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Personal Philosophy of Special Education Artifact #4

Kyle Williams

College of Southern Nevada

EDU 203: Introduction to Special Education

Professor: Constantina Pappas M.Ed., BCBA

03/01/22
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All students deserve a proper education and special education students are no different. I

feel that students should be placed in the least restrictive environment that is possible. With so

many areas within special education, students all need individualized goals. These goals should

be achievable and relevant to the student. Educators should do their best to work closely with a

student’s parents to make sure that the student’s goals are realistic and will be helpful for the

student in their everyday life. Small steps for special education students can be very big steps in

their overall quality of life and in their overall educational process.

When a special education student is being taught there should always be a focus on

socialization, especially at a younger age. With younger students it may be more important to

focus on social skills and with older students it might be more important to focus more on life

skills. Students should be allowed to learn and interact with their peers in a way that promotes

socialization. Small group activities should always be encouraged whenever possible.

The future of special education is bright. The education system has come a long way

from the past. There is now more focus on special education, new diagnostic tools and new

technology to help assist special education students. Labels, while important for funding and

administrative purposes should be avoided with students as they can be stigmatizing. Educators

should get to know the individual student. Find out what works for that student and what does

not. Every student is different, so teachers should use different approaches to get their students

engaged. If some students are really struggling, reach out to those students individually and find

out what may motivate them and try to gear a lesson that they will feel more involved in. A

student’s family should always be involved in the process as much as possible. The more their

family feels involved in the process the more successful a student can be in the long run.
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I think it is important as a teacher to be able to recognize that not every student is going

to learn best in the same way as another student. As a teacher you must be flexible and able to

change your approach. If one type of lesson is not working for a student, change your approach

to make sure that the student is getting the most out of the lesson. School should be a safe and

welcoming place for students to realize their full potential. Once they find that they enjoy a

certain method of learning they will be more likely to succeed in the future. Students have to be

able to build their self confidence, if they see that they are being successful and meeting their

goals they will be more successful. Teaching special education, while more challenging than

teaching general education, can also be more rewarding, as each step in the process is important

to the student. Even small gains can have a very meaningful impact on the student.