My Testimony, and Baptism.

 "Good schools are good schools for all students" KOCH chapter six

While I do not plan on being a special education teacher, I do think it's important to be familiar with the special education systems and help in any way I can. Every student has specific needs and will learn best when they are met.

Try to think of your students IEP like a medication they need daily. Just like you would send them to the nurse after lunch to take their medicine, their Individualized plan needs to be followed carefully to give them the best education possible.

I have learned first-hand from working in the public school system for two years now as a substitute teacher that while not all students are labeled as "special needs" there are many factors that could prevent them from learning like the majority of their peers.

Schools vary in their policies on inclusion so I'm not sure what to expect for my future positions but regardless of if I find myself in a "full inclusion" or "mainstreaming" situation, I want to be a teacher who is considerate of every student and do my best to create an environment that is good for everyone.

I believe it is every teachers job to know their students strengths and weaknesses, assess where they are academically and adjust from there. I want to understand what kind of teaching style and behavior management works best. Being flexible, patient, understanding and communicating is necessary.

Should my students have IEP'S, "pull outs" (for therapies) or any other special accommodations, I want to be understanding. I think making sure students don't feel anxiety about missing out should they be gone from the classroom is vital. I would not want to feel behind from going to speech therapy if I was already struggling to keep up. That's the mindset that I put myself in; I think of myself, or one of my own children. I would want patience, love, understanding, to feel included, help and I would also want that for my children.

Some parents aren't great about advocating for their children or realizing they need help/reaching out to get that help so there are many children that would be left behind were it not for the school system. I am so proud that we are living in a time where each student, regardless of their struggles, income, disabilities, needs or deficits can learn.

I consider it an honor to be a part of that.