Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

Personal Philosophy of Special Education

Jordan Horne

Introduction to Special Education 203

Thursday October 19, 2017

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Twenty-first-century learners live in extremely diverse, dynamic, and ever-changing

global and social environments. I believe that the education system has a grand purpose and

responsibility to help improve and enhance society by raising a well-educated citizenry and

promoting healthy and meaningful lifestyles. Teachers within our diverse school communities

should aim to help each of their students reach their full potential and provide them with the

tools they need for long-term success. It is imperative that our nation’s youth receives

appropriate and equally excellent educational services and is nurtured mentally, socially, and

emotionally. Through the gradual instillment of traditionally essential knowledge and skills, as

well as encouraging the growth and development of the "whole child," effective teachers ensure

that the students in their care are always safe, healthy, engaged, supported, and challenged. The

incredible opportunities, experiences, and fundamental knowledge that students accumulate

throughout their educational journeys have the powerful ability to transform and positively

impact individuals in unique ways. Students, youthful bright citizens, and future leaders of

tomorrow, must be empowered and assured that they truly can make a difference in the world

that they are growing up in. As teachers, we can help students come to this realization at an early

age by promoting individuality and self-actualization. Students should be encouraged to embrace

and appreciate their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the vast beauty and differences seen

amongst others.

I primarily view the role of a teacher in any given classroom as a facilitator, or

metaphorically put, “a personal guide for students on their educational journey.” Creating

meaningful, well-rounded, and individualized instruction based upon required curriculum

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material will be a top priority of mine. I will also try to provide countless opportunities and

resources for my students to discover different perspectives and hopefully learn to construct

concepts for themselves as well. When students practice basic cognitive processes such as

identifying, reasoning, reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, problem-solving, and

effectively communicating their ideas, they are enabling themselves to reach valid conclusions

on their own. Therefore, I believe that the most influential, successful, and ideal instruction

encourages the use of these cognitive processes and logical ‘sense-making’ skills. Insightful

lessons that incorporate these skills truly engage students and force them to use their brains! In

my eyes, the key goal of education is to teach students how to actively think, so that in turn, they

will learn how to learn. Once a student has mastered the ability to analyze situations and grasp

new concepts, he or she will be sure to thrive in the dynamic world around them.

I hold education to be of immense importance and value for everyone under the sun, and

I genuinely believe that all children have the capability to learn and benefit from their studies. I

am aware that any given class I will have the opportunity to teach within my chosen field of

general elementary education may contain a group of students with all sorts of unique learning

styles and widely varying strengths and abilities. I look forward to truly getting to know each of

my students and figuring out how they learn best. I plan to make a conscious and devoted effort

each year to become attuned with my students’ special educational needs, personal learning

styles, multiple intelligences, strengths, and interests in order to come up with the most effective

teaching styles to utilize. Doing so will help individualize instruction and motivate my students

by creating a receptive and progressive learning environment. I will be sure to accommodate my

instruction to suit my students' educational needs and provide the support that is necessary to
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maximize their learning potentials. If I ever find that the complete support that I am able to

provide for a student with special needs may fall a bit short, I will immediately seek out a valued

colleague, related service professional, and/or parents, or guardians for advice as to how to best

meet the specific needs of the child.

I will always have my students' best interests at heart. I vow to cheer them on every step

of the way while helping them along their educational journeys towards their paths to personal

success. I owe it to my students to not only properly educate them, but to also promote their

growth as individuals and help prepare them for life outside of our classroom walls. As I

mentioned before, I believe that the best way to prepare students for an unknown future is to

equip them with basic problem-solving strategies and cognitive skills. I feel as if I can achieve

my goal by providing students with as many opportunities for hands-on activities as possible.

These fun and interactive activities will enable students to make personal choices at an early age,

allow their curiosity to direct their learning, and let them practice foreign procedures and take

risks in a safe and controlled environment. Opportunities like these help children develop

self-awareness and provide them with significant experiences that will hopefully help them find

the meaning of their lives and begin to think for themselves.

One of my personal goals is to strive to become a better person, student, and eventually

teacher with more insight and skills each school year. I, too, am constantly evolving and hope to

better myself and grow throughout my life-long educational journey. I believe that I can learn

new nuggets of valuable wonder and wisdom from each person I meet, and I know that my

wonderful future students and colleagues will be no exception! In my heart, I am confident that I

will be an effective teacher because I honestly care about children and their futures, as well as
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the future of society in general. I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high

expectations to school each day. I plan on constructing a thoughtful classroom setup that will

create a safe and welcoming environment for my students while inspiring an essence of love,

diversity, acceptance, and team-building. I envision a tidy student-centered space including: a

wall of my students’ self-portraits, personalized desks arranged in clusters of four, colorful and

cozy furnishings, an elaborate bookshelf, positive posters highlighting different cultures,

genders, languages, ecosystems, and kind inspiring words, and a classroom pet enclosure near

the back of the room. This stimulating setting will hopefully generate cognitive thinking,

confident decision making, positive relationship building, and an overall memorable and exciting

experience for all my students. I am fully aware that I will come across many troubled and

struggling students in the future, and I am more than willing to do everything in my power to

help these tiny humans succeed! By making sure that every student feels understood, accepted,

respected, cared for, and comfortable inside of my classroom, I believe we will be able to build

and maintain the positive relationships needed to succeed as a class and fulfill each student's

educational needs. My ultimate goal as an educator is to ensure my students reach their full

potential and move on from my class each year not only feeling well-educated, but also more

confident in themselves, their choices, and their futures than ever before!