Interview With Miss Lauren Ursta, A Special Education Teachers

An interview was conducted with Miss Lauren Ursta, a Special Education teacher, in order to obtain clarity of the problems that are associated with assessing students with intellectual disabilities, and the characteristics of students with intellectual disabilities that result in eligibility for special education. The preliminary question presented to Miss Ursta, was if could she provide a clear and concise definition of the meaning of intelligence. Following a somewhat amusing response to the scope of the question, Miss Ursta asked if the question could be more specific about who’s definition of intelligence was sought. To clarify, it was stressed that her definition of intelligence was sought based on her own individual rationale, in addition
The original insight, provided by Miss Ursta stressed that students rarely have a disability in one precise area. The list of characteristics could be a consequence of a large amount of reasons, which at times, proves challenging to explain. Offering fragments of evidence to the realism that Miss Ursta’s professional knowledge focuses on disabilities that fall into the moderate to severe range, she felt unqualified to offer any input on the category of mild disabilities. She stressed students with disabilities frequently remain in a regular education classroom with additional support, and also stressed students with intellectual disabilities frequently complete a task that is on the lowermost portion of the standards, suggesting the students might display signs of articulated emotional adversity or an absence of motivation to perform in a classroom environment. Students may display inappropriate behavior when the student lacks comprehension of the skill being engaged in. It is Miss Ursta’s personal belief, that if students were presented with the opportunity to engage in tasks inside ranges that are considered average, the students would be able to establish an array of vital skills necessary to be considered proficient in an academic setting. Miss Ursta utilizes mandates of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, such as ratings of
Her willingness to discuss her teaching techniques, emphasized the zealous methods she utilizes to teach and support her students. She exhibited an uncomfortableness when encouraged to speak of distinct characteristics of disabilities, because she teaches the student not the disability. Miss Ursta spoke of addressing disorders with knowledge and patience, and touched on the requirements for academic opportunities that enhance success for the student by meeting academic objectives (Personal communication, Ursta, March 13, 2018). A recent roadblock faced by Miss Ursta in her current roster of students with intellectual abilities, which she stressed is not common, is the additional difficulty each of the students struggle with, and that is the keenness of their vision. The adaptations necessary to accommodate all students is numerous. Much respect for the type of teacher Miss Ursta is, was obtained during time spent interviewing her. She balances coursework and a clear and concise comprehension of state standards established that she must adhere to in a proficient manner (Personal communication, Ursta, March 12,