Philosophy of Special Education
“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.”
–Mother Teresa
Thoughts on Special Education in the day and age of IDEA and No Child Left Behind vary from school to school. Without a mindset that is in agreement about the basic philosophy of Special Education there can be not true collaboration or inclusion. To put this in a concise format the philosophy will be in bullet format.
- Special Education is more than just another school program or federal program.
- Special Education is something that should help the student to maximize their capabilities and not dwell on their disabilities.
- Special Education is something that the faculty or administrators must agree on or it will be ineffective.
- Special Education is where differentiated instruction is a must and not an optional teaching strategy.
- Special Education must be collaborative with the core teachers as well as the other Special Education teachers.
- Special Education can not be painted with broad brush strokes but must be in specifics for the individual needs of the student (not talking here about the instructional needs). Poverty, Hunger, Problems at Home, Lack of School Supplies, Lack of Organization, Medication are all examples of things that can affect the Special Ed student more than other students
- Special Education needs a team approach between the administration and the teacher to be effective in discipline and classroom management.
- Special Education is something that is ever changing not just with the county, the state and the federal regulations but with the evolving, ever changing lives of adolescents.
- Special Education must have self determination or self advocacy taught to every student.
- Special Education students whether they are part of the AOD program or the regular
Alabama Graduation Exam Diploma program deserve just as much a quality education as a National Merit Scholar student. - Special Education needs to try to involve the family or guardian even at the secondary level.
- Special Educators by their actions and school involvement need to show the rest of the student body that Special Ed students are not second class students.
