Post-Philosophy Statement (Artifact 3) 1

Post-Philosophy Statement (Artifact 3)

Chrysanti Chandra

EDU 203 Dr. Dale Warby

College of Southern Nevada

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Post-Philosophy Statement (Artifact 3) 2

In my pre-philosophy statement, I stated that my educational pedagogies were

heavily influenced by Vygotsky’s Constructivism approach, Brofenbrenner’s

Biological Model of Development, and Bandura’s social learning theory (Duchesne &

McMaugh, 2016). At the core of my teaching beliefs, these pedagogies are still true, if

not amplified after learning the materials of EDU 203. From this course, I learned

again of the importance of the children and of the student, and as a future teacher my

planning should be student-centered. I also learned the importance to cater to all

students needs in the classroom and that there are a wide variety of different needs

that changes throughout different contexts. It is important, as teachers, to be flexible

to diversity. The course’s textbook ‘Special Education in Contemporary Society’

made me realize how there are so many different types of special education in the

United States, and how important catering to the different needs of students are

regardless of their exceptionalism and differences. Additionally, the materials on this

course have changed my views on the importance of assessments and procedures. By

that I meant the importance of paperwork and programming as a teacher. With special

education students, teachers need to stay vigilant and look for behavioral and learning

characteristics that could indicate a learning condition of a student. The paperwork,

meaning the process of assessment, pre-referrals, referrals and accommodations, is an

important aspect of teaching. The process of creating and maintaining Individualized

Education Programs (IEPs) is integral for any teachers to support their students’

learning and needs. Bateman and Linden (2012, as cited in Gargiulo & Buock, 2018,

p. 189) stressed the importance of creating IEPs at the appropriate time (not too early

and not too late) to ensure that children with disabilities receive an individualized

program that is appropriate for their unique needs. For an IEP to be functioning

successfully, teachers must work with their colleagues, professionals, and parents of

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Post-Philosophy Statement (Artifact 3) 3

their students. The importance of working with the school community allows us to

become a more effective teacher and will improve learning for all students (Parkay,

2020, p. 469). This concept has enhanced my teaching pedagogy and made me

realized that collaboration and co-construction (Vygotsky’s social constructivism

theory) is not only important for the students, but also for teachers in their

professional development, teaching pedagogy and classroom conduct (Duchesne &

McMaugh, 2016; Parkay, 2020).

I believe the role of special education teacher in the classroom is to promote a

safe and inclusive learning environment that caters to the needs of the students in the

classroom. Though this statement is quite generalized, it is hard to be more specific

without understanding the particular needs for each student. For example, a special

education classroom that has 10 students that have visual impairments would have

different needs than a classroom that has 10 students with hearing impairments. I

believe every student learn differently, and there is no one strategy that fits all

learning needs. In general, my goals for my students with special education needs is to

support their unique learning needs and help them realize their potential. As every

student is unique, it is important for me as a teacher to understand what teaching

strategies and learning methods works best for them. This would include increasing

accessibility in the classroom, providing assistive technology, and creating an

inclusive least restrictive learning environment that caters to students’ needs

(Gargiulo & Buock, 2018). Qualities an effective teacher should have are the ability

to be flexible, reflect, and learn from their students. Teachers should be able to stay

open-minded to new ideas and challenge their own pedagogies. Their teaching beliefs

would often change over time, as society grows and the teaching profession changes

due to social trends, government regulations and other external factors (Gargiulo &

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Buock, 2018; Parkay, 2020). I believe that all students can learn, and naturally that all

children have an innate desire to learn (Martoz and Allen, 2016); it is up to

professionals such as teachers to address learners’ individual needs and provide

education works best to cater to students’ unique learning needs. Teachers owe

students with special education to provide the same level (if not more) of high quality

education they would to general classroom students. Catering to students’ learning

needs, while considering any disabilities or behavior that may impact their learning, is

a key factor to becoming an effective teacher that can provide high quality education.

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Post-Philosophy Statement (Artifact 3) 5

References

Duchesne, S. & McMaugh, A. (2016). Educational Psychology for Learning and

Teaching. Victoria: Cengage Learning.

Gargiulo, R. M. & Buock, E. C. (2018). Special Education in Contemporary Society:

Introduction to Exceptionality (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Martoz, L. R. & Allen, K. E. (2016). Developmental Profiles: Birth Through

Adolescence (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Parkay, F. W. (2020). Becoming a Teacher (11th ed.). Pearson Education.

Chrysanti Chandra