Lessons 4 and 5

I have learned that special education law can be messy. This became abundantly clear when discussing the Cedar Rapids case. At first, I sided with the parents without question. As the hearing progressed however, I could better understand the school district's side. We discussed it as a group, and while we agreed that it may not have technically been right to have the school district pay for the nurse, there was no other way to support IDEA, especially LRE without it. It seemed that most of the people I talked to in class had a similar viewpoint. The next day I discussed it on the phone with my mother, and she stood by the school district. I think it is important for me as a future teacher to see and understand both sides of a dispute that may occur within my school district someday. I have really enjoyed learning about the principles of IDEA and referrals for special education and considering their application.

Last Friday was my group presentation on speech and language impairments. Really focusing on a disability helped me to understand that there are so many variables in working with students with disabilities. There is a part of me that just wants a straight answer on the best way to help them learn despite it. I learned it does not work like that. You need to gain understanding on the student's exact disability and what strategies will work best for him. A key insight I pulled from my preparation was that of collaboration with special education teachers and other professionals. With speech and language impairments, much of the improvement comes through working with a speech and language pathologist. As a teacher, it will be my responsibility to work with the pathologist to create continuity between therapy and the classroom and use strategies that the pathologist recommends for the student.

Lesson 3

Earlier this week, we discussed the role of Brown v. Board of Education in establishing that separate was not equal. Segregated schools and communities were not equivalent. I've only ever considered the significance of this ruling with regards to Civil Rights. In thinking about it with regards to students with disabilities, the ruling took on new meaning. Coupling that with the videos about Serbia, I was struck with the frightening reality of what happens when society separates those that are different. It was horrific to see the conditions that the disabled people of Serbia lived in, that society had chosen to ignore and forget. When you label someone as other, it's easier to let them be placed aside and irrelevant. It's easier to think they are better with all the others, separated from society. I am learning that it is more important than I realized before to be inclusive and see everyone, no matter their differences as an equal person. 

In the classroom setting, this can be challenging as a teacher tries to meet the individual needs of a classroom full of students. There is power in inclusion, but there is also the need to help each student reach their potential. Educators have the difficult decision to decide what methods will best help a child with disabilities to do so. My role as a future educator is to be informed and understanding to the needs of exceptional students that will be in my classes. I hope that I can give students their best chance in a traditional classroom setting so they do not need to be segregated and created into an other. The needs and rights of the student must come first, but appropriate scaffolding can assist them in succeeding in the classroom setting.