Special Education Personal Statement

The amount of people who live with disabilities is a controversial number. Depending on what law and diagnostic tools used, a person may have a visible disability, or one that may lie beneath the surface of his or her appearance. Some people believe that the term “disability” is merely a label use to hold back, or prescribe helplessness. Meanwhile, individuals who have been properly diagnosed with disabilities struggle to maintain respect and acceptance every day. In plain language, there is a lot of misunderstanding between people with disabilities and those without. It is firstly important to get everyone on the same page regarding the definition of disability.

I have had a lifetime goal to attend college, it just didn’t happen early in life. When I first came to CCU, there was no doubt that getting my bachelors in early childhood would be my major. My passion has always been young children. It started when I babysat as a young teenager and has continued in my life as a preschool teacher. Education is constantly changing: therefore, I feel I need to have more knowledge and wisdom to be the best teacher possible. Education is by far one of the most important tools to have a successful life. With diligence, I want to be a leading educator and to be a gateway for my students to learn. It’s exhilarating how many lives a teacher will touch each day. A teacher has the power to reach out and make learning a positive and memorable experience for every child. Furthermore, teachers are one of the first caregivers for young children. Although I am not at the beginning of my career, while at CCU, I will grow in faith, help and learn from others, and strive to graduate with honors.

Lastly, through my time at CBU, I hope to figure out what God has planned for my life. Right now, my plan is to attend CBU, graduate with a nursing degree move to a third world country for a while, adopt a kid from there, then once I'll move back to America open a nonprofit organization that involves sex trafficking and human slavery. Besides becoming a pediatric surgeon, (but who really wants to go to school for a million years) this would be my dream career plan. However, it might not be the plan that God has created for me. If I attend CBU, through my own personal growth in Christ, I hope to realize the purpose that God has for me.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry B. Adams. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to play a big part in children’s education, which is why I have decided to enroll for an education course. I believe that educators have a lifelong impact on their students and on the development of resilience. Thus, I aspire to inculcate my love for learning into the next generation, by influencing and inspiring children all through their formal education.

The time is now to become a Special Education Teacher. I believe the best fit for my academic and vocational goals is the UWM Exceptional Education Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program.

Tuesday was my first day in my general education classroom. When I arrived, there was a substitute in my classroom for the first half hour of the day, because Ms. Keane was in an IEP meeting. The substitute and the paraprofessional showed me around the classroom and told me about some of the students. There are 20 students in the classroom, and two of them are English language learners.

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

People are thought as child to dream big and reach for their goals. Throughout grade school to high school there are often asked what inspires them. Some people dream to become police officers, dancers, lawyers, and doctors. There are some people who chooses to become an educator. As they journey through college, to pursue the knowledge needed for their career, their passion leads them to special education. These teachers fine this career to be job satisfying, have empathy for the children, and the vacancy of the position viability. Not all teacher feel the same however, over time their dissatisfied with their job and leave because their brunt out.

One of the most essential aspects of the educational process is to know how to motivate students for learning. A challenging part of being a teacher is to know and learn how to motivate students. First of all, a good definition for motivation is as Byrnes quote “Motivation is construct

In the profession of a special education teacher, a person commits to helping children achieve their best and to help “students overcome their obstacles” while finding a way that the child can effectively learn (Hollingsworth). My mom’s career as special education teacher for twenty-two years, allows me insight and experience into the tougher aspects of this career, but also the rewards to the job. My mom helps me understand that a special education teacher guides a child to expand their strengths, develop strategies to overcome weakness, and to make best use of all available resources. Through helping her, and learning from her experiences, she taught me that a career in special education can not only challenge me, but may also become a

From those goals, I chose to be a pediatric nurse. It is hard to make a decision on which way should I major in but it is important to follow our heart when we have to make a decision on anything we do. I chose pediatric nurse because I know that pediatric nurse is what I wanted to be, what I love to do, and what makes me happy. I know how much important it is and how much beneficial for everyone. I found myself to be a pediatric nurse as my career because the pediatric nurse gave a great beneficial for every human life, it brought us a good salary, and give us a connection with

The reason why I would like to pursue a major in special education is because it holds a very important place in my heart. Not only has the special education program helped me grow as a person, but it has also allowed me to excel academically as well. With the help from my special education teachers, I am now able to work in a regular education classroom environment instead of sub separate classroom settings. Which has led to me being able to be more social and has given me the opportunity to grow as a student. For example, I am currently enrolled in two honors classes and I am only in need of an academic support class.

When I was asked to reflect on my experiences in EDSE 316 and the fieldwork, I had to think long and hard on how I would sum up four months of classes and fieldwork into four pages. I have learned so much about the various disabilities and how it has change the world of special education. I think a better term would be the “endless possibilities of education”. It wasn’t too long ago when children with disabilities would be stuck in a room in the back of school only to be seen in the beginning and end of the school day. They were the ones who rode the other buses and no one really talked about. This class has allowed me to speak of my own family and how special education impacted my life. I have a brother whose whole life was spent in the special education class, and my own sons with speech and learning disabilities who are now receiving special education services. It also allowed me to reflect on my own participation in the special education program in my early elementary years when I was struggling with my own speech disability. This class gave me the chance to see the timeline of special education, from its earliest beginnings to what it is now.

During my speech, I experienced a lot of issues and failures that I did not have while I was practicing. The subject of special education is very dear to my heart, not only do I want to be a special education teacher but I was in a special education class for a year due to a medical issue in elementary school. I spent a long time researching my subject and learning about the education system for this project. I even called the education board for Jackson County to learn about their curriculum. I made my speech and power-point and practiced my speech in front of different people, multiple times. After practicing I asked what I should improve on and I changed my speech to what was suggested I truly believed that I was prepared for this

One of the most controversial issues facing educators today is the topic of educating students with disabilities, specifically through the concept of inclusion. Inclusion is defined as having every student be a part of the classroom all working together no matter if the child has a learning disability or not (Farmer) (Inclusion: Where We’ve Been.., 2005, para. 5). The mentally retarded population has both a low IQ and the inability to perform everyday functions. Activities such as eating, dressing, walking, and in some cases, talking can be hopeless for a child with mental retardation.