(PRE) Personal Philosophy

of Special Education

Karen I Villatoro
Gonzalez
 EDU203 * October 17,
2017
Professor Vicki L. Rieger
M. Ed.

1. The Profession: Why you are choosing this profession? Who or what experience has inspired
you? What is your personal knowledge or skill set that will serve you? What is your current
understanding of the school system you are choosing to enter?

When you love something you do and you dont do it for a paycheck, thats when you know you truly

LOVE what you do. I am entering this profession because since I was little and played teacher, I

knew this is what I wanted to do. Back then, I was just playing and showing my cousins their

numbers and letters but as I grew up, the whole picture of being a teacher has changed. I love it and

it is still teaching but it is more than that. It is taking every child under your wing and having them

belong to you. Hurting with them, achieving with them, smiling with them and even crying with them.

I admired and continue to admire my mom, she has been a Special Education teacher and program

director for the past 30 plus years and I have seen her sacrifices, knowledge and her eagerness to

help. She is one of the main reasons why I choose this though I refused to tell her that (laughing out

loud). My personal knowledge and skills are not only the ones I have seen from my mom and my

brother, who is also a Special Education teacher, it comes from years of volunteering and working in
schools and districts. My current understanding of the school system honestly is not much because

though I work in the school district, my main concern are the students and not the gossip or the

unfairness that some claim go on in the district. Does it exist, the problems or concerns, I am sure

they do but I dont get all wrapped up in that stuff and I say this not because I dont care but because

no matter where you go, there will be issues, problems or concerns. The main problem any district

has is the people that make the decisions without knowledge of the schools, the communities, the

classrooms and specially the students. It is then when all districts are impacted.

2. Teaching Philosophy: What educational philosophy and psychological orientation dictate your
current beliefs about special education? How does your knowledge of historical events set the stage
for how you will think about children and schools?

I see my educational philosophy as being one of having a positive outlook in people and life. By

refusing the words I cant or I wont in any sentence by a child it gives them the ability to understand

that everything can be done if they try. You can achieve everything and anything if you put your mind

to it and if you have people who believe in you. I do believe that all children no matter what their

learning or physical disability can achieve and has full potential in doing what they need to do to

achieve things in life. My psychological philosophy is one in the same. I love for children to

challenge themselves and to achieve things. I worked as a support staff for a class where there was

a little girl named Jayla who was wheelchair bound. Feisty as anyone could be, crossed her arms

and gave you the meanest of looks when you told her she was so smart. I tried to get her to smile
and she refused. I would sing and cheer and nothing. I kept telling her that she was bright and so

pretty and she should help me with her wheelchair. She was nonverbal but the smile she started

giving me after a month or so spoke to me and I knew she was starting to believe in herself. She

finally placed her hand on the left wheel of her wheelchair and I let out a cheer that made her giggle.

I then waited and waited and after another month or so she made her move. She did it! She made

her wheelchair go around and around and around. I would lock her right wheel though because by

then, she just would go anywhere and everywhere her wheelchair took her with that one hand

moving the left wheel. My knowledge and experience with children will help me in many ways in my

teachings and believing in children. All of the vents that have transpired thorough the years show an

improvement in special education and that is what I strive for, improvement. I am not perfect and

there is a lot of will power from me to learn and grow.

3. Instruction: What strategies will you implement? What will be your approaches to learning, student

diversity, student variability, and assessment?

The strategies I will be implementing are interactive instruction because I love role playing and I

myself am a very visual person. I believe most people are and when they see it played out they will

learn it faster and understand it better. Not only do they get to role play and have more of the visual

experience, they also get to interact more with their peers, they are able to build co-operative

learning groups learn to problem solve and so on. I would also implement the experimental learning
styles because they would involve field trips. Most field trips would be to places they can explore and

continue the classroom learning. It also involves games, interactives, role playing and interaction with

one another. Leaning to deal with all students is also important along with the strategies. You have

to be able to know and relate a bit to everyones cultures. My lesson plans will focus on everyone

and not just one particular person or idea. It is very important to be sensitive to everyones need

including the community and the families. You have to be able to provide a safe yet diverse

environment where all can learn. I plan on taking classes for other languages aside from English

and Spanish to better help other communities as well. The assessment methods I would use relating

to the students learning would be a bit of a mix. I would review their performance based on the skills

they have gained in class, their knowledge and understanding based of games such as Kahoots

and / or test and quizzes. I would also include a lot of project team based presentations to score

their participation with others and knowledge with the groups they are in. All of these methods are

very important for all classrooms and I am sure as I continue, I will learn many more techniques and

ways that will benefit the classroom and my students.

4. Future: What qualities do you need to possess to move forward in this career? What specific steps
(education, employment, volunteer experiences) do you plan to undertake in order to achieve your

goals?

The qualities that I need are mainly to finish school. At the rate that I am going, I am expected to

finish with two more semesters. After meeting my counselor just last week, I have decided to take

five more classes next semester, then file for graduation, then continue on to another semester with

two classes. After the following semester, I plan on starting the application for a substitute teacher

and also meet with National University for information on the accelerated program they are offering in

partnership with Clark County School District. Either way, I will be getting more hands on training in

the schools and in different areas. I particularly have been pushing myself really hard and with this

being my third semester here, I think I have done fairly well. I think positive and work positive and

am blessed to have my husband and three beautiful children who understand the reason behind all

this. They know that this is all in Gods plan and in my plans and they push me and empower me to

finish it off. I am looking forward to working in a community where I can be of service and show my

biological and school children that they can accomplish any and every goal they put their mind to.