Exceptionalities in the Classroom

Students with exceptionalities fall into six different categories. There are intellectual students who are above average as well as those below. Communicative which are students who have speech or language impairments. Sensory which are students who have auditory or visual impairments. Behavioral which are students who are emotionally disturbed. Physical which are students with mobility issues and Multiple which are students who have a combination of conditions. In an average size classroom of twenty-five students, 2 to 3 students exhibit one or more exceptionalities. No matter the exceptionality every child should be included in the classroom and have an equal opportunity to learn and have an elite education. I have a cousin who has mobility issues and is considered an exceptional student, and i would want her to have a chance to experience education inside of a classroom and learn as much as possible. Being that I am a Early Childhood and Special Education major, i will have the opportunity to work with students that have different kind of exceptionalities.

"I AM"

I am smart and beautiful

I wonder what people think of me

I hear that life is not easy  

I see every moment worth cherishing

I want to be a proficient educator

I am smart and beautiful

I pretend that everything is going to be okay

I feel my mothers touch

I touch the "that was easy" button

I worry about falling behind

I cry tears of joy

I am smart and beautiful

I understand that you have to work hard to get far

I say if you want it, go for it 

I dream about teaching my own class

I try not to judge a book by its cover

I hope to achieve all my goals

I am smart and beautiful



My Critical Incident

There was a critical incident that happened at Hunt Elementary School in the class that I observe where there was a little boy who has accidents on his self because of his bladder issue. One day when he went on the daycare van they came to my cooperating teacher and wanted to know why he was in dirty pants all day, but she did not know about it. So, his mother came to the school the next day to discuss in depth on why he was having a bathroom issue to make sure that he uses the bathroom when he has to. The mother said that the boy was born without an anus and the doctors had to make him one. So the problem with that is he has no feeling in there. He can tell when he has to go, and he knows when it happens but he can’t feel anything in between that, and he was beginning to have more accidents on himself because of the new meds he was taking. Being that the boy is shy it was very hard for him to go to the teacher to let her know that he had an accident on himself. So my cooperating teacher decided to come up with a buddy card that is placed at her desk and if he ever has an accident and he gives her the card no matter what she is doing, she stops and gives him his book bag to go and change without any of the students knowing about what is going on. His mother then started to let him wear pull-ups to school because the accidents were to frequent so when he goes to the bathroom the teacher would make sure she has gloves to check on him and brings a plastic bag to ensure that the other kids wouldn’t know he wears pull-ups and get picked on. I think my teacher handled that situation the best way possible and it also made the student a lot more comfortable to go to her and tell her that he needed to change.

My Synopsis on Waiting for Superman

Waiting for Superman directed by Davis Guggenheim; written by Mr. Guggenheim and Billy Kimball is a powerful and eye-opening documentary that talks about America's failing school system.  Mr. Davis Guggenheim explores the tragic ways in which the American public education system is failing our nation's children, and explores the roles in which charter schools and education reformers could play in offering hope for the future. This documentary emphasizes on the different things that are being encountered day to day like students dropping out, science and math scores falling, and schools closing due to lack of funding. The saddest part of the movie that I had to endure was the fact that five of the students Bianca, Emily, Anthony, Daisy, and Francisco future depended on winning a lottery ticket to a charter school. This just really shows that the state in which education is in now; there is a necessity for change and we have to come together as a community and find possible options for improvement.

My 21st Century Classroom

My 21st century classroom would be located inside of an elementary school surrounded by a lot of caring and committed teachers like myself. I would have a lot of dedicated students that are ready to not only learn but also have fun. I would have a couple of inclusions in my classroom but they would fit right in, and would feel no different from the rest of my students and their classmates. All of my students would be treated like my own once they enter my classroom, just the smell would make them feel comfortable as if it were a second home. When a parent walks in, they would feel secure knowing their child is in a great learning environment. Looking into my room they would see that the students education is my number one priority and no child would be left behind. There would be different pictures on the wall from letters to numbers and even shapes. My students would want to be proactive and will go home everyday with a little more knowledge than they had before and will be just as excited on the first day to come everyday.