needed extra help in certain subjects. They picked up on the material much more quickly than I had thought they would and were able to do more on their own than I had originally thought. Before this class and project, I also did not think about the fact that students with special needs often stay in the general education classroom as well as working in the special education
Cooperative learning model is an active process where students work in small teams/groups, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Students have opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and adopt their learning. Ross and Smyth (1995) describe successful cooperative learning tasks as intellectually demanding, creative, open-ended, and involve higher order thinking tasks. In this model, it is essential to create a positive climate where interpersonal skills can be promoted so that positive emotions will be fostered among learners. Cooperative learning also helps the learners to feel empowered and respected to prepare them to face real
Thesis: To master the job of a Special Education teacher, it is important to have the right skills such as teaching, communicating, and patience. Organizational Pattern: Topical Introduction Attention Getter: According to brainyquote.com, Magic Johnson once said, “All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them”. Relevance: A Special Education teacher is someone that works with children with a variety of disabilities.
Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress. Working together is success” (Brainy Quote). From here, the concept of inclusive education, including students with and without learning disabilities as peers in the same classroom, originated. The aim of this type of education is to get students with learning disabilities involved in the society. Teachers and fellow students will also provide help for students with disabilities; in this way, students with learning disabilities will be motivated to study as they feel that they are a part of a group instead of being isolated in special places.
The transition from primary to post-primary education is one of the most drastic of those changes, and schools need to be equipped to accommodate that transition. For special educational needs, many steps need to be taken in order to familiarize both parties with the conditions they live with and how success can be met. In order for students to feel comfortable and make the transition as smooth as possible, there are many things that schools can do to ensure this success. In order for special education pupils to succeed, schools need to create inclusion in the classrooms and with peers, so that SEN pupils can interact with other students and experience real world classroom time. For students with disabilities, schools need to take some necessary steps in order for a beneficial transition to take place.