Special education is a topic that I know far less about than the other lessons that we’ve covered so far. As a gen ed teacher, it will be important for me to know the ins-and-outs of SpEd policy and law along with what role I’m supposed to play in the process. #TLSC210

One of the most important things to take away is confidentiality. As a student’s teacher, I’ll have access to their IEP or 504 plan, which contain a lot of information about the student. I need to know that information to teach the student, but they still have a right to privacy.

Other students or adults might not know all the details of the student’s education plan, and it is their choice whether or not someone gets to know it. The evaluations performed to diagnose a disability can be invasive, but the student still has a right to privacy.

Another important takeaway for me is about accommodations. It will be necessary to me to follow a student’s education plan to help them learn as best they can, accommodating them whenever they need it. However, they still need to be academically challenged.

It will be important to make sure they are challenged according to their personal academic progress and goals. I want to ensure that they take away at least the essential parts of the material, along with challenging them to think critically about math and how it applies to life.

I’ll leave you with one last personal takeaway: a good teacher can really impact any student’s life, including students with disabilities. It is paramount for us future teachers to be patient, passionate, understanding, empathetic, the list goes on.