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Beginning Reflection
Beginning Reflection
Emma A. Foster
Ivy Tech

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Beginning Reflection
When the subject of teaching a student or an entire class with special needs arises, I
would say that I have the standard response that a special area teacher (art, music, gym) has. I
was not taught about this and how do I incorporate them into my class? I think this thinking has
come from simply not being taught how to interact with special needs students. I have taken so
many music classes, as a music major, that are based around how to play all the instruments, how
to conduct properly, how to manage a music classroom, but not once have I had a class, or even
just a lesson, on what to do if I end up with a class that has special needs students in it.
I had a placement at the Independence Academy, which is a school for high functioning
autistic students, but I was not teaching music there. They didnt even have music there. I was
learned a little bit about autistic students, but what about the students with other needs? I know
nothing about how to help them or how to handle them if they were to have an issue. Not having
any sort of background or teaching in the subject area of special needs has contributed to this
thinking and this fear of knowing that I will, at some point in my career as a teacher, have these
students in my class and I know nothing.
I believe that the appropriate educational environment for children with exceptional
needs is the one that the students are in the same classroom as their peers and have the same
opportunities that every other student has. I believe that this is the best environment for these
students because it keeps them from being excluded by peers and teachers, intentionally or
unintentionally. It also gives them all the same educational opportunities that other students at
their grade or age level are going to get.
I believe that while students with exceptional needs should be in the regular classroom
with their peers, they should still have additional accommodations granted to them. They still
have these needs that we have to address. We cant place them in a regular classroom and expect
them to perform the same without help. They are being placed in the classroom to get the same
opportunities but we still need to be there to help them along the way.
At this point in time I am not interested in becoming a special education teacher for a few

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reasons. First, I would have to go back to school and get another degree because I have not
taken any of the classes that are required for a special education teacher. I have taken mostly all
music classes and that is not going to help me much in a special needs classroom. Second, I do
not think that I would be fit to help special needs students. I have patience for music related
things, but not so much for other educational aspects.
Third, I am not very good at finding new ways to get core subject matter across. I have
the way I do it, and then dont really know how to teach it any other way. Finally, I know that it
would absolutely break my heart to see students come to me and say that they were bullied for
their disabilities. All bullying is awful, but it seems like it would be really hard to explain to
someone with a disability that they didnt do anything and that they couldnt change anything to
stop being bullied. It would also be harder I think to explain to the bully how much it hurts those
students. Thats why I am not interested in becoming a special education teacher. I have a deep
respect for those that were called to be one though.

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End Reflection
When the subject of teaching a student with special needs arises I think that I have a
better response than I had when I started the class. While I still do not feel very comfortable
teaching an entire class of students that had exceptional needs, I know that I do know the basics
of what to do and what makes them the way that they are. I do however feel relatively
comfortable teaching one or two students that are in my general classroom that have some sort of
exceptional need.
I think that with the information that I have gained over this course, much of it coming
from reading other peoples discussion posts, that I have the basic knowledge to help any student
with any disability be successful in my classroom. The discussion boards throughout the class as
well as the journal assignments have given me the most helpful information and has helped me to
realize that I can teach someone with special needs and do it well. I more about what the possible
disabilities that they have could be as well as how to keep them active and feel a part in my
classroom.
I still believe that the best environment for students with exceptional needs in is the
regular classroom if at all possible. The book stated that the law requires that students be placed
in the least restrictive environment, meaning that they should be separated from classmates and
the community as little as possible (Kauffman, 2014, p.31). I believe that this is accurate because
kids are going to learn things from their peers that we as teachers could never teach them.
Inclusion can sometimes be harder work for all that are involved but will produce better results
in the long run. Parentsupporthub.org states under the heading of what a student needs is an aid
or service that usually often play a pivotal role in facilitating and supporting the education of
individual children (Center for Parent Information).
I still think that students with special needs should be granted additional accommodations
in the classroom. They still do have issues that need to be addressed and are in need of extra
help but that doesnt mean that they shouldnt be in a mainstream classroom just like everybody
else. My thinking seems to have stayed the same since the beginning reflection. The main

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contributing factor so far was the three-tiered RTI model. In all the tears it doesnt say that the
students shouldnt be in the regular classroom but instead it has the students receiving special
attention from assistants or the teacher (Kauffman, 2014, p. 24).
After this class I still do not think that I am interested in becoming a special education
teacher. I do however have a greater respect for those that do choose to teach special education.
The reasons from the beginning reflection still stand as valid reasons as to why I do not want to
become one, but after this course there are a few more. I never realized how much paperwork
and legal issues there was to deal with when it comes to being a special education teacher. I
already know that I will have a lot of paperwork to do as a music teacher but not near as much as
there seems to be as a special education teacher. The first three chapters from our book made me
realize this when I discovered the section upon section about legal issues, laws, protocol, and
dos and donts. That is just too much for me to keep track of and remember. I am not the most
organized person and I am afraid that I would miss something and it could really alter a students
life.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources. (2014, March 1). Retrieved July 21, 2015, from
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/placement-overview/

Kauffman, J., & Hallahan, D. (2014). Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special

Education. (13th ed., pp. 24-27). Pearson College Div.

Beginning
Addresses each of the
questions above
12 points total

11/12

En
d
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Reflection addresses
the
students thinking at
the
time
12 points
total
Submissio
n
is grammatically
correct and follows
APA formatting
6 points
total
Total Points
per
submission

12/12

/12

5.5/6

/6

28.5/3
0

/30