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Chelsea Shetayh

College of Southern Nevada

EDU 203: Introduction to Special Education Dr. Warby

18, October 2020

 My educational philosophy is we must believe that all students can learn. I believe all

students have the ability to learn with the right methods and strategies that help them achieve

excellence. Not all students learn at the same rate, however, with different methods and

strategies, it is possible that all students can learn. Not all students will achieve and be successful

at the same level. Students all learn at different rates and different ways.

Educators need to use numerous methods and skills to influence every student in a

classroom setting. I believe educators need to use more than one method for all students to

achieve excellence in the classroom. Various methods of teaching and skills will create a fun

learning environment for all students to succeed in their way. When I become an educator, I will

encourage and support all my students. I will ensure positive reinforcement as an educator. I will

be patient, creative, enthusiastic, communicate, and have social skills to receive a great future

with my students. For children with special disabilities, positive reinforcement can help ensure

they move up with a strong sense of confidence and determination. The job as an educator is not

to cure the disability but to provide that student emotional and social tools, they will need to face

difficult challenges. To ensure a student with special needs learns best, I will try to develop a

strength-based learning strategy that works well with them. I will help ensure students envision a

positive mindset. I believe educators should not be working alone when it comes to students with

disabilities. Parents, guardians, and people in the community need to come together to support

and improve the lives of their children. I genuinely believe I can make a difference with my

future students.

There are many qualities an effective special education teacher should have. The most

important quality would be patience. Patience is a must for students with disabilities. Any
student with a disability might take longer to perform simple tasks which are why patience is a

must as an effective special education teacher. I believe an effective special education teacher

should be a good listener and communicator. It is also important to use an intuitive skill to

uncover underlying problems behind poor behavior for a special needs student. An effective

teacher will be able to soothe his or her students so that anxiety is reduced. When children feel

safe, they are more likely to succeed in learning. They will trust you and open up to you.

In my pre educational philosophy, I noticed I did not have a reason as to why I was taking

EDU 203. I came to realize that this class informed me about the many different disabilities a

student can have and the many different scenarios and challenges they go through. The one thing

that will always be the same in my opinion is teaching students to love one another. This teaches

them that it is alright to have a student in the class with a disability. It shows others that not

everyone is alike and not everyone learns at the same rate. Being an educator to children with

special needs is difficult only because special education teachers have to develop unique

strategies and plans for every student that range with their IEPs. All in all, every student with

special disabilities needs to grow within the structure of a school day to succeed.