Essay on Special Education Reflection - 1336 Words

Running Head: REFLECTION PAPER Reflection Paper En Tseh Wang Lehigh University nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Special Education 332 (Education and Inclusion of Individuals with Special Needs) has been enlightening for me as a secondary mathematics educator. In the beginning of the semester, my feelings towards special education were those of apathy and insensitivity. I now understand that my feelings were due to my lack of knowledge and my judgment based on stereotypes. I always knew that making fun of students with learning disabilities was wrong. However, I never felt that inclusion of special education students in general education classes was plausible or made sense. I felt that special education†¦show more content†¦I always believed that there was something wrong with people with learning disabilities, and thus classified them as abnormal. The activities made me realize that with their learning disability aside, they were no different from me. People with learning disabilities had their strengths and weaknesses, and I had mine. The activities, without fail, made me frustrated. I wanted to lash out at the world, and I always wondered why students with learning disabilities had emotional problems. I came to realize that people with learning disabilities live with their disabilities for the rest of their lives. That these sensitivity activities were only temporary for us, but it was reality for those dealing with the disabilities. This is what changed me the most, realizing this simple truth. Throughout my years at Lehigh, I have proclaimed that I have a passion to teach, to show students that mathematics is not difficult, and that they are able to understand mathematics. However, when it came to special education students, my philosophy changed, due to their learning disability. I was ignorant to the special education movement of inclusion, because I feared the idea of teaching students who were not â€Å"normal†. I use the word normal in quotations because I now realize that special education students are like anybody else, and that we, special and general education students alike, are all normal. There is nothing wrong with special education students.Show MoreRelatedSpecial Education Reflection1329 Words   |  6 PagesRunning Head: REFLECTION PAPER Reflection Paper En Tseh Wang Lehigh University Special Education 332 (Education and Inclusion of Individuals with Special Needs) has been enlightening for me as a secondary mathematics educator. In the beginning of the semester, my feelings towards special education were those of apathy and insensitivity. I now understand that my feelings were due to my lack of knowledge and my judgment based on stereotypes. I always knew that making fun of studentsRead MoreReflection Paper On Special Education Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesRTI Reflection Paper When you research the word â€Å"exceptional learners† there’s a vast amount of definitions that represent this word. It includes ones traits, characteristics, behavior, abilities and or inabilities they posses. The fact that this definition is so broad educators found it difficult to specifically identify what disability a student had. At the same time variables that lie within ones disability hindered the degree in which traits would be shown. For that reason many students wereRead MoreReflection Of A Special Education Classroom1382 Words   |  6 PagesIn the beginning of June I had to decide on a school to observe. Before I was approved to observe a Special education classroom, I was not sure what kind of teachers or children I would encounter. On June 8, 2015 through June 10, 2015 I conducted my Special education observation at one of my neighborhood schools. Once I walked into Langston Hughes Elementary school, I felt welcomed and excited at the same time. I had an option to pick between four different classrooms, but when I met Mrs. BellRead MoreReflection On Special Education1855 Words   |  8 Pagesdiverse needs, mostly English language learners (ELL) and children with special needs. In the ELL section, we were assigned a student who was identified as ELL and assessed them on their English reading, speaking, and writing proficiency. We then designed instructional practices made to help that child succeed in the classroom. In the special education module, we were given a similar task. We were assigned a child identified with special needs and instructed to form a functional behavior plan (FBA) forRead MoreReflection On Special Education Process952 Words   |  4 PagesILAP Reflection-Special Education Process Throughout my career I have always been amazed by how little regular education teachers know about the special education process. On numerous occasions I have had teachers ask me, â€Å"Why don’t you just test him, to see if he qualifies?† And when I tried to explain that there was more to the process then just testing, most of the time the teachers would walk away in disgust, without knowing the steps we had to follow in the process. Development In discussionsRead MoreReflection Paper On Special Education969 Words   |  4 PagesI vividly remember the first day I walked into the local middle school to complete my first day of observation in a special education classroom. Nothing I ever encountered came close to preparing me for what I experienced over the course of the semester, then again, nothing ever came close to how rewarding it felt being there for the students. At 8 o’clock in the morning, I met my assigned mentor alongside her partners in crime, the paraprofessionals. We waited patiently for the students to arriveRead MoreReflection on My Ability as a Teacher of Special Needs Children1038 Words   |  5 PagesFinal Reflection As I ponder over my personal professional development experiences as an educator the realization of how one has developed over time is personally satisfying. Educating children especially children with special needs is a challenge within its self. As a teacher it is important that this writer makes a positive influence with students. There are going to be certain ideas that one tries to uphold and other discriminations that one will not allow. Everyone has their own beliefs teachersRead MoreThe Importance Of A Reflective Teacher And The Classroom Environment1473 Words   |  6 Pagesmuch reflection occurs in my head after each activity. Meghan and I meet every day to discuss each part of that specific day and analyze whether or not it was valuable for the students learning. Thus, teaching style, pacing, timing of when subjects are taught, and behavior management have all been altered this week to fit the needs of our class. I can see myself becoming more of a reflective teacher that is always focused on if my students are learning or not. However, with several special educationRead MoreBeing A Special Education Teacher879 Words   |  4 PagesI am studying to be a special education teacher they go â€Å"wow you must be a really patient person.† I feel like it takes a special person to have the passion and patients for these children. This course has made me more excited to be able to move on next semester and start my clincincals. My attitude towards individuals with special needs at the beginning of the semester was described as â€Å"assisting them in daily life.† My beliefs have not changed, being a special education teacher you will be withRead MoreEducating Children With Learning Disabilities1612 Words   |  7 PagesEducating Children with Learning Disabilities Research Compiled for Termpapermasters.com, Inc. by M. Hall 8/2009 Introduction Educators and parents sometimes have very different views on the education of their children and the best approaches to classroom process. Educational initiatives since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has led to increasing focus on providing parents with adequate data for decision-making and promoting positive parent/teacher interactions. For