Alli Frindt EDP 220 Key Assessment 31 Oct 2012 Throughout my life I have always been around children

and had the experience in getting to see the many different kinds of education that the teaching field has to offer. From a very young age I have always had the dream of becoming a future teacher. Watching my mom in her classroom and going into work with her on teacher workdays to help out was one of my favorite activities to do. Even at the age of 8 years old I had already developed a passion for helping others and wanting to be just like my mom someday. I would set up my own makeshift classroom in my basement and bribe my younger brother and sisters to come join the best classroom they had ever laid their eyes on. I knew from that point that this fun activity would hopefully turn out to be something I would continue into as my career. Along with my own interest of the education field, my family has had a very big influence on my decision to become an educator, as my mom and grandfather are in the teaching field themselves. Knowing that teaching would be what I wanted to make into my career, I started out my senior year in high school enrolling in a Teaching Professions class. This class would hopefully lead me in the right path and direct me in finding the specific level and content area for myself. I entered the class determined I would be an Early Childhood major when I entered college. I was set on this level until I was placed out into the field in a moderate to intensive Special Education school. I found myself more drawn to the students who learned in a different and unique way in what society might consider being the untypical norm. I had a sudden interest, as well as, a desire to help them pursue their educational needs no matter how that may have been reached. Commitment and Promise Education should be continued to be a highly valued profession as it is often the base point of everyones lives and possibly future careers. I believe that with outstanding and passionate teachers all students, no matter where they begin, are able to reach their highest potential in the classroom. I know that in order to reach a goal, I must put in all of my effort and go above and beyond to accomplish this commitment I am making as an educator. In my opinion it doesnt matter where each student starts off or possibly what disability he or she may have, there is always a way for him or her to succeed and reach his or her highest potential. There are so many ways of reaching that goal whether it be working with other colleagues for assistance to see where the child needs are or meeting with the childs family to incorporate home environments and past success. With every student learning in their own way, I will need to make sure my classroom and lessons are organized, differentiated and flexible in order to reach as many student goals as possible. I will make sure every student has the most positive experience possible and am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure this happens. I want to ensure I focus on what the student is capable of instead of what they are limited to. By making learning fun and exciting and tying in personal interests this will give the students who may not have had the chance to shine and grown the chance to do so! Positive encouragement and incentives will also be used in my classroom to keep the bar set high and motivation to succeed as well. As I have seen out in the field in the past, using positive encouragement

can be a huge step in success as long as it is individualized for the student. I personally have had some outstanding teachers in the past that have given me the inspiration that this goal is indeed possible. Educators need to work together to set high standards and take the time to figure out the most positive, individualized and effective way a student can learn. Each student has their own way of learning and each child brings so many new ideas. Looking at becoming a future Special Educator, this goal is even more crucial and will outline the entire educational future for the child. I know that the field of Special Education is one of the toughest professions to go into but at the same time the most rewarding, I am willing to take on this challenge and create an effective way for all of my students to learn and succeed. Diversity among all students In the field of Special Education I know I will be working with many different kinds of students with all types of disabilities. Some of these disabilities may include ADD, ADHD, Autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X or English Second Language Learners along with many other forms of learning and intellectual disabilities. Not only will I be working with special education students but there will be students in my classroom with different cultural backgrounds and social statuses as well. In order to accommodate this diverse population in the classroom I will teach about as many possible topics and cultures as possible. By giving my students the chance to learn about many the different cultures and possibly where each of them or their classmates come from, will make for a more effective life lesson. After learning and including all students backgrounds, we as a class, will understand the idea of how diverse our country really is. I want all of my students to feel welcome in sharing what they believe and embrace where they all have come from. One specific activity I would like to incorporate into one lesson would be International Day. I personally did this in fourth grade and can still remember how much fun it was and all the cultural information, costumes and food I got to learn about! For this day each student will choose a country whether it be where their family originated from or just one they want to learn a little about. Once the country is chosen they will then find costumes and a recipe that resembles their country and share it with the class. I plan on offering assistance and providing materials throughout the entire process with this project, as I know some students may struggle with completing some of the tasks or purchasing materials for it. I will advertise this International Day idea to the rest of the school, families and surrounding community. Some of the best teachers around are the elders who thrive to be involved with children. Sometimes their own personal story of how they came to be Americans is a history lesson in itself. By involving and sharing what we as a class are working on we can create a more diverse group and teach others some interesting facts about different countries. I do not want my students to feel left out or secluded in any way just because they learn in a different way. Involving others in this community event will be a great success in achieving the goal of learning and making everyone feels welcome. This project will be a great way to incorporate as many cultures as I can and to show students we are all different but still working together to reach our goal of learning. Even students with disabilities have the ability to reach this common goal of learning and reaching their highest potential; they may just do it in a different way. I will do my best in researching each childs background in order to connect and be able to reach every student who walks in the room. Among all other aspects in the educational

world, teachers need to be informed about the many different cultures that students may be apart of. Background knowledge of many cultures will give teachers the chance to find activities to incorporate into lessons welcoming all kinds of beliefs. Teachers who are caring and understanding with their students on levels such as personal beliefs are more likely to connect and earn respect from the student. I will try several different techniques in my classroom to ensure I include all of my students and bring out the positive side to learning. One technique would be the use of stations. These stations would be altered with smaller groups of students, with their own level ability closely knit together. By creating stations students will able to receive more effective instruction from me as their educator. I will be able to spend more one on one time with them ensuring all parts of the lesson and standards are met. With the smaller group sizes this can be done along with modifying the lesson in a less obvious way. The higher level students will be given activities that may give them more challenges whereas those with learning disabilities or ELL students would be given more specific activities to make sure that effective learning is taking place among all students of mine. Teachers need to not solely focus on one form of how something is taught in their classrooms. With each child learning in a completely different way educators must come up with ways to incorporate visual, hands on and auditory kinds of learners. If lesson plans are switched up among all of these ways of learning, students will have more fun and be more engaged in the lesson. As for evaluations, I will give my students as much variety that I am allowed, ensuring they are given the fairest chance in succeeding. I plan on giving my students options and discussing as a class the best way to evaluate the progress made during the lesson. Involving students as much as possible with their own education is something I feel strongly about. If students feel that they can incorporate ideas and be included then this will lead to more success and the continuous passion to learn. Professionalism in the field of Education Becoming an educator you will take on the role of being an important figure for many little ones to look up to and along with all the hard work and time put in it is also one of the most rewarding professions. In order to be a successful teacher in the in the field of education you must act in a professional manner. One way teachers can practice the idea of professionalism in their classrooms is the idea of confidentiality among all of their students and families. Teachers must take the time to understand every disability or background of the children that walk through the door. The only people that should be discussing anything that have to do with a student would be the student themselves, the teachers involved in the childs education, the family and any other member apart of the childs life that is approved by the family. Teachers should respect the confidentiality of each of their students and not discuss their opinions or talk about the child in any negative kind of way. I also believe in relationships among parents and teachers and to allow parents to be involved in their childs educational journey is very important. Parents are the best supporters and know their child the best and can assist in finding ways to help you engage with their child in the classroom. The more minds thinking together the better. My mom has always said, that a childs education is like a triangle: it takes a child, the parents and the teacher to work together to make each educational journey successful One way this will be done is by sending home a weekly progress report of what is being

done in the classroom and student performances and behaviors. I will provide my contact information as it keeps an open channel in case questions that parents may have arise. If there are certain areas where I feel as an educator the parents can step in and assist their child to better understand a topic or concept, I will give further instructions on how to do so. I also believe that parents should be contacted for both the positive and negative actions the child performs. One complaint we have discussed in some of my other classes is parents only are notified when something bad happens and this should not be the case. I will be able to incorporate these weekly folders and possible communication with parents in professional meetings with other colleagues for support, if needed. This information could possibly be used in meetings with administrators involving IEPs for certain students. Acting on a professional level inside the classroom and school would be simple tasks like staying organized, planning ahead with meeting and lessons, dressing in a professional manner, being punctual, following all regulations given by the school district and several other very obvious ways. Examples of professionalism outside of the typical school setting would be to work with as many people possible to ensure the most effective way your students can learn. As this will take time and possibly many attempts for some students I know that it will be worth it in the end when the light bulb turns on and the student finally has learned something new. Incorporating ideas and lessons for example with general educators that my student might see during the day will give me a more well rounded view and possibly spark new ideas that could be worked into some of my own lessons. Just a little extra time and passion spent with a student can lead to so many great outcomes. In the end these students are the next generation of individuals in the working field. No teacher is perfect nor is their techniques or methods, with this is mind teachers need to keep an open mind and take the time to enhance certain aspects of their teaching styles. The ultimate goal is to give all students an effective and individualized education and improving your ways of doing this can only make you a better educator in the long run. Technology Usage The use of technology in the past 10 years has skyrocketed and will not stop any time soon. It is something teachers need to learn to work with and not against; it can be a great tool for working in a setting with so many needs. Looking ahead to working in a Special Education classroom and all the technology that will be used whether it be medical, educational along with many other ways it is important for us to learn about it. There are so many neat ways to incorporate technology into the daily classroom. Examples like I pads, Smart Boards and many other devices will give all of my students a more hands on approach to learning. Educators need to keep up to date with the newest software, lesson plans and possibly medical devices that some of their students may benefit from. The technology aspect will give the classroom a more diverse and at the same time fun approach to learning. Children often learn better and are more interested in the topic being covered when technology is used. Using technology in the classroom will give students a more interesting way to learn about concepts. Technology usage like I pads can be used as a positive incentive for students to complete the tasks given to them. One example of how I have recently seen technology in the classroom was in my field experience. The teacher had used the Smart Board as an opening for what would be learned in class for the day. The concept was phonics and the children would press a

small box on the screen to play the phonics song. This made the lesson so much more fun and engaged all students in the class. I want to incorporate as much technology into my own classroom as I feel it is a great way to use it to our advantage. The Constant Lesson Effective teachers should learn something new from every student that enters their classroom. Every child brings a new and exciting challenge to the table. I will work with other colleagues and learn from my mistakes to make this goal happen. Taking the time to figure out which strategies work best for my students and improving my lessons and strategies will be a constant lesson Teaching is a long-term profession that always has room for improvement. I feel that students can make an impact on teachers as much as teachers can on students. Often teachers feel that sometimes their way is the right way and that is so far from being true. There is always room for change and new ideas to come into play with the field of education. Each child learns in their own ways and if one strategy is not working then teachers need to take the initiative and come up with new ways of doing things. Teachers need to keep this in mind when working with exceptional students. Reflecting on your own strategies and methods is something that great teachers do. Looking upon the positive and negatives every couple of lessons will show a great sense of self-reflection. If something did not work out the way you may have wanted then work on changing it order to benefit your students. The saying learning from your mistakes is something to consider when reflecting on the job performed, this will give teachers a way to improve themselves as educators. We as educators are the bases of what our students will be learning. The field of education will always be an ongoing learning process and it is our job to make the students enjoy learning and not make the simplest things any more complicated then they already are. Conclusion In order to be an effective teacher and assist in helping all students educators must hold high standards in the classroom. With setting the bar high at the beginning you are showing students that you believe in them and truly care about them. Staying positive and not giving up when something goes wrong will only benefit everyone in the end. I like to follow the motto that my dad always tells my siblings and I, If at first you dont get it just try and try until something clicks, it doesnt have to be perfect just as long as you tried your best. I follow this quote all the time when I get discouraged or frustrated that I am struggling with something. I want to take this idea into my future classroom. Teachers are here to assist in teaching all students new information and helping them along the way to succeed. I know that no one learns the exact same way and yes the process will take time but I am willing to go above and beyond to get my students to do their best and reach their highest potential. I am entering this profession because I want to make a difference in a childs life and give them the chance to reach goals and become successful in their future. Having the chance to assist in ones educational journey is something that brings nothing but excitement to mind.