Part III: Positive Behavior Supports, Differentiated Instruction, and Assistive Technology

The main goal of a special education teacher is to provide students with disabilities the opportunity to have a place in school and society.  They seek to educate children with disabilities to the greatest extent possible with their peers who are non-disabled in the most inclusive setting possible. The college’s conceptual Framework states that special education teachers should advocate for learning.  “They believe all students can learn and embrace the roll of advocating for and supporting the interests of the whole child.  They engage students and their parents as partners in a positive, learning-focused classroom community” (Conceptual Framework, n.d.).  Special Education teachers value diversity equity and inclusion. They “are prepared to acknowledge and value the characteristics and potential of diverse TK-12 students.  They are provided opportunities to demonstrate the value of diversity and equity, implement inclusive practices within instruction, and provide a welcoming classroom climate and high-quality instruction to students in diverse school settings.”  (Conceptual Framework, n.d.).  Professional special education teachers collaborate with educational communities. They learn and practice the skills they learn in college and use these skills in their professional interactions both inside and outside the classroom.  They work with families, students, colleagues and community services to meet the induvial educational and social emotional needs of their students. They “engage with educational professionals to continually improve instructional practices.” (Conceptual Framework, n.d.). Special education teachers are “competent in their ability to choose and incorporate educational technology into their classroom instruction.  They develop an appreciation for and ability to analyze, select and craft appropriate technology-based lessons.” (Conceptual Framework, n.d.).  Professional special education teachers reflect on their teaching, students and how their professional practice impacts student success. They reflect on their planning, instructional, and assessment practices and make adjustments as needed to ensure all students have the opportunity to meet their full potential.  They lead through innovative practices and create classrooms where they and their students explore, research, and use a variety of tools to uncover something new and use a higher level of thinking to solve problems. Lastly, Professional special education educators exemplify the highest ethical standards. (Conceptual Framework, n.d.).

  I believe that is so important to create a positive learning environment.  This must include somewhere where students can feel safe and can easily access everything in the classroom.  The classroom has to be bright and engaging but also depending on students needs may need to be calm and soothing.  I think that teachers need to know their students and their needs before setting up their classroom to ensure that the classroom is a positive learning environment for everyone.

    “Positive Behavioral Strategies are evidence-based approaches for promoting behavior that is conducive to learning.  We start with the understanding that behavior is a form of communication.  In other words, behavior is a message about what a student needs.  Our goal as teachers is to receive these messages and set our students up for success.” (*Positive Behavior Strategies: An Approach for Engaging and Motivating Students - NCLD*, 2021). Educators should use behavior-specific praise and provide positive feedback to recognize and affirm specific desired student behaviors.  They should routines and classroom guidelines that are easily viewed by students and everyone knows them.  Immediate feedback is important as students need affirmative and corrective feedback to know if they are on track.  Short and simple requests should be made when implementing high-probability request sequences.  Give students choices when you can and use pre-corrections when possible. (*Positive Behavior Strategies: An Approach for Engaging and Motivating Students - NCLD*, 2021b)