After
reading the blog on “Ashley” it further confirmed our duty as educators to find
the special need in all students. Often we look to cater to the need of the
child whose special need is recognizable by color, height, weight, physical
abnormality or mental capabilities. We often label children that act out or cause
class disruptions as the “bad student” rather than a student that has an
undiagnosed, unrecognizable “special need”. I would challenge all of us to look
for the special need in all our students. Seek to find the activity or lesson
that will spark the interest of that student, helping to build their self
esteem and creativity. From that alone as witnessed with “Ashley” we can turn
that student’s life around by showing them that we care. Caring can be
contagious. Once students witness that there teacher cares; students will
follow in action. Finally, my suggestion is that we all keep an open mind whether we are
in the classroom, media center or boardroom. We all have hidden talents waiting
to be discovered and nurtured by someone who cares. As teachers we have an obligation
to students, to pay special attention to all students, so that we can enhance who
they are.
As far as my personal experiences in the media center, I have not witnessed any known special needs being addressed. I have not observed any special accomodations being made for anyone with special needs in the media centers that I have had the opportunity to observe. However, I will make a conscious effort in the future to be aware of the diverse needs that should be addressed; giving all students the opportunity to learn and enjoy all that the media center has to offer.
You are so right about finding the special thing in every student. It is so easy for students to get labeled and then never be able to out grow the label. I am not even talking about Special Education labels, I am referring to "behavior" labels. I know that once my first graders develop a reputation for behavior (which usually happens the first week they are in the school)they are pegged that way until the last day of 5th grade. The PE, music, art, lunch monitors, etc, will all expect them to misbehave. When we expect a child to act a certain way, they will! Finding something that will give that child an outlet will not only help their behavior, but will create a bond that will be forever. As a media specialist, it is important that we try to give all children a clean slate. We have the power to affect a person's life each and every day, not always in what standard we teach them, but always in the way we treat them.
ReplyDeleteDanica,
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until my gifted certification course that I realized special needs students weren't just the ones with physical or processing disabilities. They also include the students who are very smart; according to the course, these students are also special needs. The only difference is the fall at the opposite end of the spectrum. You stated that we need to have resources in the media center that all students can enjoy. I agree. This reminds me of the two year programs assignment we had to complete for 6466. When we consider implementing different programs in the media center, we need to be sure they include each student's needs in some way. Some of the programs from the one I did with my group included a book club for students interested in the current popular reads such as the Peach list, coffee club for students who are college bound, poetry slams, lunch bunch for remediation before standardized tests, and monthly cultural recognition. These are programs that can benefit students across campus: those who love to pleasure read; those who need extra help; those who love to express themselves and so on.
I love this topic. All of our students are diverse in their own way. I teach gifted students and often get the other end of the stereotype where other teachers think I have it easy because I have the gifted students. They have this reputation to be the "smart" kids. Whereas they often are very intelligent, they have their own unique struggles and issues. In fact, I often have students who are considered "twice exceptional"- meaning they are in the gifted program but also have some sort of disability. In these gifted classes, they often don't have special support from special education teachers to help them. I also have to find ways to differentiate for the gifted students in order to keep them engaged and also get them to learn something.
ReplyDeleteDiversity in the media center should be celebrated. I agree with Marian that special needs go beyond those that we see or that can be diagnosed. I have a child in my class now who I saw in the media center, when I was a para, as a 2nd grader. I already had a preconceived idea of how he was going to behave in my classroom. I have struggled all year with changing my thoughts about this student. Special needs can also be knowing when a child might need a book on dealing with grief or divorce. We as media specialists must be sensitive to all situations.
ReplyDelete