Philosophy of Special Education

Philosophy On Educating Exceptional Children:

If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. I believe all children have the ability to learn, just in different ways and at different rates. My emphasis in teaching is meeting those needs of each individual student. Not only will I instill the practices of equality and diversity, but I will also establish a safe, yet laid back environment where every student feels at ease.

I support the concept of Collaboration, in which teachers are better able to diagnose and solve learning and behavior problems through a joint effort. Furthermore, I believe coordination, consultation, and teaming are three significant factors in accomplishing this task. Coordination involves the idea of working together to ensure services are provided in a timely, methodical manner. Next one must focus on consultation. I think of this as if it were my mentor. Consultation involves the methods of providing assistance and advice to a novice. In other words, through the distribution of strategies and information from one team member to another, each will benefit and be able to teach in a way which best suits each child. Thus, resulting in substantial learning improvement. Lastly, the importance of teaming is interacting with others for the benefit of the disabled child. Communication and equal information exchange is vital in the process of managing and solving the various issues regarding the progress of the disabled child. Fostering teamwork is creating a culture that values collaboration. As the old saying goes,"none of us is as good as all of us."

I believe effective teaching requires patience and understanding. It is important to stress that everyone makes mistakes and giving up is not the answer. Each student should strive for success, knowing there is someone who supports them. It is important that students feel no different than students in a regular classroom setting. All students should be educated to the fullest extent possible.
Somedays may be better than others, but I believe each day is another step towards improving each student's life. Making the smallest difference in a child's life means making the biggest difference in my own.