Classroom Operations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEOTMxlRn7c

Watching this YouTube video on the way a Special Education classroom operates, I saw a similarity in the way that they do things and the way that things were done in the Special Education classrooms in my high school. As the video states, each student has different goals that they are trying to accomplish. No two disabilities are the same which is why each student has a different way of learning throughout the day. This was also true of the Special Education students in my high school. During my senior year I volunteered my free period and was a Student teacher in the Special Education department. I worked with various students throughout the year and saw many different types of disabilities from a 2 girls with Autism; one of which was in a wheelchair, a boy that was non-verbal and used a device to speak, and a girl with down syndrome. Each child had a personalized class schedule, but two times during the day, all of the students would come together and have about 5-10 minutes of socialization which included each student either talking about their weekend, favorite color/animal, or simply saying hello. The main goal in a Special Education classroom is to teach each student life skills so that one day they will be able to be independent throughout the day. There is a sense of drive that flows through these students. They are much smarter than people give them credit for and just because they may learn at a slower pace and in a different way, does not mean that they cannot have a mature life like an able-bodied person.