Will you rule your classroom, or will your students?

It always amazes me when I enter a classroom to see the dictatorship teaching styles that most teachers have in relation to their students. The student walks in the teacher lays down the rules and when the allotted time is up the student leave normally irritated and without learning anything new, in many cases the student feels overpowered, like what they have to say is irrelevant, and that they are being talked down to because they are, "just the student." In my opinion teachers and students should have an open relationship embracing the opinions of each other, know that both sides have something great to offer. I believe that a teacher should be there to monitor a classroom, but not rule it. We are here to educate our students, which means we need to conform to the ways that they learn best. Assuming that our way is the best way is doing a complete disservice to the student and to yourself. I think that the only way for us as educators to send successful students out into the world is by letting them take charge of their education and run with it. By doing this, I believe that students learn responsibility, confidences, leadership skills, and untimely feel empowered but what they themselves have accomplished. Teachers are supposed to be admired for what they do, not feared. Be the kind of teacher that allows your students to control how they learn, empower them and make a difference.

Keeping your Expectations the same....

Being in and out of a classroom all semester has opened my eyes to a world of low expectations when it comes to teaching? What happened to living in a world where you were pushed till you were about to break, but the reason they pushed so hard is because of the strong belief teachers had in you to succeed? This semester I was in and out of many different classrooms, and I'm ashamed to admit that most teachers bypass those students who have any type of disabilities instead of embracing them. While doing different service hours I was told by countless teachers, "oh don't worry about that one, he/she is slow, so we just let 'em do their own thing." I think the first time I heard that my eyes about popped out of my head. I was bewildered to say the least. What are we teaching our peers and our students if we don't take the time and create high expectations for all of our students? Just because a child has a learning disability doesn't mean we as educators have the right to pass them off like they don't matter. It is our responsibility and should be our privilege to educate them and hold them to the same high expectations we hold all of our other students too.

Doing it is the BEST way to learn!

As a future Special Education teacher I find myself always searching for new ways to better understand what my students are going through. I feel that I cannot properly help or educate them if I myself don't fully grasp what they are going though. I believe that this is something that all people, no matter what walk of life they come from, should attempt to do. One of the opportunities that I was fortunate to encounter this semester was an activity that took you thought different disabilities. In this activity you had to maneuver yourself though a building when sitting in a wheelchair. The requirements were that you went in and out of the front doors, went into the restroom, attempted to wash your hands, and just partake in day to day activities to see what it would really be like to be in a wheelchair. We did the same things while being blindfolded to represent what it would be like to be blind. Other activities that we did was attempt to write and draw simple lines while looking in a mirror to represent what it would be like to be dyslexic, piling about five very thick socks on our hand while attempting to pick up different items such as a pencil or a paperclip to represent the lack of fine motor skills. At one point we were not allowed to move any part of our body and had to attempt to type and write our names buy using tools with our mouths to signify what paralysis would be like. These really are just a few of the outstanding activities that we got to partake in. After this exercise I was so overwhelmed with so many emotions that I wasn't sure to laugh or cry, but after having a little time to reflect this activity is something that I would love to start in schools all over the world in attempts to better educate others on what it is like to be disabled. My hope is that if others can experience this even for a short amount of time they might have a better understanding and be able to help make accommodations for their students. Although most of us will never fully understand what its like to be disabled in one way or another, maybe by participating in an activity such as this, it will help eliminate a lot of the bias' put on those with disabilities and create a more accepting world.