Philosophy of Education Special Populations 1

Philosophy of Education, Special Populations

Patricia L. Page

Paris Junior College

Education 2301.200

Rhonda Reed

March 21, 2022

Philosophy of Education Special Populations 2

We all remember a teacher that would do anything to help us no matter how big the

problem was when we were growing up. It just so happened that my high school

choir director was my favorite teacher; no matter what was going on, she would

always stop what she was doing when I needed help. Whenever I was having a

bad day, she would reach out to me and make sure I was okay. As someone with

epilepsy, I have always had difficulty with math and writing, but I have never let

this stop me. In the same way that my choir director helped me overcome the

impossible, I want to help students do so.

Throughout the years of being a teacher’s aide, I have learned that not every child has

the same needs as another. Let's look at autism, in which children have difficulty

being social, repeating things, or even not talking; not all signs are the same. The

spectrum can range from profoundly disabled to mildly impaired. Every Autism

student will have drastically different needs. When you have a child with autism,

you need to determine what is best for that child. We have four kids, two of whom

are on the spectrum for autism. As a mom, I have learned what works for them.

As teachers, we must help those students open up so we can figure out what

works for them. One way I have gotten kids to open up to me is by talking to

them. As a teacher, I want my students to be able to open up to me. If we talk to

our students one-on-one, we not only get to know them better, but we can find

out what they need.

We also need to help our hearing-impaired students. I currently have a child in my pre-k

class that has a hearing aid but doesn’t want to wear it. For this student to wear

his hearing aid, I have found that food motivates this child. Although this may
Philosophy of Education Special Populations 3

work for one student, it may not be a motivator for all students. With pre-k

students, it is a little easier because they have so much more in the room that

motivates them. If our children can not hear us, how are they going to learn and

excel in their environment? We need to be able to adjust the way we teach those

with hearing impairments while also teaching them how to advocate for

themselves.

One special population we do not hear much about is those who are homeless. We

want our children to be able to concentrate at school, but how can a child who is

homeless do that. If you don’t know when your next meal will come or if you will

have clean clothes, a shower, or even a bed to sleep in, how can you focus on

anything else? Sometimes the meals they get at school are the only meals they

get at all. We need to set up a system to help these children so they can focus

and do better for themselves. As a teacher, I want to make sure these children

have access to what they need, such as clean clothing, a shower, food, and a

bed to sleep in at night. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory shows us how

important it is for our base needs to be met before we can learn complex skills.

Living in a small community has taught me that we need to look out for each

other, not just ourselves.

When we look back on the day, we need to be able to care for these children like they

are our own. When a child is in the category of a special population, it doesn’t

make them any less important than our other students. These children deserve

our very best every day, they need to know they can count on someone. If we are

going to change education for the better, this is where we need to start.