My Personal Mission

My Personal Mission

Tammie Johnson

Grand Canyon University: SPE 330

February 19, 2012

My Personal Mission

Before starting this class I knew that special education teachers were compassionate and worked hard to help children with disabilities to learn how to cope in the world around them. They were active citizens in their communities working to make a change so everyone could receive equal treatment. The special educator to me, go above and beyond the call of duty to help the exceptional needs students, they not only give their time but their love and understanding; for some students the special educator is like a parent that has taken them under wing and guiding their path for academic success.

Special Education teachers work with children from the age range of early childhood to young adult with a variety of disabilities. A small number of special education teachers work with students with other disabilities such as; mental retardation or autism, these groups of special educators dedicate their time primarily for teaching these students life skills and basic literacy. However, the majority of special education teachers work with children with mild to moderate disabilities, using the general education curriculum, or modifying it, to meet the child's individual needs. Some special educators who work with students with severe special needs often become very involved with the students' families in order to maximize student potential (Spivey, & Colon, 2012).

But after reading the article in the class resources I realize there is so much more to the meaning of special educator. I realize that I have the passion and the know how to be a successful special educator. I work hard in all my classes and I hold myself to the highest standards and I have what it takes to help students with disabilities; after all I was the special needs student, I have ADHD and Dyslexia, plus I can relate to the students needs because we share a common understanding of what it means to learn and be successful. Being a special educator takes a lot of work and it requires someone with more than just passion for teaching; it requires someone with a personal mission set to help students with the various disabilities and someone who will be there to help these children to succeed in a world that can sometimes be so cruel. The special educator must have the knowledge and know how to help students of different disabilities; they must be willing to stand up for the needs of the exceptional needs students. But before the special educator can help a student with special needs they must first understand the students' disabilities so they can create a plan that will outline the needs of the student to make sure a curriculum is based on the students' individual needs. Regardless of what setting the special needs student is placed in, the students must have an Individual Education Plan or (IEP); the IEP is a legal document that states what