Azsa Osborne

EDU 201-1002

April 25, 2021

Philosophy of Education

Growing up in the city of Las Vegas was difficult for me. The reason being I became

very ill at a young age which caused me to miss out on a lot in school and other important

activities/events. From a young age, I have looked at and valued life differently from a normal

child. I was five when the doctors told my parents that I was sick, I didn’t understand what it

meant at the time. For the next few years, I was in and out of the hospital, receiving countless

blood work, tests, check-ups, scans, and shots. One of my most vivid memories happened in

November 2002. I was 10 years old in the 5th grade and just had a major surgery, which kept me

out of school for 6 weeks.

Teaching is all I can think of when it comes to choosing a profession. Working in the

field of education and special needs I feel it is my calling because of my childhood. My

childhood is one of the many experiences that have inspired me. In high school instead of

attending high school games, or a school dance. I started to volunteer at my best friend’s mom

school. Mrs. Brooks was a Special Education teacher in a Mentally Challenged Specialized

classroom. This is where I first fell in love with being in a classroom. As I would volunteer in

her classroom, at the end of my school day just sitting in a smaller group assisting with hand

over hand and seeing the smiles with doing crafts.

When I was first hired for CCSD back in 2013 as a teachers aide in the classroom. I was

fresh without much experience besides working with disabled adults in a group home assisting

with basic daily living skills. I attended many trainings provided by CCSD to gain more

information in the classroom and how I can be a better teachers aide in assisting with the
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EDU 201-1002

April 25, 2021

students. The one training that I remember the most is the Autism training that had 2 parts. The

first training was two days and more of a lecture, we watched videos and had discussions. The

second part of the training was a four-day hands on training with students. Another background

training that I can use as I move forward as a special education educator is the knowledge that I

have received from working as a Registered Behavior Technician. This 40-hour training I obtain

information with the skills of working hands on and terminology that I may use with working

with students on the spectrum. This has led me all about behaviorism and realizing now that

behaviorism is my perspective in education.

When I finally have my own classroom. I will always use my strategies that I have

obtained from my RBT training. I believe that there is always a function or the why someone

does what they do. In the classroom I will handle all behavior that way. It is important for myself

to find out the function of the behavior so that I may help the students I serve. Behavioral

systems that I may use in my classroom can be by using a token board, point system, bucks, and

a chart. With behavior in the classroom students will be able to earn their positive reinforcement

and will be able to differentiate cool and not cool in the classroom so that we may have a

successful learning day while shaping behaviors.

Strategies to be used in the classroom for learning as I know all students are not on the

same level. I believe in having student models so that students may learn from each other using

Kagan teaching structures. I have witnessed it working in a special education classroom. I also

believe in teaching children the way that they want to learn. Not just by sitting at a desk doing

paperwork. Especially in a special education classroom, everything needs to be hands-on and fun
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EDU 201-1002

April 25, 2021

to keep students attending. Try to make learning fun as it may be difficult for students and may

not like school. It is our job as educators to make school a safe place.

There are qualities that I may take with moving on. As I have always been a

procrastinator. I feel I work my best under pressure. I realize as a special education educator I

will have to write IEPs and meet deadlines and stay on top of many paperwork. I will work on

these skills. I am great with all students and I believe that is important to pair with students

because you can easily talk to them about what they like. I enjoy wearing graphic t-shirts at work

whether it be a anime, cartoon, game, show, movie, or a book. Many students come up to me on

duty to talk to me about it. That is my way of knowing and pairing with them of what they like. I

think of it as a way of how many students can talk with their teachers who knows what they like.

In my classroom now as a teacher aide are always surprised because I am aware of the games

that they play. It makes me smile to know that my students think it is cool that I know the games

that they like to play at home.

As time goes on in my education career, I plan to obtain my master’s in education with an

Emphasis in Autism. This is the world that I live in and every day at work I fall more in love

with the students that I serve. I enjoy working on social skills with meeting new kids at school

and playing games with my students. As I go on in my schooling I am always motivated by

teachers and my principal that I will be a great educator. They motivate me daily to pursue my

dreams. Working in the field with special needs is the only career I can imagine myself doing. It

takes a lot of patience. With the experiences of being a teacher’s assistant, working in a group

with disabled adults, and becoming a Registered Behavior Technician for a year. The hands-on

training has only made me stronger and more understanding of the individuals that I serve.
Azsa Osborne

EDU 201-1002

April 25, 2021