The Sheridan College Educational Support (ES) program has been an incredible experience for me in numerous ways. Over the course of the last two years, this program has helped me immensely in both my personal and professional growth. It has helped me improve on a multitude of skills that will undoubtedly make me a more effective contributor to my society. I made new friends, met future colleagues, and interacted with all kinds of unique people who have made a positive lasting impact on me. Although returning to academics after being away from school for a few years made the initial adjustment difficult, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience.
One of the most impactful things that I learned from the ES program is the importance of prioritizing the students by focusing on their interests and needs to deliver student-centred support. The program taught me how to treat students with special needs with dignity and respect and involve them in all aspects of their learning as much as possible. One of the ways to accomplish this is by using person-first language, and describing what a student “has” rather than what a student “is”, because their special needs do not define who they are. I have learned to understand that any challenging behaviour demonstrated by a student is never personal and always just a result of numerous factors around them like the environment. I also learned the importance of making sure students with special needs are integrated and included into their classroom and not segregated as much as possible. Doing so gives these students a valuable opportunity to live life and practice everything like other people do.
Another pivotal learning experience for me throughout this program was making an effort to break the stigma regarding students with special needs. Society tends to label these people as incapable and disabled, which is not only very demeaning and detrimental to the success of these students, but outright incorrect as well. Students with special needs are people with feelings and can very much be contributing members of society just as much as anyone. With the right nurturing, teaching, and care, these students can grow tremendously into well-functioning people. As a result, I learned to put in my best effort as an EA to support these students physically, emotionally, and psychologically and to use all available resources like their IEPs to create an effective learning environment. Something else I learned to consider while working in schools during placement is the student’s confidentiality. I recognize that it is extremely important to protect the student’s personal information and any specific information regarding their disability, especially from those who are not directly involved in the student’s care. Finally, the ES program introduced me to the world of assistive technology and gave me an amazing opportunity to use and incorporate them into my care for students with special needs. I will strive to use these helpful tools when I work with students in the future.
Overall, the ES program has been an incredible learning opportunity and has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I have gained an appreciation for special education and a profound respect for people living with any kind of physical or psychological disability. I am excited to take what I have learned from this program with me into my future endeavours as I pursue a career as an Educational Assistant helping students with special needs.