Before this week, I admit that I was a little afraid of IEP's mostly because I was unfamiliar with the process.  I enjoyed the video that we watched because to showed us what happens during an IEP meeting between the staff and the parents.  I felt much more comfortable after I realized that it wasn't as complex as I had previously imagined.  One of the thoughts that came to me as I learned more about it was that the information and support I need to be a successful teacher working with a student with an IEP will be given to me.  It was comforting to know that it won't be a big mystery or puzzle that I have to figure out on my own.  

After the mock case hearing this week, I haven't been thinking so much on the case details as some of my fellow homies, but instead about how important it is for us to know the details of the laws and how it effects us as teachers and educators.  In my class group, we had several people not attend that day which left us scrambling to fill roles necessary to complete the activity.  When people were unfamiliar with the particulars for their roles, it seemed like they let the emotional side take over, forgetting to use the law and other cases to build their argument.  Even I found myself repeating the same lines because I didn't really understand the other complexities or all the different parts of the laws we were arguing.  I realized from that how important it is for me to really understand how if effects what I do in the classroom so that I don't let my emotions hinder the success of the student.  I don't think that ignorance of the law is a reasonable defense if I fail to fulfill my responsibilities as pertaining to these laws we are learning about.  There's just so much to know and understand.  I'm sure that it will take some time to fully understand what me responsibilities are.  I have appreciated the opportunity to start to develop my understanding this week in our reading and in class.

This week I learned alot of interesting facts about different case studies and laws regarding those with special needs, however, the thing that impacted me the most was the emotions that I felt while reading and discussing in class. I realize there are a lot of laws to remember but I think the most important thing is how we allow those students with special needs into our classroom. I truly believe with all my heart that those with special needs need to be with the other students as much as the other students need to learn from them. I recall a student that I worked with a few years back. We were at a science camp, the young boy was called to the front to show his presentation. The entire school cheered for him. He had the biggest smile on his face. It was amazing to see that. I think that each child needs that love and support. It doesn't seem like an easy task especially with some of the laws in place but they deserve the best. 

Journal - Week 3

 

         One thing that I really liked from this week was the court case and the discussion connected to it. Something that was brought up during our Friday discussion that I completely agree with is that in our groups if we didn’t truly research the material we let our emotions rule us and the argument had plenty of emotion but not enough of laws and substance, so I believe that it is also important to truly understand and know all the laws that you will be held accountable when it comes to teaching. It made me realize how important it is to learn to become open-minded to all different aspects of my teaching career, especially to both the parents and the students.

         Then the Supreme Court is one who hears both sides and makes a well-informed decision that holds to the law and to the best outcome of both of the parties. 

I want to be like the Supreme Court in my teaching. I want to have those principles/laws by which the basis of my teaching is taught but then hear and understand both sides of those who are learning and their families. I want to truly understand my lesson that when it is being taught I can adjust it towards the audience that I am teaching. This Supreme Court case really teaches you how important education is for everyone.

         I was on the parents side and I couldn't help but feel possibly as the parents did. They wanted what was best (as well as what was deserved) for their child. Families and their passion towards to their kids and their education shows how passionately they desire for their kids to learn and it really makes me want to do my best to fulfill all the wants and desires the parents have for their kids education and growth. Everyone is important and everyone has the capacity to make a difference and to progress no matter how small that progression is and we truly need to make sure to know that as we are becoming future teachers. 

Week 3 Journal

This week I think the most interesting part of what we learned was doing the activity we did Wednesday with arguing the Cedar Rapids case brought up a few things I hadn't thought of before. I was on the family side, and I could definitely understand their reasoning and opinions for asking the district for funding. As a parent myself, I got a little aggressive with the district people, and I can see how emotion can help AND hinder a case. It makes it difficult to see everything logically because you want whats best for your child. In this case, the family had already paid for the first five years, and now were asking for help. As a mother, that seems quite reasonable to me. 

On the other hand, as a future teacher, I could certainly sympathize with the view of the district. Schools have budgeting problems all the time, and most can barely support the schools and their programs without adding in a special needs child who can cost upwards of $18,000 extra a year to have in their schools. They are in a difficult position because they are bound by laws such as IDEA, FAPE, and LRE that require them to allow all student into the schools, but then they are limited by funds. 

From everything we've learned this week and discussed, it seems as though there are many programs today to help support families that were in the situation Garrett was, but the amount of paperwork and steps that a parent much go through can get tiring. On the districts side, they are bound by so many rules and regulations that they often have a hard time giving all the aid and support to the student who require it. As my group member Lisa mentioned, I think it's important that we become as knowledgeable as possible about the laws and procedures concerning our students with disabilities. 

Journal #3

          This week has been an amazing learning experience. From all the readings that I had to do, I really feel bad for so many children who are going through struggles with their families to try and get a good educational. I never realized that there are steps that need to be taken in order for a child with disabilities to come to school. I was able to teach a girl last semester who was hearing impaired. I never knew that the school had to go through steps to make sure she had an aid with her at all times to sign to her and let her know what others were saying. I bonded with this girl and miss her. She was so willing to play with the other children. the other children also adored her and were willing to learn sign language just to talk with her. At times I would sit down with her and have her teach me how to sign through a book. I was able to sit down with her aid and talk to her about the situation she was in and how she was able to come to school.
           I was amazed to find out that the parents did not ant to be the cornerstone of their child. They did not like signing with her or wanting her to sign at home. They wants her to grow up. This upset me because she was a 3rd grader and was allowed to be a child and make mistakes. The school wanted this girl to gain an education so they took the steps to make sure she had an aid and the right supplies to help her through the school year. The readings and the Cedar case made me think of her. The Cedar Rapids case was an eye opener for me to see how parents and schools want to do what is best for the child, but have to go through different ideas and meetings to see just what is allowed and not allowed. It was hard to see a boy who needed someone just like this little girl I knew 24/7. He wanted to learn and grow but need someone there to help him. The parents wanted him to have this education, but the district didn't want to pay for everything.
            Like I said before this was such an eye opener for me to see how there are so many situations in this world where a child wants to gain an education but has disabilities that slow them down. Just like last week, these children are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and deserve respect and attention that will push them forward. I was grateful to see an example of this in the school I taught at and so happy to know that this little girl pushed forward and is so happy to learn with the other students in the class than be at home and not progressing.

I don’t want to be judged for my short comings and am willing to change my ways, but I realized that I need to be doing better after watching the Serbia video.  As we were watching those heartbreaking scenes from Serbia, I thought, "How could they do such a thing."  I wondered why they couldn't see how wrong it was to put these special individuals in such appalling conditions.  A thought occurred to me at that moment (aka the Spirit), that when I avoid contact with people with disabilities because of my fears and insecurities of how I should interact with them, which I am unfortunately guilty of, I am in essence doing the same thing to them as the people of Serbia.

So, how do I overcome my fears and insecurities, I wondered.  I decided knowledge is going to be the key for me to overcome my hesitations to interact with disabled persons.  It goes along with the scripture, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”  The more prepared I am with knowledge about the person, along with their strengths and weaknesses or needs in general, the more I will be able to interact with them successfully.  Then I need to learn about any specific disabilities that they may struggle with, which I am hoping will come in time as I complete this class.  When I don’t know where to start, I can remember that they are spirit children of our Heavenly Father, and that their spirits inside of their bodies are just as perfect as mine, and treat them with love and kindness that they deserve.

 I don't think that I can ever forget those scenes or the personal learning that came from them.  I realized also that I could help be the advocate for all the children in my classrooms, but especially for those that can't speak up for themselves to begin with.  I am not afraid anymore.  I am willing to reach out to all, without holding back in fear of myself.  

Video/readings Journal

I don't know that I can elaborate much on what my teammates have said, I agree with all of them on just about each point!

Concerning the videos from the institution in Serbia, it made me incredibly sad to watch how the people were treated, and the surroundings they were living their life in. It almost seemed as if the people in charge--or those responsible-- thought that each person in the institution was "broken". They couldn't see that there was a perfect spirit inside each of those bodies, and there was nothing wrong with it. The reporter touched on that a bit, when she mentioned one of the patients responding to her when she touched and spoke to him. As I watched the video I felt a bit helpless; I wanted to help those patients, but had no idea where to start. After reading my teammates posts, I realized I can help people with disabilities when they come through my classroom. I can be an advocate for them and their needs. I can do everything possible to make sure the other students treat them with respect and are educated about how to act around a person with disabilities.

I also liked studying the court cases about different children and their disabilities, and what they were fighting for. We mentioned at my table how important these rights must have been to the parents of the children, because the time it takes to push a case through court and get a decision usually isn't fast. Their children would likely not benefit from the ruling, but the children in the following years would, and I liked that the parents were passionate about rights for ALL children that they would put in that time and effort!

SPED 310 – JOURNAL 2 

            After watching the Serbia video, both in class and outside of class, my heart wants to reach out to those poor people that have been so wronged. Like it was said in the journal, these people that are being held in this mental institution are those who cannot advocate for themselves and need our help. What was the hardest thing for me while watching the video was the fact that in this place the people weren’t even treated as human, if they were animals being held like that we would still call that abusive. It’s sad that some of them have been in a crib or a cage for so long that their growth is stunted so much; it really shows how little care and concern is put into each one.

           The way that I see it is that they’re just trying to crowd control, tying people up because they are making too much noise or thrashing without trying to figure out why, giving them sedatives because it puts them to sleep so it’s less work. It is so important to remember that we are all daughters and sons of our Heavenly Father and we are all important and make a difference. I am so glad that we are where we are today with understanding and helping people with disabilities, but we need to make sure to share that knowledge with those that need it. I went to China almost a year ago and went to a house for children with disabilities and even there conditions aren’t all that great (but better than Serbia) some things that they were telling us was outdated and we could share so much wisdom with them in how to help and we could even work on contributing our time and money to help them.

            Learning what we have has continued to add to my desire to make a difference in children’s lives and help those that need it. It has given me a new perspective that in order to help something change I need to help be the change, not wait for somebody else to do it but make the effort myself. I know that I am just one person but change comes one person at a time, history proves that. Just like the court cases that we were talking about with Brown vs. BOE or Daniel R.R. or even Mills vs. BOE. Change doesn’t happen overnight or even in the snap of your fingers, if you want it to happen you need to step up and help become the change. I also need to make sure that when I am teaching or helping others it is not for my own selfish needs I need to make sure that I am in tune with the spirit and what I am being lead to do because what are my beliefs compared to the beliefs of an all-knowing all-powerful heavenly being? Heavenly Father knows what is best and I need to put forth all my effort and then put my trust into Him and that He knows what He is doing.

Journal #2 Clips/Readings

          The clips we watched made my heart ache. I can't remember who said it in class,  but our professors were right. These clips would make you hurt and even cry. I began to shed a few tears when I watched about the individuals who are in the mental institutions. They are living in a place that is not good for progress. They are horrible and poor. It is saddening to see that these people who are different can be ignored not only by society, but by their own families. Serbia is not a rich place and so the living situation for these individuals is awful. It is sad to see that families feel it is the best thing to do for relative. They feel it is ok to send them away to a horrible living condition and struggle even worse than they were. They do not realize that these people are Gods children. As I thought about the children my mom teach, it would hurt me to see these children with disabilities be sent somewhere with poor conditions. It makes me sick to my stomach because these people are those who need lots of love sand support.

          Becoming a teacher will help me to help these children who are different and not just send them away from my classroom. I wont ignore them either. Just because they cannot learn at the same pace does not mean they can't learn at all. If a child learns only Howe to hold a spoon, or sit in a chair, then that is a big accomplishment for them. I want to be the one who is there for them and to see this accomplishment. We are all children of God and I know that if I make wrong choices and decide to push a child aside, Heavenly Father will not be happy with that choice. I need to be an example to everyone and help those who are falling. I may not be able to get to go to Serbia, but I will be given opportunities here in the United States, in my own classroom to help make a difference. I want those individuals who are different to feel comfortable and not scared to push forward.

          As I continued to go through the readings and clips. I came across the IDEA reading that had me comparing the People in Serbia, to a little boy named Hector. He was in first garden and struggled with anger problems and other kinds as well. He was put into a program where the teacher sat down with him and helped him learn to control his anger. He now is able to go out to recess and play with the other children without fighting with them. I loved the accomplishment of IDEA because children with disabilities are being educated in schools and in classrooms with non-disabled children. Children with disabilities have been able to graduate and even get jobs, which I found to be amazing, because even though they may have struggles, they are able to still do some things and make a living from it. This made me so happy because IDEA focuses so much on making sure these children are included in school and able to push toward goals just like the rest of us. They are able to have a future and talents.

Journal #1 Philosophy Statement

So I have had some confusion from last week, so I will throw in last weeks journal and this weeks journal. Last week I had some confusion with the philosophy paper. I have not seen my own paper in such a long time. When I looked for it, I found out it was more of a pamphlet than a paper. As I began to pull some of the ideas and questions from my philosophy pamphlet I began to realize that I do not know exactly what my philosophy is. I began to struggle and thought about what I really wanted as a teacher. I do want my children to be happy in the classroom, but I realized as I thought about it, my classroom will not be perfect. I want to be able to push all my students to their full potential, but I can't say how bad the struggle will be. I don't know what kind of children will walk through my door. I do know that I can push myself to make sure that everyone in my classroom will be loved and noticed. I am so excited to be a teacher and thinking about what I want for my classroom has got me thinking a little more about just what I will be faced with in the future. This class has been an amazing opportunity and has me thinking about soil much. It is exciting to see what every day has brought so fast. No class has been boring yet and so excited to see what is going to come as this semester continues to go by.

Journal on Serbia

After watching these clips, I don’t even think I will be able to express very well just exactly how I feel. My heart aches for each one of those individuals that live in those mental institutions in Serbia. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and yet they are suffering and no one really even knows. As members of the church, we have come to know that individuals like that are some of the Savior’s greatest and noblest. This is no way for such noble ones to be living.

 Their living conditions are less than human. Initially, I thought how could anyone allow these things to happen but after the initial shock, I realized that there are many external factors that contribute to how these mental institutions became so frightening. We know that this was a country that primitively shunned those that were disabled. Often times they were disowned from their families. This mind set still exists amongst many of the Serbians. Two other reasons why these mental institutions are the way that they are is because the country doesn’t have the resources to change it, and also most of the people don’t understand how bad it truly is in each institution. This is a subject matter that most Serbians have not been educated in. Most Serbians believe that an institution is the best place you can send your loved one that is disabled. These are problems that can’t be solved overnight.

Despite the problems being so complicated, it still made me realize that I want to do something more. It’s not going to change all in a day or even a year but maybe over time it can as we start to change the little things. I know I’m just one person but maybe there is a way to create a ripple. I believe that ripple begins in your own classroom, and personal life. I know that each Child of God is important to the Lord. I realized that even as a teacher, your job is so important. We have the opportunity to teach children in our own classroom that everyone is important even those that are disabled. We can teach them, and more importantly we need to be the examples to show them. Children really are the future, so we must try to do all that we can help and then teach the children to do the same so that one day that positive change we all hope for can become permanent.

I've struggled somewhat with my philosophy statement I wrote only about a year ago. It seems there are many things I believe about teaching and education that I struggle to condense down to a concise statement. I need to add several things, but I 'm having a hard time finding the right way to say it. I was  impressed with the talks we read this past week and I realize the principles brought out in those talks are things I want to make sure I include in my own philosophy. This exercise has been good for me to wrestle with what exactly I believe and how I want to communicate those beliefs in my statement. In the end, I know that it will benefit me having those ideas written down to refer to as I grow as a new teacher.

Journal for January 16th 

This week I was working a lot on my personal philosophy and looking back at the past two years (since I wrote my first philosophy two years ago) it is crazy to see how much my philosophy has changed with all the education and experience that i've received. One thing that has really helped me develop my statement was my job over the summer as a substitute teacher. During that time I was able to see a teachers hard work at action and notice what the children thought was really important and did well with in the classroom, and it also gave me an opportunity to pick up little pieces that I liked from all of the classrooms and merge them together in my own personal way. After going through this experience the most clear thing that I came to understand is my surety of wanting to be a teacher and wanting to make a positive influence in my students lives. 

Journal for week of January 12, 2015

This week I rewrote my personal teaching philosophy multiple times, with input from both my homies and my buddies. It was interesting to see what I had written almost three years ago in my original philosophy, and the principles or methods I thought were important then. As I revised my philosophy, I noticed it was a challenge to express my feelings on teaching and what words to include in my statement that would be the closest to how I felt. It made me think deeper about what my personal beliefs and feelings on education are, and how I want my classroom to be setup and run. I think I will continue to revise my statement throughout the semester as I learn more about the different disabilities and nontraditional students that I will have in my future classroom.

Welcome Homies!!