MID-TERM EXAM 1

Mid-Term Exam Alex de Peyster University of Oklahoma

MID-TERM EXAM 1 Every child should have an equal opportunity to receive an education from the best teachers and with the best possible resources. This ensures that each child will reach his or her fullest potential. As an educator, it is my job to maximize their learning capability by assuming the best in all my students and by setting high standards for them. That being said, teaching is a reciprocal relationship between student and teacher. In order to gain the respect of my students I must first give it. Respectful relationships lead to a mutual understanding of each others needs, which will allow me to adapt to conditions in the classroom. A students motivation is key to their personal success and it is up to me to determine, encourage, and guide it in the right direction. Ayers second chapter, Seeing the Student, discusses the importance of truly see each and every student for who they are, as people, regardless of how they come off initially. Not every person will see a child for their potential and instead will be blinded by their temperament, attitude, or race. It is extremely important that teachers are not be put off by curtain stereotypes but instead take a step back and let the students true personality shine through. The trouble with this is that not all teachers live by this. They look at a students unwillingness to participate, shyness, rough exterior, and overall unpleasantness as a malfunction in the childs personality and therefore are unwilling to do a little digging to see what that child is all about. At lot of times teachers create preconceived notions about a students race, gender, socioeconomic status, as well as other factors and therefore mark a child as lesser than his or her peers and classmates. Ayres says that the problem with these kinds of teachers is that they are unable to connect with and make a difference with every student they come in contact with. They are missing the opportunity to stir up passion in the student, discover what makes them tick,

MID-TERM EXAM 1 what the like, what they dont like. Instead these teachers focus on the negatives of the child instead of looking for all the positives the child could bring to their classroom. In reading this chapter I learned that I will have no idea who will walk through my door at the beginning of the school year but in order to be a good teacher to all my students I need to treat each and every single one of them as uniquely and as special as they are. I agree completely with Ayres, every student has something very different and very special to being to my classroom. I know that as a teacher these children will be spending the majority of their time with me and if I immediately allow prejudices to inhibit my relationship with a student, that will undoubtedly perpetuate the problem and effect for the remainder of the of their school career. I will make sure that no child will leave my classroom feeling insignificant, unloved, or unintelligent. Over all Ayres is spot on in saying that all teachers need to really see the student for all they are and all the potential they possess. Teachers should never be blinded by their preconceived notions about any student. Until you really know the basis of each and every situation and each and every student you dont really know anything at all. Students again and lose confidence in the classroom and if we as teachers dont create a place where each student has an opportunity to nurture their unique abilities then they may be forever stunted. It is not just our job as teachers to instruct children by supplying them knowledge, is it also our obligation to foster a safe and comfortable place for students to grow to their greatest potential. Children are fragile beings, who need to feel secure and supported in order to foster a healthy foundation for their education. As an Elementary educator I want to be the person who influences my students at an early age, shaping them into the people they

MID-TERM EXAM 1 will be for the rest of their lives. In becoming a teacher, I realize that I will have a unique opportunity to ensure that no student fall by the way side. Inclusion of students with disabilities in a general education classroom is crucial to the development of the learning process for all students. Children with and without disabilities benefit socially from an inclusive classroom. It also teaches children without a disability acceptance and guards children with disabilities from second-class treatment or low expectations. By including children with disabilities into a general education classroom stereotypes, and stigmas can be eradicated. As inclusions is becoming more relevant in American classrooms, teachers are faced with the challenge of providing provide different ways of teaching for different types learners. I believe that every child has the right to receive the best education possible. This can only be feasible if every student has an equal opportunity in an educational setting. As educators, it is our responsibility to maximize our students learning capacity by teaching to their unique needs and assuming the best in all our students. The purpose of special education is to ensure that every childs needs are understood and catered to in a way that will most benefit them allowing for them to receive the best education possible. For this to be viable, children with disabilities should be placed in a least restrictive environment. If we can cater to every students individual needs, including the children without disabilities, we are making our classrooms a more conducive learning environment. Children become the label they are given. When we segregate children in our classrooms, we are telling them that students with disabilities are not equal to the students without disabilities. Keeping children with special needs in a general education classroom

MID-TERM EXAM 1 protects them from being patronized or singled out. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects individuals from discrimination based on disabilities. I strongly feel that this should be implemented in the classroom as well. Each child should be taught to reach their fullest potential, regardless of their disability. Many educators feel that students with disabilities are not their problem and try and push them off on someone else while other teachers dont understand disabilities. As teachers we should be able to teach to all types of learners. Weather they are dyslexic, physically handicapped, or just visual learners if we arent able to teach to all types of students no one will. Teachers have such a wonderful chance to positively influence future generations and that is why I think it is such a valuable career. We, as teachers, have the important task of teaching our students so much more than just curriculum. Teachers lend themselves to being such important figures in a childs life. We are the people our students look to for guidance, consistency and support. If we choose to neglect to truly see our students or have the inability to teach to all students we are not fulfilling our obligation to these children and therefore are not doing our jobs. We need to realize that every student is unique, recognizing them for their strengths and teaching them to their greatest potential regardless of their background or ability. Children are the future if we fail them as educators, they will inevitably fail us as citizens.