By Seneca Barker
After hearing different stories from people in the field of Special Education, watching teachers first hand, and listening to my peer's opinions, I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for. I, like any other student at Michigan State, had a few preconceptions of the major I was about to begin pursuing when I started my freshmen year of college. Some of which included:
I would have my summers off and they would be work free
I am the main person in charge of my students' education
Every student that needs services will get them
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When I was first deciding my career, I thought being on the "teacher schedule" would be a large perk of the job. Being out of work by the late afternoon, weekends off, winter break, spring break, and a summer to do whatever I wanted. However, that is not the true "teacher schedule" at all. After reading the first few chapter of this book, I realized I was sadly mistaken. It depicted the vast responsibilities of being a teacher and the added tasks of a Special Education teacher. I quickly learned that teaching is not an 8-3 job that ends when you walk out of the door. It's grading assignments, forming lesson plans, contacting parents, writing IEPs (individualized education plan), and much more. The breaks are nice, but they are not as relaxing as I imagined. The first textbook I was assigned to read at MSU was Special Education by Marilyn Friend, and after digging deeper into it, I realize my preconceptions were not completely accurate. Chapter 4 of Friend's textbook is all about an incredibly important part of teaching, collaboration. That means working with parents and other professionals to ensure your students get the help and resources they need to succeed. Especially as a Special Education teacher, I am not the one solely responsible for my students' achievement. I'm a large part, but not the only part. It involves occupational therapists, speech therapists, general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and more. Student success also largely relies on parent involvement, their support is crucial. Students succeed when everyone on the team works together. I read a lot about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), IEPs, and 504 plans throughout this book, learning a lot of information I didn't know. I used to think that any child that seemed to be struggling in school, and was in need of Special Education, would be given the needed services. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Achieving a diagnosis and obtaining services is not always as easy as it should be for some students. It's often a long process and can become quite frustrating to everyone involved. I'm very glad this was the first resource I was introduced to that applied to my major. I found each and every chapter of the textbook helpful and filled with information I didn't previously know. I would recommend reading this to anyone going into the field of Special Education, or teaching in general. |
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