Teaching Special Needs
What I Already Know / What I wanted to Know
“Well, I only became a special needs teacher because all the teachers that your father had when he was in school all told him that he will never learn to read after he was diagnosed with severe dyslexia. So when he was put in special needs for his dyslexia, I started going to school to become a special needs teacher.” my grandmother told me. This made me start to wonder why he couldn’t just stay in the normal classroom and have just a little more help with learning how to read. Why did he need to go into a special needs classroom? How would going into the special needs classroom help him?
I already knew that kids with special needs needed more help and that going to a special needs class would get them that help. I also knew that kids with a variety of disabilities went into a special education classroom. I didn’t know much more than that or how those children were taught.
I needed to how these students in the special education were being taught and how this differed from the teaching in a traditional classroom. Were these students just being taught everything normal children were, just slower or were they being taught completely different things? Were they being taught what normal students were learning just with a different way of being taught the material?
I made a list of things I wanted to know. From this list, I was able to form my research question: How does teaching special needs children differ from
Special education has been a very important topic through the years since the beginning of the education program in the United States because of its philosophy on inclusion and educating individuals no matter their condition, context or cultural status. The purpose of Schooling students with special need is basic and fundamental for the growth of our Nation, is to identify children with unusual needs and help them fulfill those needs
After reading chapters one and two of the book “Exceptional lives”, I could more easily understand special education. As a teacher, I will mostly likely have many students with disabilities in my class throughout my career. With
A stereotype that is often associated with special education is that its only for students with a severe disability. Special Education is for all disabled children no matter how severe or the need for the special education services. This stereotype often leads faculty and others to misclassify or inappropriately place students in a special education program. Another stereotype is that special education can only be performed in a “special” classroom with other students with a disability. Being placed in special education doesn’t mean that the student needs to be restricted from the other students without a disability. Children with a disability should be educated in general education classrooms with typical peers as much as possible. As teachers,
Reading this book greatly affected the way I will interact with children with disabilities and their families. My current field placement is teaching art at a Middle School. Each class consists of students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, as well as students with special needs including giftedness. My cooperating teacher has taught me a great deal about differentiating lessons. Torey Hayden has showed me that it is not enough to differentiate lessons or plan adaptations for our students with exceptionalities. We truly have to look at them as a complete human being, and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of every student in our classroom. Because of this book, I have not been afraid to speak with Mark* who has downs syndrome, or Alicia who has a cognitive impairment and hearing problems. I have tried to get to know my students with exceptionalities as well as all of my students as individuals, and understand their backgrounds. In the future I will continue to treat each student as a unique person and get to know them and their families before passing judgment.
Students with special needs should be placed into specialized schools so they are able to receive individualized learning. If they are in a classroom specific to their needs, they are able to receive much needed attention. In order to receive the optimal level of attention that is needed, schools would have to consider reducing class sizes or hiring multiple teachers for one classroom so more help would be readily available for these disabled students. Corwin argues that today’s schools offer a general curriculum and that they should convert to a specialized system. He states that students of various backgrounds, ethnicities, IQ scores, and physical, emotional, and mental disabilities should not all be placed in the same classroom because students learn in diverse ways and at different paces. Further, it is necessary for teachers to become specialized in certain areas in order to effectively teach students with special needs (Corwin).
Preparing regular education teachers to address the diverse needs of children with special needs in inclusive set up.
In England, it is a legal requirement under the EYFS for all early years settings to work with parents and other professionals to support children’s care, learning and development. Certain policies and procedures must be in place to protect children and for guidance.
Interviewing the special education supervisor has made me aware of how important my role is as a regular education teacher to special students who need additional support in my classroom. The goal of the teacher is to ensure that the IEP is followed to ensure the academic success of all students. IEP stands for Individual Education Plan and the plan is usually developed when students have several deficiencies in certain key subject areas such as: reading comprehension, basic reading, reading fluency, written expressions, math calculation, and math reasoning. Students are referred to the special education department usually in elementary school, additionally; according to the high school special education supervisor there are very few referrals
Some people may think that special education has been established since the beginning of public education. Others may consider a time when special education did not exist and students with disabilities were not able to attend school. The truth is, there was a time when this happened; these students were not allowed to be educated in the general education classroom alongside their peers. People with disabilities were treated differently, and some were forced into institutions because teachers and staff found them to be disturbances to their peers. Luckily, special education has come a long way since public education began. People, especially parents, advocated for their children, and today many laws are in place to ensure that all children
The special education teacher interviewed, talked about this goal to meet each child’s need is challenging to her especially in eleventh and twelfth grade. The teacher tries to strive towards their educational goals, their need areas, and work on their strengths.
Teaching students with exceptional abilities requires funding, training and planning. Being in a regular classroom with children from various cultures, ethnic backgrounds and intellectual ability help students learn how to work together toward a common goal: reduce discrimination and stereotyping people with physical and mental limitations. Instructional strategies that break the work down so everyone learns better can improve education as well as reduce cost. This is achieved by including special education students in environments that will allow them to develop normal social interactions as well as receive specific attention to their learning needs. ("What is Special Education”)
In the essay, “Giving Students Room to Run” by Lorna Green, she discusses her past experience with having a “special” needs student in a general education class and the reason why she became a teacher. In today’s society, if you were diagnosed with a mental disability or autism, you will be placed in a separated classroom with other students with the same disability. I do not agree with mainstreaming “special children” because no two kids are the same. There are children that needs more attention in a classroom, that a normal student. Special education classes benefit the student with mental disability because they will be able to learn at their own pace without trying to keep up with the normal pace of general education classes. In the essay,
This course has such impact knowledge about exceptional students. It helps teachers who choose to be in special education field understand most common categories that students have, and what kinds of teaching strategies teacher shuld use to able teach them.
1. How do you perceive the field of education changing, especially in the area of serving students with special needs?
Children with special needs are slightly different from non-disabled kids, but they’re should not be a barrier between non-disabled children and children with disabilities. Special needs covers a wide range. Some children with physical disabilities use wheelchair, or cane while other children with learning disabilities such as, autism, or emotional disorder. Children with special needs are like all children they want to make friends. Non-disability children want respect, love, good education and job of their dream. Children with special needs can do the same things non-disabled kid do, but it can take them longer. It requires additional explanation or attention. Parents of children with special needs usually feel isolated and uncertain about their child 's future. Schools can help them find support that children are not alone and help is available. Teachers should meet with parents in order to get to know the children better, the specific of their children. Special teachers may come into the class to work one-on-one with the student, for individualized attention. Change begins with an honest examination of understandings, knowledge and belief. Children with special needs should spend more time with non-disabled kids. Children with special needs should study more at public school to learn from