EDUC 611

Introduction to Exceptional Individuals

Description of Artifact
This course was waived because I had taken SPED 460 Introduction to Students with EDB
through the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. The artifact that I have chosen to submit is my
personal philosophy of Students with EBD. When contemplating my philosophy of Cross
Categorical Special Education, I do not think that my philosophy would be much different than
how it is stated in this artifact. IEP team members need to work closely together for what is
best for their students. Educators should continue to educate themselves in the area of Cross
Categorical Special Education. Most importantly, regular and special education teachers
should strive to use the same educational methods when dealing with specific students. The
success of our students depends on this type of teamwork between teachers. The best part of
my philosophy is that our students feel safe at all times while they are attending school.
Professional Growth
At the time of taking this course, I was a new adoptive mother of a twelve year old girl that had
been diagnosed with EBD. She also had severe Reactive Attachment Disorder. The day that I
met her, my professional growth took a huge growth spurt. Teen years are a challenge for
children that do not face the emotional and mental health issues that my daughter was dealing
with. Throughout the course of this class, I knew that I had made the right choice in my
decision to then become licensed in Special Education, EBD. Being a licensed Treatment Foster
Parent was an added plus for me. Shortly after my daughter was legally adopted, her younger
sister moved in with as well. The job that I went to every day at that time was not in a special
education department, but my home life certainly was.
This past school year was my first experience in a Cross Categorical Special Education
classroom. When I think about professional growth, my classroom comes to mind. It is my
thought that I grew more professionally over the past year, than I had throughout my entire
educational career. There is no better Introduction to Exceptional Individuals than to work with
them each and every day. My students were the highlight of many days last school year. I
could not have made any better career choice change. I feel very blessed to have had the
opportunity to work in the classroom that I did during the 2013-2014 school year.
Impact on Student Learning
The artifact that I submitted for this course talks directly about the impact of student learning
that a teacher can have on their students. Teamwork amongst any individuals involved
expands and enhances learning. When school districts highly educate their educators, there is
an immense amount of positive impact on student learning. The more educators know, the
more we can share with our students. The impact on student learning will be affected if the
regular education and special education teachers are not on the same page. Special Educators
need to be consistent with advocating for their students.
Knowing your students and the home lives that each of them live in may be another important
part of how your students learning is impacted on a daily basis. School may be the only safe
place that they have in their lives. Special educators need to advocate for their children outside
of the school setting as well, when planning important transitions the students may be faced
with. Clear expectations should be set for each one of our students. Following daily routines
will be important for many of our students as well. If our students feel safe and secure, they
will be better able to focus on learning.
Understanding and Application of Standards
When I contemplate the course title Introduction to Exceptional Individuals the first thing that
comes to mind is Individual Learning Differences. All of our students are a unique individual
with varying academic and social abilities, interests and potential career options. As Special
Educators we will need to provide our students with meaningful individualized instruction.
I cannot stress enough the importance of fostering safe and positive Learning Environments
and Social Interactions. This being said, even if it is a hard task, special education teachers
need to have a positive line of communication with all regular education teachers that work
with their students. Special education teachers will also need to have excellent communication
when providing guidance to the paraeducators that work with their students.
Part of being an outstanding educator is our personal Professional and Ethical Practice. When I
became an educator I viewed myself as a lifelong learner. My goal as a special education
teacher is to find ways to foster professional growth and to stay current with evidence-based
special education practices. It is always nice to be able to network with other professionals in
the world of special education that understand what our daily routines are like. I have found
that taking courses through Viterbo, it is especially nice to network with classmates that are
already in the field.