Every person has a story as to why they chose the career they are in now. Many will say they knew at a young age they wanted to be a teacher, but for me, that was not the case. I knew that I had the desire to help people and to love others since I was young. This desire grew stronger as I experienced the many obstacles of learning with three disabilities. That calling to help people lead to my considering teaching. In high school math class, I loved the process of struggling to solve a problem, then getting through the problem with the teacher’s help, and finally reaching a solution on my own. I love that pivotal moment when one makes an attempt by oneself, solves the problem and feels on top of the world. I learned that once I understood a concept, I then could teach it to others. It was at this moment that I realized I was being called to teach.
Throughout college, I have been exposed to different situations that have impacted the way I view teaching. All students, especially those with disabilities, have potential to gain knowledge. However, it is a matter of seeking out their interest to apply it to the task at hand to help them. As an educator, my goal for my students is to eventually carry out tasks without my help. I know I am going to have students come from homes where they are not loved as they should be or treated with the dignity they deserve. My goal is to not only educate their minds and help them learn but to be that loving mentor figure in their life they are seeking. I want my classroom to be a place of refuge for them. The belief that all students have the potential to gain knowledge speaks to why we have IDEA in place to ensure all students are educated. The disability does not limit them or their potential.
I believe it is important to walk the students step-by-step along the way to ensure they have full understanding and then we take off the training wheels and let him ride by himself. To achieve this, students need to realize it is okay to not understand something the first time. I want to create that environment where students can collaborate with each other to grow. This is largely impacted by the theorist Lev Vygotsky. His zone of proximal development theory, which describes the range of when a student can perform a task with help from peer or adult to the moment where the student can perform the task on their own. I need to guide my students to reflect on the steps we use when approaching a problem. I will ask probing questions that allow my students to start unlocking the pathway to completing the task correctly.
The word learning is used a lot in education, but it means something different to everybody. Learning means you are asking questions, you are thinking about the responses of others, and you can see the progress they are making. I like to answer students’ questions with deeper probing questions to make them use higher level thought process. I have been impacted by the progress of students whom I have the pleasure of working with again this year. A student who could recognize his letters at the beginning of the year is now almost able to completely recognize them. That is recognition, but him being able to tell me words that start with that letter, or find words around the room that have that letter in them, demonstrates his ability to apply that symbol on a card to real-life examples. The hands-on approach of him physically making a letter with playdough shows me he can match the sound to print.
Each person receives information differently. This is evident in what Vygotsky was conveying with his constructivism theory. When a student does not understand Students as learners have different methods of receiving and processing the information being delivered. It is important to talk to your students about what way they learn best with. This may take a little more effort with smaller children because not all of them are fluent readers yet. They are on the track to learning how to read and write information that they use every day to communicate when they speak. As a special education teacher, I know that all students are going learn new knowledge the same way. Differentiation of instruction allows me to give that information out in multiple ways in-order to best suit my student’s needs. For example, I used to be able to know how to spell words verbally correctly, but when I took my spelling tests I would switch my letters around and get them wrong. Simple differentiation of taking that test and then being asked orally to spell the word to demonstrate my knowledge. Differentiation allows students to receive the same content as the general students but uses accommodations to help them achieve results.
Each of my students needs to know that they have a person in their corner rooting for them to do the best they can. I am going to do whatever it takes to ensure they can learn. My classroom environment is where students can come and feel safe. Some students do not receive the love they need. As a special educator, I feel that is part of my job to make sure my students are loved for who they are. Part of my classroom environment is ensuring that students know that they are free to express their ideas, thoughts, opinion, and who they are as human beings.
Throughout college, I have been exposed to different situations that have impacted the way I view teaching. All students, especially those with disabilities, have potential to gain knowledge. However, it is a matter of seeking out their interest to apply it to the task at hand to help them. As an educator, my goal for my students is to eventually carry out tasks without my help. I know I am going to have students come from homes where they are not loved as they should be or treated with the dignity they deserve. My goal is to not only educate their minds and help them learn but to be that loving mentor figure in their life they are seeking. I want my classroom to be a place of refuge for them. The belief that all students have the potential to gain knowledge speaks to why we have IDEA in place to ensure all students are educated. The disability does not limit them or their potential.
I believe it is important to walk the students step-by-step along the way to ensure they have full understanding and then we take off the training wheels and let him ride by himself. To achieve this, students need to realize it is okay to not understand something the first time. I want to create that environment where students can collaborate with each other to grow. This is largely impacted by the theorist Lev Vygotsky. His zone of proximal development theory, which describes the range of when a student can perform a task with help from peer or adult to the moment where the student can perform the task on their own. I need to guide my students to reflect on the steps we use when approaching a problem. I will ask probing questions that allow my students to start unlocking the pathway to completing the task correctly.
The word learning is used a lot in education, but it means something different to everybody. Learning means you are asking questions, you are thinking about the responses of others, and you can see the progress they are making. I like to answer students’ questions with deeper probing questions to make them use higher level thought process. I have been impacted by the progress of students whom I have the pleasure of working with again this year. A student who could recognize his letters at the beginning of the year is now almost able to completely recognize them. That is recognition, but him being able to tell me words that start with that letter, or find words around the room that have that letter in them, demonstrates his ability to apply that symbol on a card to real-life examples. The hands-on approach of him physically making a letter with playdough shows me he can match the sound to print.
Each person receives information differently. This is evident in what Vygotsky was conveying with his constructivism theory. When a student does not understand Students as learners have different methods of receiving and processing the information being delivered. It is important to talk to your students about what way they learn best with. This may take a little more effort with smaller children because not all of them are fluent readers yet. They are on the track to learning how to read and write information that they use every day to communicate when they speak. As a special education teacher, I know that all students are going learn new knowledge the same way. Differentiation of instruction allows me to give that information out in multiple ways in-order to best suit my student’s needs. For example, I used to be able to know how to spell words verbally correctly, but when I took my spelling tests I would switch my letters around and get them wrong. Simple differentiation of taking that test and then being asked orally to spell the word to demonstrate my knowledge. Differentiation allows students to receive the same content as the general students but uses accommodations to help them achieve results.
Each of my students needs to know that they have a person in their corner rooting for them to do the best they can. I am going to do whatever it takes to ensure they can learn. My classroom environment is where students can come and feel safe. Some students do not receive the love they need. As a special educator, I feel that is part of my job to make sure my students are loved for who they are. Part of my classroom environment is ensuring that students know that they are free to express their ideas, thoughts, opinion, and who they are as human beings.