My goal is to challenge my perspective on inclusive education within the special education sector and understand both perspectives with respect to whether inclusive education is the best route for all students.
After spending time researching the intent behind schools such as PACTT along with having conversations with my supervisor and the principal of PACTT, I was able to reach this goal. Having the opportunity to take an in depth look at schools that do not provide inclusive education allowed me to understand the need for contained education spaces. Prior to starting my internship at PACTT, there were multiple articles detailing the importance of inclusive classrooms for all students with special needs. However, I have learned that a school such as PACTT, along with other contained schools, is sometimes the best resource for students in providing needed accommodations and resources. The main obstacle in reaching this goal was understanding the type of school PACTT is. Because there are multiple schooling options for students with special needs, it was difficult to navigate all of special education in order to properly define PACTT. To overcome this roadblock, I primarily focused on having intentional discussions with my supervisor to address my questions as well as setting up a meeting with the principal of PACTT. With these conversations, I was given more information as to the underlying structure of schools such as PACTT and how students become enrolled in a school such as PACTT. Overall, I do not think there is anything I would have changed about this goal. Because this question is a popular debate regarding special education, having this broad goal allowed me to navigate different perspectives regarding inclusive classrooms versus contained classrooms. Accomplishing this goal has provided me with a more detailed understanding of special education. Moving forward with my career in education as well as education policy, having the viewpoint that inclusive education may not be best suited for all students will allow me to make more intentional decisions as it pertains to special education funding. Also, my potential career in education policy will inevitably place me in a position where I will discuss special education. Taking my experience at PACTT, along with accomplishing this goal, I believe that I will have a broader perspective to offer during these conversations.
My goal is to learn how to structure an Individual Education Plan and understand the resources needed for this documentation to be successful for a student.
Due to COVID-19 as well as legal barriers, I was unable to accomplish this goal entirely. Prior to COVID-19, I had the opportunity to learn about the different pieces that constitute an IEP, such as establishing goals that are developed from accomplished goals, incorporating input from the school's occupational therapist, as well as how the meetings between the family and the school occur. However, because of the virus, I was unable to complete this goal due to my time in the classroom ending. During my time in the classroom, I was able to talk with my supervisor about different elements of an IEP as well as being introduced to student goals. Given the limitations from the virus along with being legally barred from accessing an IEP, I was unable to fully accomplish this goal. To change this goal, I would have instead chosen a different goal entirely. Due to legal limitations as well as time constraints with my supervisor, I was unable to access an IEP or learn more about constructing an IEP generally. What I was able to learn about IEPs has provided me with valuable knowledge of all that does go into constructing these plans for students. As a future educator, this experience has motivated me to take additional courses on IEPs especially as it pertains to inclusive classrooms. In connecting this experience to my future work in education policy, I hope to consider the multiple resources that make an IEP successful for a student and advocate for equitable access to these resources (such as an occupational therapist in the case of PACTT).
My goal is to improve my skills in working with students with special needs to become more confident with engaging in special education.
While I hoped to continue this goal through the remainder of the semester, I do believe that I have accomplished this goal to the best of my ability. Working with students with special needs and becoming more confident in working within special education is a continual goal. However, following my 2 months spent in a high school classroom at PACTT, I have developed valuable skills when working with students with autism and thereafter understanding the needs in special education classrooms. At the beginning of my internship, I lacked confidence while engaging with students out of fear that I might not be implementing the best techniques or communication styles. After spending more time with students in the classroom, I naturally learned the different techniques and communication tools that work with each student as well as how to be more flexible with my interactions with students. To adjust for COVID-19, I continued working indirectly with students by helping created remote lesson plans. In doing so, I was able gain confidence in working with more curriculum based tasks. If I were to reframe this goal, I would have attempted to narrow the scope. Instead of simply 'improving my skills', I wish I would have outlined specific skills I had hoped to develop during this time (such as how to work with students when they become escalated). Learning how to best engage students is a continual learning process for educators. Thus, I think that I will never accomplish this goal. But, with my experience in the high school classroom at PACTT, I am that much closer to having a more diverse understanding of how to best work with my students. Also, in my future work in education policy, I hope to apply this experience towards my policy decisions and influence. It is my personal belief that working in education policy requires some semblance of working in education beforehand. Thus, having a diverse range in experiences between multiple educational settings will allow me to understand a wider scope of needs that should be addressed.