Amanda Joosten

Philosophy
I have always had a tender heart for children who struggle, who required more attention
and who simply needed to learn in a more creative and abstract way. I have become a childhood
special education teacher because I have a desire to work and support the education of children
with special needs. Children with special needs are unique and deserve a teacher who can
embrace their learning differences and incorporate them into the classroom. As a reflective
practitioner, I reflect upon lessons which went well and those that could have gone better. I
mirror upon what I can do as a teacher to better my students education. I believe I learn from
my students. The diversity in the classroom, allows children to learn from one another. The
variances each child brings to the classroom helps everyone understand diverse cultures and
connect with one another.
As a special education teacher, I preach the importance of individuality and acceptance. I
hold firm to creating a classroom where everyone feels comfortable to express their emotions
and ideas. I believe to become the best educator one must really know and understand their
students. My teaching method is to adapt to each child and find creative teaching methods which
will engage every student. Similarly to Nel Noddings, I believe students are unique individuals
and deserve the opportunity to embrace their differences and learn from one another. I believe it
is vital to find out the interests of your students in order to better involve them in the lessons and
help the children interact with one another. Children with special needs can greatly benefit from
the uses of technology and I will make every effort to incorporate that into my classroom. I hold
high expectations for my students and will push them to meet the learning standards while
providing support and encouragement. I encourage parents and guardians to take an active role

in their childs education while providing support and resources which can help children obtain
the means necessary to do their best.
My goals for children with special needs is that they learn how to embrace their
uniqueness while becoming lifelong learners. I will help students become active members of
society as well as obtaining life skills and a strong education. I will maintain a high level of
professionalism while advocating for children with exceptionalities to obtain a superior
education. I understand the policies of the CEC and ACEI, and will continue to use my
knowledge to better support children with exceptionalities. As my passion for teaching grows, I
continue to strive to support students and their efforts to do the best they can do, while teaching
them moral and life skills throughout our time together. As a lifelong learner, I continue to learn
from my students, colleagues, and community which is the true beauty of teaching.