Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

As a future teacher in Special Education, I want my students to learn in a way and an environment that helps them reach their highest potential. Academics are essential, but for this population of students, I want life skills to be a bigger part of what they learn. Each student has the right to learn independent living skills for after they graduate. They deserve to have the feeling of independence and accomplishment as those that are considered to be in the "typical population".

There is a wide-range of subjects and skills I will be teaching in the Special Education setting. There is everything from Science to English to learning a specific job skill. I want the academic aspect of my teaching to be incorporated with the life skills in hopes for future job placement for my students. For those who will not be able to be placed in the work field, a few examples of what I want my students to learn are life skills such as communication skills, hygiene routines, and vocational tasks.

I want my class to have access to iPads. As of now, I see that as the biggest benefit for the learning of these students. There are so many apps out there that teach math, spelling, and reading but not only that, there are apps that teach communication skills which are great for the students that are non-verbal. By seeing pictures of different items or situations, these particular students will be able to learn how to communicate effectively from a visual stand point. There are also apps that teach life skills such as hygiene and safety. I believe this will help these students for when they move out of their parents' home.

This course has opened up my eyes to a whole new perspective of teaching that I hardly knew anything about. There is so much technology out there that I will be able to use to effectively reach my students so that they will reach their full potential. I am excited to be in this time of teaching where technology is an essential resource in the classroom. When I think back to my time in my early years of schooling, I wish all of these technological resources would have been available to me. This is an exciting time in education and the possibilities are endless! It can only get bigger and better as time goes on.

-Mark