Reich College of Education

During my time here at Appalachian State University, I have had the opportunity to experience so many wonderful things. This being my last semester, I have realized how hands-on my education here has truly been. Being a part of the Appalachian Community of Education Scholars (ACES) has really opened up a world of opportunity for me. Not only did I attend classes, but I also had the opportunity to meet local students in the area and work with them. Also, Appalachian State University's education program is one that is very hands on itself. In the special education department, I have had the opportunity to complete two, five-week practicum internships. I am currently in the middle of my student teaching. Needless to say, I didn't just learn how to be a great teacher by sitting through a lecture, but by getting out there and practicing what my professors have taught me.

For my spring semester of 2015, I had the opportunity to serve as a practicum intern for five weeks in a kindergarten through fifth grade autism classroom. Here I was given the opportunity to work with students on a variety of things. Not only did I work on reading, writing, and math, but I also was able to help teach these students valuable functional skills that they would need in order to live independently. This experience was my very first experience of being "in charge" in a classroom. My cooperating teacher let me take control of the class after a few weeks of being there, and I was fully immersed. This being my first time on my own, I definitely made a lot of mistakes, but I learned so much from this experience. For example, I learned that when a child is very upset, it is very important to give them space and to speak in a very calm tone. Overreacting to a situation like this could end very badly. I may have learned this the hard way, but it was a valuable lesson.

During my fall semester in 2015, I had the opportunity to serve as a practicum intern for five weeks in a third through eighth grade autism classroom. During my five weeks, there, I focused heavily on behavior management strategies and strategies to teach literacy in reading, writing, and math. My teacher for this internship did the same as my last, and let me start to take control of the class after about two weeks. I can say that I had definitely learned a lot from the semester before, and I felt much more prepared to deal with problem behaviors. In this class, the students had severe needs, and explosive or noncompliant behaviors were not uncommon. I learned a lot during this semester about delivering effective reading and math instruction while also using classroom management activities to keep the classroom in order and to manage problem behaviors. My time during that internship was not easy, but I was able to learn so much about myself, and about the world of teaching special education. This semester really helped solidify for me that I was going into the correct field.

This semester, I have had the opportunity to student teach in a high school occupational course of study (OCS) class. The OCS curriculum is separate from the general curriculum, and offers a course of study more geared toward functional academics and vocational skills. The students placed in this curriculum are students who have disabilities, and do not function well in the general education. I have had the opportunity to teach an applied science class and a financial management class this semester. In both classes, I am constantly incorporating reading and literacy instruction in the lesson plans. My students are either in ninth or eleventh grade, but most read below a fifth grade level. Anytime that I see the opportunity to incorporate a reading literacy lesson in a science of finance lesson, I do it. My cooperating teacher has taught me a lot about integrating subjects like this in order to better meet the needs of the students we serve. This semester I have been able to strengthen my lesson plans, my teaching strategies, my behavior management strategies, and my crisis management strategies. Every day in OCS is a surprise, and it has taught me to be flexible, understanding, and tough.

Throughout my time here at Appalachian State University, my professors have done an amazing job of teaching me the things that I will need to know going in to my first year of teaching. Out of all of these classes, I do believe that my internships and my student teaching have taught me the most. I have learned that in my classroom, I will use multiple mediums in which to assess my students. My students will all learn differently, and will all have very diverse needs. I see myself teaching in a self-contained special education classroom for students with severe and profound cognitive and multiple disabilities. So commonly these students are viewed as students who cannot learn. This is simply not true. Every student can learn if they have the opportunity to do so in a way that meets there needs. With this, I must assess my students in a way in which that can truly show me how much they've learned. Also, throughout my time here at Appalachian, I have discovered that I will more than likely use some sort of positive behavior support (PBS) in my classroom. PBS is a research-based classroom management strategy in which you have a system of desired behaviors and their consequences. I would love to use some sort of picture or color system in which to represent the desired and not so desired behaviors in which I expect in my class. When students know the expectations, they are much more likely to succeed in the classroom.

In conclusion, my time here at Appalachian State University has taught me how to be the best teacher I can be. I have learned so many cool strategies related to behavior management, classroom management, reading, writing, and math instruction. My classroom will be hands-on, tactile, and fun. It will also be a safe place for students with disabilities to come and learn. I want my students to know that I love them, and that what they do matters to me. In the end, students
want to know that they are loved, and they want to do well. My job as a future special educator is to ensure that I set up my classroom in a way that promotes a safe environment in which this can happen. I truly believe that all students can succeed, but it is up to the classroom teacher to make that happen.