PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PART I 1

Philosophy of Special Education Part I

Bianca Yegutkin

Education 203 Intro to Special Education

College of Southern Nevada

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Introduction:
As education students, it is imperative that we practice self-actualization and self-

reflection about our beliefs' regarding special education and realize the impact it will have on us

as teachers and our students.' Self-awareness is a necessary and crucial component in assisting us

in establishing our goals and guiding our educational path to becoming educators. Awareness of

our beliefs' and educational preferences' is a foundational requirement that will enable us in

becoming knowledgeable, skilled, and competent teachers.

The Profession:
What makes someone want to pursue a career in education, why did they choose to enter

such a challenging profession? Everyone has their reasons and inspirations, maybe there was an

exceptional teacher, or perhaps you loved playing teacher as a child. One's difficulties in school

can motivate them to join the profession and help others who struggle in school. Two out of the

three factors were right for me, and while they were inspirations, they were not my main reasons

for wanting to become a teacher. My reason for wanting to become a teacher has to do with

being involved in the process of helping a student achieve their own ‘aha' moment. There are

tremendous joy and reward in witnessing the awareness and pride on a student's face when they

have that moment, comprehending new information.

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However, the path to helping every student in achieving their ‘aha' moment is not simple

and requires teachers to strike a balance between their motivations, beliefs, and skills. I believe

that every student deserves to experience their own "aha" moment, how they experience it may

differ, which is part of appreciating that every student is an individual and unique. As a future

educator, I am very motivated to see students succeed in their goals. Knowing that as a teacher I

will have the opportunity to impact a student's life in positive ways is a great motivator.

Preparing and presenting material to others through verbal or visual communication,

whether as a student, employee, or parent, has always been a gratifying process for me. Yes, the

research and preparation can be tedious at times, but having the final product to deliver and share

with others is the best part. As a teacher I know I will be spending many hours researching and

preparing lesson plans, teaching methods, etc. I will continue to pursue my education and

enhance my skills through continuing education. To be a capable and competent teacher, I

understand that I must have the mindset that I can never be too knowledgeable or skilled in my

profession. Changes in laws, methodologies, and best practices are always evolving, and we

must be knowledgeable about these changes.

Clark County is the fifth largest school district in the country, providing educational

services to over 320,000 students (CCSD). With a large student population, the Clark County

School District faces the tremendous responsibility of delivering quality educational services to

the community. A significant portion of students requires individualized instruction to address

their specific needs and achieve their academic goals. While the challenge is substantial, CCSD

is making strides in meeting the educational needs of its students by implementing successful

educational models, acquiring more funding, and emphasizing teacher competence and parent

involvement.
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Teaching Philosophy:
To help exceptional learners succeed teachers must be aware of both the benefits and

shortcomings of the different teaching philosophies. Being knowledgeable and flexible to the

fact that some aspects of certain beliefs may be beneficial for one student but a disadvantage to

another. In truth, it could be said that there are strengths and weaknesses associated with all of

the different teaching philosophies. Progressivism is a philosophy that encourages creativity and

independent thought. However, in the current climate of emphasis on academic results from

testing, the challenge may be how to practice progressivism while meeting Common Core State

Standards. As a fan of the arts, having a profound belief in the positive educational impact they

can have on children, perennials and aesthetics appeal to me. I also believe these philosophies

can help students to understand and appreciate cultural and social differences, which is very

important in promoting global awareness (Koch 2016). Conversely, when working with very

young students, certain aspects of essentialism are helpful in establishing safety and boundaries.

I believe that I lean towards progressivism because I favor a more student-centered approach but

would possibly use multiple aspects of different philosophies if beneficial for the student and

classroom.

Historical events show that progress and advancements for children and education are

heavily tied to essential movements to improve the quality of life for all individuals in our

society, such as the Civil Rights Movement (Gargiulo 42). Social advocacy and legislation have

played a pivotal role in advancing the rights and resources of people with disabilities and their

families. Another valuable lesson that is evident by looking at the history of legislation is that

there is always room for improvement and it is essential to continually find ways to improve the

lives of people with disabilities through science, research, and advocacy.

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Instructional Techniques:
As a teacher I will implement lesson plans that will present curriculum in a variety of

ways, building and expanding on students' existing knowledge. By creating lesson plans that

work for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners and adjusting plans as necessary to address

students' needs and variability. My approach to learning will be student-centered, having the

students take active roles by assigning projects, and providing choices, etc.

Teaching students to appreciate and respect diversity is a valuable lesson, as teachers in a

globally connected world with many technological tools, there are many ways to address this

issue. I can create projects and assignments with students from other cultures utilizing distance

education and digital technology. There are many safe and approved websites specifically

designed to assist teachers with building these types of lesson plans.

With the current emphasis on using standardized testing for assessment, it is beneficial to

implement diverse assessment methods, as standardized testing is not always reflective of a

student's knowledge. Students who have difficulty testing may have more success with additional

opportunities for assessment available. In-class assessments through hands-on participation,

interaction, and careful teacher observation is an essential daily task to accurately gauging

student learning and promoting creativity.

Future:
There are many qualities and attributes that a teacher must possess to successfully

navigate in today's challenging and fast-paced world of education. Skill and competency through
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adhering to high standards are essential. Secondly is appreciating and valuing collaboration and

teamwork with others, which has been reiterated to me by successful professionals in the field.

As long as I can I will continue on a path to further my education and knowledge, a

would like to attain a masters degree, but right now I am focusing on my time at CSN. One of the

benefits of living in a technological age is the vast number of online learning opportunities

available for continuing education. I am very interested in applying my training in a variety of

settings, for example, I would like to find out about working with adult learners in literacy

programs, or working with at-risk youth in the juvenile justice system. There is plenty to do, and

I am motivated to keep going. Grateful for every one of my teachers who helped me to find my

own ‘aha' moments.

References
CCSD. Newsroom. About. Newsroom.ccsd.net
Retrieved from http://newsroom.ccsd.net/feed/
Gargiulo, R. Special Education in Contemporary Society, Fifth Edition. Sage Publications. 2015.
Thousand Oaks, California.
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Koch, J. Teach 3, Introduction to Education. Cengage Learning. Boston, MA

Paiz, J., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., Brizee, A.,

Keck, R. (2016, May 13). General format. Retrieved from

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/