Special Education Portfolio Analysis

My morning interview with a resource room teacher provided me with a wealth of vital information that will assist me in my future career. As I sat at length and spoke with Mrs. Provost, asking her questions that revealed the inner workings of her job and the various facets that accompany it, the same thought kept entering my mind “someday this going to be me”, and I could not be happier. While Mrs. Provost willingly and patiently answered each question I realized the obligation of educating in the department of special education is challenging at times. The commitment is tremendous, but when a student with any form of social or academic disability thrives under the direction of a special education teacher’s leadership, the end result can be

This is a Summary about my personal Philosophy of Special Education. I will be giving my thoughts on the Purpose of schooling, Nature of Learners, Curriculum, Instructional Methods, Classroom management, Assessment practices and Professional relationships with family and community.

National Louis University’s M.A.T in Special Education would provide the foundation to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a Special Education teacher. I hold a Bachelor’s of Science in Family and Child Studies, with an emphasis in Family Social Services. My undergraduate degree presented an amazing internship opportunity in Tucson, Arizona. I was fortunate to intern at Liberty Center for Language and Learning, working with children who have Autism and other developmental disabilities. Upon completing my internship, I was inspired to continue my education and a career in a field for which I am passionate about. My job as a teacher assistant has been instrumental in providing hands-on experience in a high school special education setting.

Leadership in Special Education has been the objective for a long time. A few years into the education field, through collaboration with peers, shared visions, and most importantly several years of experience in the area of special education, becoming a special education director is now becoming more of a reality. Even though lifestyle changes prolonged this dream, until recently things started to fall into place, and now the opportunity is presenting itself again.

One of the reason people chose a career in special education is job satisfaction. Special education teacher perceived their job to be rewarding. They get personal fulfillment and gratification in teaching special need students. “It truly must be passion to continue working in special education because we all know it is a tough job.”(Participate 2010,”Motivational factor towards pursuing a career in special education”)They have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the students’ lives. When the student who is struggling in school graduate it brings great satisfaction to the educator. The most important part of this field is to help a child develop to their highest potential.

Time is passing and opportunities are opening for more students with special needs. Many students in college are getting more interested in Special Education as career that will allow more organization to have more workers with a big potential that will have an important impact on these kids with disabilities. However, this will require more training for the students that organizations around the country can give them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,“the career outlook for special education teachers should remain steady through 2024, with an increase of 6%, the national average for job growth in the United States. The median salary for this position is just over $55,000 annually,” (“Master in Special Education”) The approach the

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

My contribution to NYC public schools children in education has been extensive. I first began working in NYC public schools as a speech pathologist in 1980. I would examine expressive and receptive language skills of children and through task analyses develop strategies of language acquisition. In short, I was able to gets students to improve their reading and writing skills in order to master grade level competencies. In my educational journey, I was recruited by Principal Louis Rapport to become an Assistant Principal. Principal Rapport ran an after-school program for teachers who wanted to become school leaders. I worked in coordinating summer programs at George Westinghouse Vocational High School in 1986. I worked hand in hand with the principal to build community partners for our school which offered twelve or more trade programs and internships for students ranging form optical to jewelry making. In 1989, I was selected to serve as Assistant Principal of Special Education at Automotive High School, with Principal Steve Gilbert, who has since passed away. Principal Gilbert much like Principal Rapport was my mentors in leadership within the educational arena. With the support of Principal Gilbert, I was able to go to a Harvard Graduate School of Education and participate in a Summer Seminar in 1995. This was the season of “Inclusion in Schools”. Principal Gilbert recommended me for a program, Assistant Principal to Principal Program

The leadership of the special education director is an essential role in the educational realm. Two of

In five years, my goal as a special education teacher is to continue to learn and develop various techniques that will allow me to effectively manage and teach special education classes. I will focus on effective class management and teaching techniques congruent to learning. I will endeavor to make continuous improvements and adjustments as I gain knowledge and experience to become a more effective teacher to my special needs

I have had the opportunity to work with students in both the sub-separate and general education classroom to enhance students learning through their least restrictive environment. The working and teaching experience has allowed me to carry out the dedication that the Special Education program has for the students with disabilities in the current school system. I have been able to help students achieve educational success through providing a safe-learning environment for all students and helping students assessing curriculum and reach their full potential by promoting and supporting students diverse learning

As a special education teacher, it’s important that I use and apply various teaching techniques, strategies, learning styles, methods, and the latest innovative practices to make certain my students’ meet the yearly goals I’ve set for them and the goals they have according to their IEP’s. These

Measurable annual goals are used to identify what the individual student is expected to achieve within one year to address what effects the disability has caused. Gibb and Dyches (2016) define the word measurable as “the behavior stated in the goal can be observed and measured to determine when it has been achieved” (p. 60). Therefore, in order to be considered a measurable academic and functional performance goal the goal must be able to be measured, must meet the individual student needs that are in relation to the disability and cause problems within the general education curriculum, and must also meet any other additional

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.

In discussions with Ben Robertson and Matthew Rose on what our topic for the Instructional Leadership Action Plan (ILAP), we all believed that providing teachers with more information on the Special Education Process would well serve the needs of all teachers. Ben and I both talked to our principals about having the ILAP at our respective schools and both principals agreed that the need for it was great in both buildings. However, when discussing travel for Matthew it was decided that we would have the ILAP at Nickelsville Elementary and would later hold the same ILAP, based on our feedback from teachers at Nickelsville Elementary and our cohort, at Gate City Middle School.