I have to build off of the child’s strengths and discover ways to teach them based on their learning style and individual needs. I have come to the realization that I need to be the one that adapts, not the child.
Personally, I felt the most important realization I made during this course was acknowledging how clueless I was to the wide range of disabilities that exist. I learned new information about ADHD especially, which was intriguing to me since I have children of my own at home that have this disability. I thought I knew everything about ADHD and in reality I did not. I learned that having schedules and routines can be beneficial to students with ADHD. I also learned that ADHD is not caused by a lack of parenting or discipline. I always felt like I was doing something wrong with my own children because their behaviors were not improving. I have learned new strategies for working with students that have ADHD, such as supplying the child with schedules and materials to stay organized. Before taking this class, I was unaware of what autism and dyslexia were too. Learning about the characteristics of autism was beneficial for me, since one of the students at my practicum site has autism. I always wondered why the student was …show more content…
When I was a 8 years old, I told everyone that I wanted to be a special education teacher when I grew up. However, over the years I heard educators talk about much time and patience it takes to work with students with disabilities. Hearing those things made me shy away from working primarily with students with disabilities. Nowadays, classrooms are becoming more inclusive and teachers are having to learn how to adapt to teaching students that are not developing “typically”. Not all teachers are capable of doing that effectively, but I want to be one of those teachers that can. Every Wednesday, I looked forward to coming to my Developmental Concerns and Family Partnerships class to learn about the various disabilities students may have. After leaving that class each week, I felt motivated to become a better educator who could be flexible and understanding. Until you have interacted with a child that has a disability, it is hard to understand what all it entails. Somedays, I still have a hard time comprehending some of the behaviors that I see students engage in, including my own children. In conclusion, after taking this class and being placed in a special education classroom this semester, I have decided that I want to continue my schooling to receive my Masters in Special