TEACHING 6200 Matt McClenaghan Transitions for Children with Disabilities Spring 2010 Reflection on Class Presentation - March 22, 2010 One of the most valuable things I learned about teaching many years ago was that good teachers and mentors engage in the discipline of positive and continuing reflective practice. This involves the affirmative personal reflection and assessment of one’s ability to be effective and a source of leaning and learning opportunities for students. Last week’s presentation reminded me of another fundamental idea that is embraced by great teachers. That is the idea that to really understand and connect with any student, you need to gain an appreciation for each individual in the classrooms you are in. To be reflective about how successful you are in each circumstance, one needs to be aware of the particularly unique challenges of each person you see each day. The words of our presenters in class on the 22"! made the challenges real and put a “face” on the challenges of students with disabilities and their respective parents. Thave often times throughout my teaching career reminded myself of the fact that I really have no idea what baggage or issues each student brings to class each morning. Just when you think things are great in your classroom, someone there surprises you with something big. A good practitioner engages in getting to know their students’ particular needs in order to truly reach them and maximize their learning potential and opportunities, Last week's discussion brought to the forefront the particularly unique chellenges and emotions that parents have when it comes to their child in your classroom that has any of a range of disabilities. The love, concem and patience of these parents should be an important tell tale of how an educator should address the unique needs of their sons or daughters, Darlene, Christie and Aiden were a great portrayal of the concern and caring that follows students with disabilities to school every day. It was apparent from the presentation that the concem does not end at the door when the kids are dropped off. Thave been blessed with two “perfect” children. I know they have certain things come up at school each day, but as I listened last week, I realized that I have none of the major concerns that Darlene and Christie have as recurring thoughts throughout the day. As a teacher, we show up with our own issues and simply want to get through the day sometimes. This approach rarely works as a default and one quickly realizes upon reflection that as a mentor they are failing miserably. Uniquely, students with disabilities face difficulties in handling curriculum and progressing if not assisted properly. Therefore, to be truly effective, one needs to be aware and adjust how business is done to ensure the positive experience at school for these kids. One of the most important things that I gained from last week’s presenters was that open avenues of communication can do so much to assure the success and progress of all students including students with disabilities. What I know of communication with parents is that it needs to be framed and meaningful, especially when it involves a student with a disability. This was reinforced by what I heard from both Darlene and Christie. I am grateful for their time and contributions in our class and will try to add what they brought to my attention to my toolkit for being an effective and compassionate educator.