The competent teacher understands the diverse characteristics and abilities of each student and how individuals develop and learn within the context of their social, economic, cultural, linguistic, and academic experiences. The teacher uses these experiences to create instructional opportunities that maximize student learning.
For one of my special education courses, we were required to write a paper and give a 20-minute presentation on a specific disability. I was assigned Auditory Processing Disorder. For these two assignments, I had to research what the disorder is, signs and symptoms, and accommodations and modifications that can be made in the classroom for students who have Auditory Processing Disorder.
This presentation and paper show that I meet several indicators of the Illinois Professional Teacher Standard One. By including accommodations and modifications for the classroom as well as identifying the signs and symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder, I demonstrate that I “understand the spectrum of student diversity and the assets that each student brings to learning across the curriculum” (1A).
This presentation and paper also thoroughly identify the disorder and provide examples of how a student may act in the classroom. It also identifies how the student learns in a different manner according to their disability and ways in which teachers can best help their student learn in an appropriate manner. By doing so, this presentation and paper show that I “understand the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (1D).
By including a list of suggested accommodations and modifications for the classroom, homework and testing, I show that I can “differentiate strategies, materials, pace, levels of complexity, and language to introduce concepts and principles so that they are meaningful to students at varying levels of development and to students with diverse learning needs” (1J). By including items such as visuals, extra time, individualize assignments and allowing assistive technology, I show that a variety of different strategies must be used in order to teach students in a meaningful and intentional way.
I enjoyed getting to learn more about Auditory Possessing Disorder, how to identify it and how to teach students with this disability. By creating this presentation and writing this paper, I have greatly increased my awareness of different disabilities as well as have improved my knowledge of accommodation and modification strategies. By creating these two pieces I have stepped forward toward being a competent and proficient teacher, ready to educate all students, no matter their background, cultural experiences or individual needs.
For a special education course focused on communication, I created a communication board for an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Device (AAC). I created this board specifically for a nonverbal teenage girl who wants to do shopping at a make up store called Sephora. In order to create this board I had to first observe the type of language used at this store, then think about the most versatile and important language that could help this teenage girl communicate effectively. After creating the board, I wrote a short paper explaining my choices for each tile I included.
By creating this communication board and writing the explanation, I show that I meet Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 1G which states the competent teacher "understands how to identify individual needs and how to locate and access technology, services, and resources to address those needs (IPTS 1G)". By creating a board suitable for a teenage girl to communicate effectively in an age appropriate store, I show that I understand a students individual needs, both in and out of the classroom, and I know how to locate and use technology to support those needs.
This communication board and paper also show that I know how to use personal student information to tailor learning to their specific learning interests and needs. By including items in the communication board which a typical teenage girl would need and use to communicate in a store such as Sephora, I show that I have observed and identified specific communication needs. Through this I meet Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 1H which states the competent teacher "analyzes and uses student information to design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to ongoing growth and achievement (IPTS 1H)".
By creating this communication board for an AAC device, I learned more about the importance of language and accessibility to language for a student who has a communication disorder. I also learned how important it is for teachers to know how to add words to their students devices as well as know how to model using the device for students in order to help them learn how to use it properly. Lastly, this project also brought an awareness to the idea that each student deserves to have accessibility to communication and needs to be heard and acknowledged in their communication.