Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Personal Philosophy Statement

Laura Collins
University of Kansas
SPED 854

Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Collaboration within education has become a crucial point of interest when

developing an educational system that is beneficial for students with disabilities and their
families Historically, students with disabilities received the majority of their education
outside of the classroom to try and provide supports for their learning of the general
education curriculum or a curriculum developed based on their individual needs. When
students are taken out of the general education classroom they are loosing the direct
instruction from the content teacher as well as significant social ramifications. While
students are in school they should be supported in an environment that provides the least
restriction based on their individual needs as well as factoring in the appropriate supports
that should be given to access the content.
When evaluating the least restrictive environment for a student there are many
factors. One of the most important factors should be whether or not the students
disability impacts their ability to comprehend the grade level content material. If the
student has the ability to learn at their grade level then we must evaluate the amount of
support that must be given to the student in order to achieve academic success at his or
her own varying levels. When this has been established, it should be the priority of the
educational staff and family to determine how the student can naturally fit in the
environment of their general education classroom. Collaboration between the
Individualized Education Plan Team and education staff will create an environment
suitable for an individual student based on their individual needs.
The Individualized Education Plan Team is a comprised of a special education
teacher, general education teacher(s), student, support staff, parents, advocates, and any
other people designated to make decisions for a student with a disability. Each member

Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

of this group plays an integral role in developing the supports for a student. People may
misunderstand that the role of the special education teacher is to develop the plan to
support a student, but it is through the constant communication, data collection, and
collaboration between the team that plan is built for a student. This partnership extends
by having mutual respect for each persons beliefs and opinions for the child and having
an open mind to the varying situations in which students need support.
The partnership and collaboration within special education is the most important
when trying to develop action plans for students with disabilities. Although the team will
come together to develop a plan, each member must be supported while working with the
student for his or her academic or behavioral needs. Each member of the team has an
expertise that should be shared with one another. As the special education teacher it is
your role to facilitate the accommodations and or modifications needed for a student, but
this must be done with the assistance of the general education teacher in order to keep the
standards aligned. Both can learn from each other when trying to develop a plan of
action for a student. Following this, communication must be active between the family
and teachers to make sure that behaviors and expectations are being followed through at
home. The parents or family members have a different emotional relationship with the
student than their teachers do and this information can play a key role into a students
behavior or well-being while they are at school.
Collaboration stretches much father than the realms of special education, but it is
an integral piece of our current education system in the United States.. The means by
which teachers provide support for students with disabilities is constantly changing and
this is an essential reason as to why collaboration between educational staff is so

Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

important. Teachers with varying experience can come together to share their views and
ideas to support a student to help each member provide the best support for a child.