Senior Seminar The importance of this topic to me is that this is what I want to do when I get older. I enjoy working with these children and helping them to learn while learning myself. I want to do this project because I want to learn more about children with disabilities and "ordinary" children that then of what I already know. I got involved in this subject last year while I was in Government Class with Mrs. Leach. I was looking to do something for my community service hours but I didn't want something boring to do. Mrs. Leach came up to me and asked me if I would be interested in working at William Grace Elementary in the special needs classroom. I said ok, boy am I happy I said yes. That was a great learning experience for me. My interest in working with children has always been there ever since I was little. My mom always tells me that since I was little I had a way with children. No matter if they were older, younger, or even my same age. My topic fits my personality because I love people. I love talking with, listening to, and helping all different types of people with all different types of situations. I work well with all types of different people too so I am usually found to be very friendly. It connects to my life in many different ways. In one way I work at a daycare where I am running into different types of children with all different types of needs almost everyday. Another situation it runs in with is the fact that I want to be a special needs k-8 teacher when I get older and I also be able to work with "ordinary" second grade kids. Before I began the whole process of my research I talked to many different people. I talked to counselors, teachers of "special" and "ordinary" children, parents with special needs children, and read books. I read books about working with a child who has special needs in the classroom environment. I got some ideas of different ways to present my topic to my judges. One of the ways I chose which I am going to actually do is; I am going to take note cards with different types of disabilities and give one to each of the judges and ask them to perform what their note card says.
This Semester I observed a three-year-old girl named Allie. Allie attends preschool at Land of Learning; she is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It was my pleasure observing her and getting to know her. She is a very sweet outgoing girl that doesn’t let her disability get to her. I observed and assisted Allie throughout her days at preschool. I assisted her and observed her with recess activities, eating lunch, and daily school projects. My past observation experiences I observed at Westgate elementary school in a class room mixed with students with learning disabilities, ADHD and also ELL students the class was taught by Ms. Lewis. I observed a second grade ELL classroom and also a fourth grade classroom. I observed these students during school
Students with disabilities are not the only students who can benefit from creative tasks, projects, and assessments. A positive and caring approach to dealing with all student regardless of culture, disability or any other thing that make then different from the norm is key to the success of all concerned.
Lavoie’s workshop provokes an emotional response. After viewing life through the eyes of a child with special needs, I cannot help but have a more significant understanding of what people, especially children with disabilities, must deal with every day, everywhere. During the many years that I have worked with children with various disabilities, I have encountered each of the topics discussed in Lavoie’s workshop and agree with the points he makes regarding children with disabilities. Particularly impacting the way I interact with my students are the topics concerning: anxiety, reading comprehension, and fairness.
Unfortunately, a lot of parents may have a difficult time accepting their child, and coping with their needs and the responsibilities. From the book “The Elephant in the Playroom,” some families dealt with depression and physical and mental deterioration of their health. These struggles were shown in the story by Laura Cichoracki. Laura’s son’s name was Patrick. Patrick was a 6-years-old boy with autism. “I wasn’t eating right, I wasn’t showering regularly, I wasn’t sleeping well” (Brodey, p. 64). I also read the story told by Susan Marrash-Minnerly, which highlighted emotions that parents face. Susan also shed light on how wonderful children with special needs can be to a family, such as her ten-year-old third grader who had autism. Susan talked about how it was normal to feel angry at times, especially with the ups and downs a child’s disability may come with. “When I look back, I want to tell other parents that a child’s future is worth grieving over – but it’s not the end of the world” (Brodey, p. 75). After reading these stories, it became apparent to me that families who are raising kids with special needs, need support, kindness, and available resources. “I was fortunate to be surrounded by other moms who understood my pain…who could be supportive and emphatic.” (Brodey, p. 67). Overall, educators can use this kind of information that was shared in “The Elephant in the Playroom” about family systems and risk/resiliency by creating lines of open communication between families. This is to connect parents together that share similar struggles. By creating open communication is can allows for the teacher and parents to be on the same page when it comes to the issues affecting special needs students and
Senior Project Senior Project Outline Introduction: Let the reader know what this Essay is about. I. What I already know A.
Describe the range of emotions associated with being the parent of a child with special needs. Select two emotional states and describe how you as a teacher would you work with a parent experiencing these emotions.
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
My personal philosophy on special education begins with this firm conviction, I believe all children are “uniquely and wonderfully” made, and regardless of their disability, posse unique gifts and talents. My philosophy of special education has developed, not from just being a general education teacher for many years, and a graduate student in special education, but also from being blessed to be a parent of a special needs child. I believe that every child deserves to have the best possible education, regardless of their disabilities or challenges. It is our responsibility, as special education teachers, to not focus on a student’s disabilities and challenges, but rather focus and develop their personal gifts and talents, in an environment
Smith, T. E. C., Polloway, E. A., Patton, J. R. and Dowdy, C. A. 2012. Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.
The process of placing a child in special education is not an easy task. However, to see the benefits of a child being accommodated specifically to their educational needs is something amazing. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and this is one way as a teacher I hope to make it happen.
Being a senior to me means more that just one thing. It means my last ten football games, senior project and, graduating. It seems like yesterday that I was in eighth grade watching my brother play football on the same field I am now. Back then being a senior in high school seemed so far away that I never took the time to think about it or anything. Now that it’s here I wonder where the time went.
I have worked with many teachers in this line of work and have watched how they interact with the kids. I have worked with all kinds of kids with special needs, ranging from reading disabilities to severe mental retardation. Some of the teachers that I have worked with, I have not approved of their tactics on how they handled the kids, but you learn and you adapt. Eventually you will know what is right and what is wrong.
Last year I was able to work with a group to teach others about issues dealing with the children of today. I was approached by a group to put on an eight-hour seminar that concerns children. No one was sure what they wanted except that it would be with a church group that had a day care that operated during the day. I decided to take on the project and began to do my research.
Someone working with special needs children should be aware of the many factors that contribute to a child’s improvement. Although there are many factors, some of the main ones include the child’s social interaction, environment, and also overall health.