Connecticut Common Core Reflection

The Connecticut Common Core of Learning Reflection Beth Skudzienski Dr. Zack Social and Multicultural Foundations of Education University of Connecticut West Hartford, CT

Beth Skudzienski Core Values Reflection Dr. Zack 6/16/2009 The state of Connecticut has developed a document that summarizes the state’s expectations of what teaching should look like and how it should take place in the state of Connecticut. The Connecticut Common Core of Teaching gives teaching expectations for instructors in the state of Connecticut. This document discusses the skills, knowledge and various competencies expected of teachers in various stages of instructional ability, including the pre-service, induction and continuous professional growth phases. The Common Core of Teaching discusses skills important for all teachers to possess and also gives practices teachers should possess based on their content area. Content areas in the Common Core of Teaching include, elementary education, english language arts, mathematics, music, physical education, science, social studies, special education, visual arts and world languages. It includes a list of content specific skills and competencies that instructors in those content areas should be proficient in. In the following paragraphs, this author will discuss three specific statements or skills found in the special education section of the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching and will express why those statements or beliefs are important for the instructor of students in special education. The Common Core of Teaching states it is important for teachers of students with special needs to be aware of the various disabilities and the impact those disabilities have within the classroom and learning for students. This is foundational for all special education teachers to understand. If a teacher does not have an understanding of a students’ individual disability, they will not understand why the student may be struggling with learning or with a specific section of a curriculum. This will greatly hinder the special education teacher’s assistance of a student. The special education instructor must also consider the individual student when determining the impact of an individual’s disability within the classroom. While general statements about disabilities and the level of ability or achievement students with that disability generally have, the special educator

Beth Skudzienski Core Values Reflection Dr. Zack 6/16/2009 must remember these are general speculations about the disability and should not be taken as fact for every student with that particular disability. The special education teacher must remember that all students are different and the needs and ability level of students will vary with the individual. The special education teacher should not limit any student by placing expectations, whether great or low, on a student, but should instead consider each student on a case-by-case basis to determine the level of ability a student may possess. This can be applied during student teaching by the student teacher looking at the individual instructional needs of the students and teaching to and meeting those needs as much as possible. The Common Core of Learning states that special education teachers should be able to collaborate with general education teachers and other professionals within the school setting. This is important for effective instruction to take place because the “general and special education teachers are expected to share responsibility for educating students with special needs (). If a teacher is unable to effectively collaborate with a student’s mainstreamed teacher or other professional dealing with the student, both the teachers instructional ability as well as that students achievement level will be hindered because of a lack of collaboration. Collaboration can be practiced during student teaching by the student teacher observing the cooperating teacher’s interaction and collaboration with both the general education teachers as well as other professionals in the classroom and learning both positive and negative lessons from these observations. The student teacher can also begin appropriate collaborative practices with fellow teachers and professionals in the student teaching placement. A third aspect of the Common Core of Learning is that special education teachers need to have the ability to adapt and modify curriculum based on the individual needs and learning goals of each student. All special education teachers “must make an effort to

Beth Skudzienski Core Values Reflection Dr. Zack 6/16/2009 meet the needs of individuals who might differ in some way from the average or typical student” (). This should be done with the knowledge the special education teacher has of various methods, learning strategies, materials and resources available in the specific subject area needing adaptation or modification. This can be accomplished during student teaching by the student teacher first observing how the cooperating teacher completes this task and learning how to effectively do so. The student teacher may then try to modify and adapt instruction based on the needs of the students present in the classroom under the supervision of the cooperating teacher. While there are various other statements, aspects, beliefs and skills covered in the Common Core of Teaching that are essential for special educators to understand and grasp, this author believes the above mentioned skills and statements are foundational for every special educator to possess. Each skill is necessary to understand the field of special education and how to effectively teach students with special needs. If a teacher possesses the skills and knowledge discussed in this writing, this author believes he or she will have the skills and knowledge necessary to begin teaching in the field of special education.

Beth Skudzienski Core Values Reflection Dr. Zack 6/16/2009

References Hallahan, D. P., & Kauffman, J. M. (2006). Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to