I have experienced that when teachers provide accommodations and modify assessments for students with disabilities, students feel more comfortable because they are learning in an environment where they feel welcomed and valued. When I provide modifications and accommodations to my students with different needs, I have experienced that students gain confidence about themselves and feel that they are learning in the classroom. According to Friend and Bursuck (2009), it is very essential for all teachers to modify and accommodate instruction only for students with the most significant disabilities. That is exactly true because I believe that most students with significant disabilities in my classroom will only be successful if I accommodate and modify assignments and assessments that meet their needs. For instance, in my classroom, some accommodations that I provide are extra time and one-to-one instruction. I have experience that some students with special needs maximize their learning if the teacher works with them using one-to-one instruction. I have also experienced that if the teacher provides extra time for students with special needs, they tend to analyze the problems more carefully. Another modification that I provide in my classroom to my students with special needs is the use of technology to increase their …show more content…
In order to establish a learning environment and maximize the learning of all students in my classroom, I implement specific steps for effective instruction and make accommodations to meet the need of my students with special needs. According to Friend and Bursuck (2009), the seven steps for differentiating instruction for students with special needs are identifying classroom demands, weaknesses and areas of student success, potential problems and ways to differentiate instruction, and evaluate student progress. Reading about this strategy, gave me more ideas on how to help my students meet their needs and make sure they are successful. I came to the conclusion that this approach seems very similar to the way I teach in my classroom. For instance, when I am about to start a lesson, I focus on identifying the classroom demands such as classroom management and instructional material to establish an effective learning environment. It is very crucial for teachers to acknowledge the students’ learning strengths and needs, such as basic skills and survival skills. In fact, as educators, we need to find as many areas of strength that a student possess because it can help the areas of