On 5/10/2017, a Special Education Meeting was held at the West Somerville School to talk about schools concerns and services. Present at the meeting was myself, Ms. Taylor, the ICC Coordinator for…
The Special Education Techer, also, needs to be in contact with the general education teacher to make sure that they are teaching the expanded core curriculum. Since both the regular education teacher and the Special Education classroom teacher have a central role in Tony’s education, it's important for both teachers’ to remain in close contact about the best ways of meeting Tony’s individual needs within the classroom. The Special Education teacher can be a support to the family in meeting their needs by providing resources to outside agencies for families of children that have a visual impairment.…
Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education…
Today’s diverse world can present many reasons and circumstance as to the need for a student to be placed in a schools special education program. Therefore, teachers must be observant and connected with their students and the variety of needs that come with diversity. It is important for the teacher to advocate for the student that has special needs in the area of academics, socialization, and behaviors. Which is why the first step to enrolling a student into the special education program, begins with the teacher.…
This first chapter introduces you to an area of education that has greatly affected the lives of countless children in positive way. Together we will take a look at the radical change of thought that has taken place, not only in this country, but also in other parts of the world. This, in turn, has influenced our understanding of how we identify children who require special needs. Here you will see the unfolding scenario that greatly affects all of us as we are being introduced to various groups who are directly or indirectly associated with these children. They include parents, educators, legislators, and even our leaders. But in the very central spotlight are the children who are exceptional or…
One of the first questions I asked of Ms. Jones was what did she see as her main role as a school counselor. I felt I had firsthand knowledge, because at my school each teacher of special education is required to carry a caseload of students. As case managers, we monitor their progress, grades, and assist them when problems arise along with insuring they graduate. Her answers mirrored my own personal experience in dealing with my caseload. Looking at the child as whole is vital to their success in…
Skiba, R. J., Simmons, A. B., Ritter, S., Gibb, A. C., Rausch, M. K., Cuadrado, J., et al. (2008). Achieving Equity in Special Education: History, Status, and Current Challenges. Exceptional Children, 264-288.…
understanding of the teacher’s needs and the needs of children with exceptionalities. There is a…
successful inclusion of students with disabilities by general education teachers is the acquisition of certain knowledge and understanding about the needs of different learners, teaching techniques and curriculum strategies, and other components that prepare the special education students as well as the general education students to excel. This challenge can be alleviated by ensuring that general education teachers receive scheduled group sessions that allow them to share experiences, ask advice of experienced special education teachers or specialists, and gain skills and understanding. Hence without the proper professional development for general education teachers, the goals of the IDEIA cannot be met and the special education students would…
At 1:00 p.m. I entered into Evoline C. West Elementary school on Thursday, July 12 2012 for an interview with Mrs. Yolanda Lawrence. As I entered the classroom, I was greeted by Mrs. Lawrence, the head teacher in this classroom. Mrs. Lawrence has no assistant at this present because of it being in the summer. After I entered into the classroom, the entire class welcomed me with “hello Ms. Flournoy”. It made my day to see all of those smiley faces greeting me. This was a 2nd grade classroom which consisted of 17 students of which 8 were girls and 9 were boys. This interview and observation was a total of 2 hours long. During the observation of Mrs. Lawrence classroom, I noticed how the students flocked under Mrs. Lawrence as she started reading one their favorite books before they did their afternoon lesson. For some reason I got an excitement about doing this interview.…
As a part of this course, I was asked to interview a special education administrator based on the concepts covered in the class. The administrator I chose is Anne Stokowski, my current principal. Anne is someone who I’ve known for the past three years. She has been an integral part in my growth as a school leader. She has provided me several opportunities to lead various committees in the school and encouraged me to pursue my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Ms. Stokowski promotes a school of excellence, encourages collaboration and inclusion, and is knowledgeable about special education as well as providing support for all students.…
Being a graduate from Illinois State University’s Learning and Behavior Specialist 1 program, I entered the workforce well prepared for the area of special education. After being hired for my first job, I was confident of my skills and knowledge in the area of my Bachelors Degree. However, the job experiences that I have encountered have brought new challenges.…
I had the pleasure of visiting Mrs. McCotter’s Autistic classroom. I arrived at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, November 27th. Her classroom is at Ealy Elementary in West Bloomfield, which has a wonderful special education program. I chose to observe in an autistic classroom because it is something I had never experienced before until now. The classroom was incredibly nice and everyone was so welcoming! The classroom is arranged with a variety of stations. There is the play station, the movement station, their independent work stations, and a table and chairs. There were three paraprofessionals along with Mrs. McCotter working with the students. There are six students in the classroom, however only five were present that day. The ages range from 4 - 5. There are five boys and one girl in the classroom. Three of those students can work independently, while three of the students need one-on-one work. Five students were Caucasian and one was Hispanic. Three of the students are cognitively impaired, but I was told that autism is primary for them.…
I have a diverse background in education compare to my classmates. I obtained Bachelors of the Arts in Criminal Justice from John Jay College. While attending John Jay I began working as a Paraprofessional for the NYC Department of Education, in a low-income community with students that suffer from Emotional Distress Disorders. has instilled a love and passion to work hard and help these students achieve their educational goals. My students have influenced me to become a Special Education teacher; being able to break down assignments, watching the understanding dawn on their faces, and then seeing them even explaining it to their classmates brings a smile to my face. It is more than the satisfaction of a job well done; it's knowing that they…
For students with special needs and parents of children with disabilities, having a principal who supports inclusion is beneficial when it comes to receiving quality services for special needs children. According to a survey of 408 elementary schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania "about 1 in 5 principals' attitudes towards inclusion are positive while most are uncertain" (Praisner, 2003, p.135). The survey studied principals' attitudes towards inclusion, as well as, their amount of training in special education and experience with children with disabilities. The study indicated that principals who have positive experiences with students with disabilities and are familiar with the concepts of special education are more likely to have a positive attitude towards inclusion. Variation in placement of special needs students resulted from different attitudes. Therefore, principals with positive attitudes proved likely in placing students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Seemingly, the principal's view on inclusion affects not only the child with the disability and the parents of that child but teachers, as well as, the community.…