Interview with a Special Education Teacher
Write this paper as a reflection—not as an interview. Thoughtfully reflect on your conversation with the teacher. Thoughtfully connect the CEC standards to the points made in the paper. The paper should be typed, single-space, using Times New Roman font, size 12. There is no page limit. Write until you’ve explained everything that you learned. Most single-spaced papers are 2-3 pages long.
ANSWER
Interview with a Special Education Teacher
A teacher’s job is more of a calling than it is a job. An interview with one Special Education brought to light what it means to be a teacher. To receive children in 6th grade as students and then release them back to the world as adults at the age of 21 years old. A period long enough to consider a person a family that the joy of graduation is shared equally among the parents as well as the educators. It goes to an extent to show the work of a teacher, and not just a Special Education teacher but any teacher for that matter. Teachers provide guidance to children who later become phenomenon both in the positive and in the negative and all along they carry their students in memory remembering their innocence and ignorance, receiving their achievements as their own as well as regretting their mistakes as their guides. The biggest sentiment during the interview was a question about the biggest challenge of Special Education teacher which my interviewee responded by saying that she has seen children with other special educators move on ahead to graduate and achieve big things. Her only concern is that it has not happened to her yet and that is her biggest challenge. The success of a student matters to her and her wish is to see all her students succeed.
The Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) lays out a list of professional preparation standards referred to as the CEC standards that special educators must adhere to for effective and safe educational practices. In the course of the interview, these standards came up in different ways both in support as well as in opposition. For instance, in one of the questions, my respondent offers that teaching is made uniform for all students by ensuring that teachers follow a strict code of operation and therefore little differentiation occurs. Considering it is tough for legislation or a policy to cover every aspect of a promise, the CEC standards here are limited in operation. By making the teachers incapable of operating on their own creativity but instead follow a strong series of policies, a risk emanates in that these students risk missing out on crucial aspects of learning that cannot be legislated. However, in the same way, students are guaranteed to receive a bare minimum that has been tested and approved by education practitioners. My respondent observed that initially, she preferred to teach the students herself apply herself to the learning environment approaching unique situations with unique responses but slowly learned that she was falling behind with documentation that was also crucial. Eventually, she took a step back and let her assistant manage the class while she adhered more to her documented duties.
Another crucial idea that comes up from the interview is the use of technology in the classroom. The interviewee constantly mentioned Google Classroom and its extensive applications in the class with reports, exercises and also administering of education. It interesting to want to know what more technologies like Google Classroom can achieve and how that changes the educational landscape. There is research into machine learning where technology experts are researching ways machines can learn and adjust to people and their uniqueness. There is potential to manufacture technology that guides special children at a different pace to march their different capacities all the while, considering a series of possibilities and outcomes. It clear that this will be a revolution in education, its impact is already being felt in business, social media and health, and its applications on education are exponential. However, the concern becomes how to regulate technology in the classroom. Obviously, technology does not abide by the same CEC standards and therefore the question becomes how far is far enough and what is not to be allowed in such a classroom.
The issue of student assessment has long been up for debate. There is an analogy commonly used to criticise standardised tests where the system is accused of judging the efficiency of an elephant, a monkey, a cheetah, a leopard and a lion using a standardised test that evaluates their speed in climbing trees. Obviously, each animal in that list survives and thrives in a different environment from the rest. A lion does not climb trees but is efficient in hunting in the grasslands. A monkey on the other hand is useless in the grasslands but very useful in a jungle full of trees. The criticism makes a lot of sense, like these animals, different humans are equipped with different skills that assist them in learning and being proficient at certain tasks. While most can be learnt, some are inborn and declaring a student unsuccessful for performing poorly in a field that is not their forte does not make much sense. This is controversial across the globe which provides an excellent opportunity for researchers to come up with better ways in how we assess students and not just special kids but all leaners globally in general.
As expected, the interview brought to light some crucial aspects of education especially in terms of a special educator. It is evident that to teachers, the success of the students is the most important factor. For instance, when asked about the most rewarding moments as a teacher, my respondent easily pointed out that she is happiest when a student masters an objective, it is a big moment and when a student does go on to do cool things it is a moment of intense pride for the teacher. These are the small victories that the teacher considers rewards for the job she does every day after spending years providing guidance to students who become family. For their work, the teacher deserves the benefits bestowed on the most important workers in the country. Every person in a point of leadership including legislatures, politicians, business people, doctors among many other professionals was all one day at the grace of a teacher who played a key role in providing guidance to their now awesome careers. There was a time there was a mass migration of teachers to other professionals because of unconducive working environments among other complaints. This should not be the case owing to the key role teachers play to a student, especially, special children which exceptional gifts. Lastly, more research is required into more inclusive CEC standards and other standards such as the KY academic standards to include trends in teaching and learning and to ensure that they comprehensively incorporate the various different aspects of special education. Students can only be as good as the those who provide guidance and direction to them.
