Special Education Personal Statement

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Malcolm X once said “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” The people preparing for the future are the students of today. The future they are preparing for is theirs and America’s. I have confidence that I can contribute to helping students create a future for themselves and others through working with students who have special needs. Due to students in SPED (Special Education) needing the curriculum tailored to their specific needs, the Progressive educational philosophy has been one to inspire me. I also have been motivated to become a teacher and to teach with certain aspects because of Maria Montessori. Montessori believed student’s creativity is one way to help students learn, …show more content…
This is because of past experiences with teachers and professors that have really influenced and inspired me in many ways. Throughout elementary and middle school, most teachers just saw me as another face they saw every day. I was put into the Special Education program in my school district because of a lisp. This decision to place me in Special Education did nothing more than embarrasses me and made my education experience worse. Once in high school, I was able to have a better experience. My case manager, who was also a special education teacher, really helped me figure out a path that would make me most successful. With encouragement and accountability, I was able to complete high school with good grades and almost 40 college credits. She taught me that I can be more than a disability. She taught me that a disability does not define a person, how they learn, or their ability to contribute to …show more content…
Whether accommodating a student because they have a disability, situations at home, or even to keep students from plateauing, accommodating students can really help. Students with disabilities need accommodations to go through school as a student without a disability. In this case, the student may need modified tests, another student to take notes for them, extended due dates, or specialized classes. They are still learning, but in a way that inhibits the students to learn to the best of their abilities. Some students may not have the ideal home situation or may have something like a death of a family member that may need accommodating. In these type of situations, students may need more time to complete assignments and to prepare for projects and exams. In school students plateauing is a reality. In one school district test scores, of a standardized test, did not improve or get worse. The test scores stayed the same, which is not the worst result except for the test student took determines grades, if students receive a high school diploma, and the opportunity for teachers to receive bonuses. (Douane 2007) I think to help students from plateauing teachers should offer a variety of assignments and projects with a range of difficulties. I have been in situations where I needed accommodations because disabilities and

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