Blog 3

In my classes I have a very high percentage of special needs students. I am also fortunate to have the help of paraprofessionals to assist me with them, but this still doesn't mean that I don't have to teach to them as well. I review their IEPs on a monthly basis and try my best to see that they are getting any services that they are entitled and I also give a variety of assessment types. I try to keep in mind that success does not always mean going to college and getting a degree for all of my students. Of course I have some students of which a college degree is a goal but many of my students will probably go into technical trades, the arts, or a variety of other fulfilling careers. I feel that it is my duty as an educator to not expect a fish to climb a tree. For example, I have one student who seems to understand most of the material when I speak with him but he isn't very good at writing. But this student can draw. He can draw better than I ever will and he can draw anything. For his summative assessment I am going to allow him to draw diagram of the digestive system and I will help him put on the labels. In the end, I hope he does this drawing poster size and I plan on hanging it up on my wall in the classroom for future reference and may even use it next year. I hope that this student takes pride in his work and gains some confidence from the activity. He may never win the Nobel prize for science but he can understand how his body functions and do what he is good at to demonstrate this to me. I have seen special education students do things this year that I never thought were possible and I hope that this trend continues.

In conclusion, special education students may need to have lessons adapted to include what they are good at and us as teachers must learn to think outside the box. If a student needs to talk through the material I try to give them a chance to do that. If a different student draws or sculpts I advocate for giving them the chance to do it. As long as they can demonstrate understanding of the material let them do what they love.