Philosophy Of Special Education

Beth Skudzienski Philosophy of Education Dr. Zack Special education is a field that covers a multitude of abilities anddisabilities, from intellectual disabilities, to emotional or behavior difficulties, to students who are gifted or talented. As a special education teacher, I have the privilege of helping students with unique abilities, struggles, and achievement levels to reach their fullest academic potential. The goals, methods and purpose behind the goals and methods of a special education teacher are critical as they drive student expectation, instruction as well as expected student outcomes. It is important to remember that no two students are the same and that each student has individual academic ability and achievement levels as well as individual strengths and needs. The special educator must remember that no two students are the same and thus each student has individual needs. The special education teacher must differentiate classroom instruction to fit the individual learning needs of their students. It is imperative for the special educator to understand the needs their students have will change throughout the course of the academic school year, and that those needs can vary depending on the subject matter and day of the week. The special education teacher must make it their goal to remain “in step” with the continuing and changing needs of their students. While it can be said there are normative characteristics of students with specific disabilities as well as potential achievement levels of those students, special education teachers should not let those characteristics or supposed achievement levels limit what they teach or how they instruct their students. The special education teacher should push their students to the furthest individual academic level possible, based on individual ability and achievement levels. As a special educator, it is important to have individual learning goal in place for students and help students reach those goals. As a special education teacher, I believe it is important for me to help students attain individual learning goals. The knowledge I want each student to attain will vary based on their grade level, ability and achievement level, as well as the goals set forth in each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). As a special educator, I believe it is important to help students receiving special education services to attain as many of the general education curriculum goals as possible; however, those goals must also be matched with the student’s achievement and ability level. While there are depths to some curricular subjects that students with profound disabilities may not attain, I believe it is possible for all students, regardless of disability to have knowledge of every core subject (reading, math, social studies, english, and science) taught in the general education curriculum. As a special educator, it is my goal to have students attain the highest level of academic understanding possible so that they may function independently in society as much as they are able. It is also important that students are taught dispositions that coincide with the curriculum being discussed. As a special education teacher, I believe dispositions should be taught in the academic setting to students. Dispositions such as diversity and accepting those who may be different from themselves are important for all students to be taught. Other dispositions that will aid the student after life in the classroom are: cooperation, a passion for life-long learning, care and compassion for others, respect for the thoughts and feelings of others, life skills and appropriate social behavior. Special education teachers should teach these dispositions to students in an age and ability-appropriate manner. The methods of instruction used in the special education classroom will vary depending on the students in the classroom and the subject being taught; however, there are a few principles for instruction I believe are important for all learning situations, specifically in the field of special education. The Direct Instruction method has had tremendous positive influence on the learning of students with and without disabilities.

Beth Skudzienski Philosophy of Education Dr. Zack The steps to Direct Instruction created by Madeline Hunter are: teaching the new skill to students, modeling the new skill for students, checking for student understanding, guided practice, feedback and independent practice. It is my belief the steps to effective instruction created by Sharon Ware, professor and doctorate student at the University of Connecticut should be used along with the steps of Direct Instruction. Professor Ware states that effective instruction should instruct students in the “big idea” of the lesson, instruction should be conspicuous and scaffolded, and students should be provided with multiple opportunities for practice with immediate feedback. It is my firm belief that instruction should also be hands-on with as many concrete objects and manipulatives as possible. This gives students a concrete representation of the new task or skill that may otherwise be an abstract concept. These principles along with individualized instruction based on student needs are the keys to effective instruction for students. I firmly believe the principles of Direct Instruction, Effective Instruction, and individualized instruction allow students with various learning styles, ability and achievement levels to be successful learners. Well-known educational theorists such as Piaget, Maslow, and Vygotsky also advocated for instruction based on the needs of the individual learner. Piaget also believed in the importance of hands-on learning. If the methods of Direct and Effective instruction are followed and instruction is individualized and compassionate towards students enrolled in special education, I believe there is no limit to what the students will be able to accomplish or achieve.