Sheri Sevilla

CSN Course: EDU 203

March 8, 2022

Assignment #8 - Artifact #4 Personal Philosophy of Special Education

Professor: Constantina Pappas M.Ed., BCBA

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Assignment #8 - Artifact #4 Personal Philosophy of Special Education

Synthesize all of the information learned in the course and textbook to develop your own
personal philosophy of special education. Your personal philosophy of special education
should include the following four areas: Profession, Teaching, Instruction and Future.
Your philosophy is reflective and you demonstrate a careful examination of yourself and
your thoughts on what the critical issues in special education are and your beliefs on how to
best address them.

When it comes to the ever growing, rapidly changing Special Education programs, my

philosophy is probably different from others. I have 11 years of experience working with Special

Education in classrooms such as Primary and Intermediate Autism, Resource, and Pre-K Special

Education. For the many years of experience that I have under my belt, I unfortunately from the

very beginning and to this very day, still feel the same way about working in Special Education.

I do not ever wish to pursue a degree in SPED, nor do I wish to work in a SPED classroom

again. It is crucial to believe that as an educator, you are there for your students and make sure

they stay on the path to success no matter what disability they have, or whether general

education or in special education.

As for me, it has been a very hard and strenuous experience being on the inside day in

and day out, watching how this school district treats their special education educators and even

more so their lack of care for their students, which therefore gives me the reasoning behind not

ever wanting a career in it. I absolutely love the children though, and see them for who they

really are…just children! If there was more support from the district, then maybe perhaps that

would sway my decision, but I honestly doubt it. I have watched countless special education

students not get the proper education they deserve and get placed into classrooms having nothing

to do with their disabilities, or just thrown into a general education setting while they sit back on
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the sidelines waiting to be placed in the right programs. It blows me away how this district still

just can't seem to do their jobs correctly and put these kids first!

I understand that we can not control what happens to us at birth, and what we are born

with. The same goes for most people. I know that as an educator it already is not the easiest job

to do, but having a Special Education degree can make it even harder. It can be very rewarding

when it comes to teaching, but you must put your whole heart into your job. If you don’t, your

students will be able to tell and most likely, it will backfire. It is a very strenuous job working in

Special Education, and can be extremely stressful, especially if you feel that all your hard work

isn’t being paid off. Because of that stress, and the mentally, emotions, and physical aspects

behind it, many educators end up abandoning their positions and leaving the Special Education

degrees behind. It is not for the faint of heart, and really does need more recognition. For those

that stay, I truly do give them a round of applause.

I learned throughout these courses in EDU 203, that when it comes to Special Education,

students need to be fully engaged, and have lessons that will be eye catching, bright and colorful,

and available to do for every type and level of special needs. Hearing Impaired, ADHD, Blind,

Autism, you name it! Everyone can not, and will not, ever be placed on the same pedestal. Just

like any other child, no two are the same, and all children require learning at their own pace. Not

only are we their first teachers, we must keep in mind that their parents and loved ones are their

first teachers as well, and everyone must come together and be on the same page for every child.

For the future of Special Education, I can only hope that every child gets and continues to

get the proper education they deserve, and more importantly are able to finish and reach their full

potential at their own pace, and be able to feel accepted in this lifetime. These kids are beyond

talented, and beyond amazing little beings that just need all the TLC they can get. For those
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looking into being a Special Education Educator, always remember, it takes patience! LOTS of

patience. You must have a good loving heart and be dedicated fully to your job and your

students. No matter the disability, disorder, or disease, you must remember that they are human

just like the rest of us, and deserve to be treated equally. Taking the proper trainings and courses

every year will also keep you up to date since it is an ever changing career. I wish nothing but

good luck to anyone pursuing this path.