INDIVIDUAL CAREER MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO
Having a career is a need of each individuals for them to reach their goals. As part of day-to-day living, people like SPED (Special education) teachers reach office in time for them to teach their children Employment of special education teachers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. Although student enrollments are expected to grow only slowly, additional positions for these workers will be created by continued increases in the number of special education students needing services, by legislation emphasizing training and employment for individuals with disabilities, and by educational reforms requiring higher standards for graduation. In addition to job openings resulting from growth, a large number of openings will result from the need to replace special education teachers who switch to teaching general education, change careers altogether, or retire. At the same time, many school districts report difficulty finding sufficient numbers of qualified teachers. As a result, special education teachers should have excellent job prospects.
The job varies by geographic area and specialty. Although most areas of the country report difficulty finding qualified applicants, positions in inner cities and rural areas usually are more plentiful than job openings in suburban or wealthy urban areas. Student populations, in general, also are expected to increase more rapidly in certain parts of the country, such as the South and West, resulting in increased demand for special education teachers in those regions. In addition, job opportunities may be better in certain specialties—such as teachers who work with children with multiple disabilities or severe disabilities like autism—because of large increases in the enrollment of special education students classified under those categories. Legislation encouraging early intervention and special education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers has created a need for early childhood special education teachers. Bilingual special education teachers and those with multicultural experience also are needed to work with an increasingly diverse student population.
The number of students requiring special education services has grown steadily in recent years as improvements in identification has allowed learning disabilities to be diagnosed at earlier ages. In addition, medical advances have resulted in more children surviving serious accidents or illnesses, but with impairments that require special accommodations. The percentage of foreign-born special education students also is expected to grow, as teachers become more adept in recognizing learning disabilities in that population. Finally, more parents are expected to seek special services for those of their children who have difficulty meeting the new, higher standards required of students.
As we all know, many students with exceptionalities such as mental retarded, autistic, hearing impaired, visual impaired, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, etc. May recieve more attention and affection in the classroom. According to the Magna Carta Chapter II SECTION 12. Access in Quality Education. The State shall ensure that disabled persons are provided with adequate access to quality education and ample opportunities to develop their skills. It shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all disabled persons. It shall be unlawful for any learning institution to deny a disabled person admission to any course it offers by reason of handicap or disability.
The State shall take into consideration the special requirements of disabled persons in the formulation of educational policies and programs. It shall encourage learning institutions to take into account the special needs of disabled persons with respect to the use of school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements, and other pertinent considerations.
The State shall also promote the provision by learning institutions, especially higher learning institutions, of auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process for disabled persons.
Education is now becoming increasingly critical to career success. Therefore, the emphasis on life-long learning and personal development, whether formal through organized seminars, or informal through reading and self-learning, is vital to promote a learning attitude that will continually develop new skills and acquire new knowledge. The (NCLB) No Child Left Behind was signed by George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. Whether a child is normal or has disabilities, he/she should be sent to school by his/her parents. This paper focuses its discussion on the career management of SPED (Special Education) Teachers. This paper attempts to analyze the relationship between the SPED Special Education) Teachers and Special students in the classroom and identifying their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats they face in pursue of their careers. Included also is a sample of an IEP (Individualized Education Program) and a Teaching priorities of a student who has disabilities.
Special education teacher licenses are Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities; Teacher of Young Children with and without Disabilities; Teacher of the Deaf or Hard of Hearing; Teacher of the Visually Impaired; and Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities. The Highly Qualified standards apply only to teachers holding these licenses and not to special educators holding other types of licenses. Therefore, teachers are exposed to different characteristics of individuals with special needs as well as instructional modifications and behavioral management techniques that assist individuals in the regular education environment. They help to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each special education student. The IEP sets personalized goals for each student and is tailored to the student’s individual needs and ability. When appropriate, the program includes a transition plan outlining specific steps to prepare students with disabilities for middle school or high school or, in the case of older students, a job or postsecondary study. They review the IEP with the student’s parents, school administrators, and the student’s general education teacher. Teachers work closely with parents to inform them of their child’s progress and suggest techniques to promote learning at home. As schools become more inclusive, special education teachers and general education teachers are increasingly working together in general education classrooms. They help general educators adapt curriculum materials and teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities. They coordinate the work of teachers, teacher assistants, and related personnel, such as therapists and social workers, to meet the individualized needs of the student within inclusive special education programs. A large part of a special education teacher’s job involves interacting with others. They communicate frequently with parents, social workers, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, school administrators, and other teachers.
Special education teachers work in a variety of settings. Some have their own classrooms and teach only special education students; others work as special education resource teachers and offer individualized help to students in general education classrooms; still others teach together with general education teachers in classes composed of both general and special education students. Some of these work with special education students for several hours a day in a resource room, separate from their general education classroom. Considerably fewer special education teachers work in residential facilities or tutor students in homebound or hospital environments.
Teacher quality research is on the forefront of policy makers’ minds that teachers can make a difference in student achievement growth value added assessment (Ross, Stringfield, Sanders and Wright, 2003). Exemplary teacher studies (Pressley and Allington, 1998; Wengllingsky, 2002). Policy studies employing teaching characteristics (Darling-Hammond, 1999; Rice, 2003). Classroom observation research (Haager, Gersten, Baker and Graves, 2003). It is important relationship between teacher preparation, teacher effectiveness and student outcomes. Novice teachers may have difficulty promoting student engagement in reading curriculum like superficial understanding of how to address individual student needs within broader curriculum, demonstrates difficulties with student discipline, lack strategies to engage students in their work and content specific pedagogical understandings limited (Reynolds, 1995). Teachers are responsive to students learning and understanding: recognize when student needs assistance, provide specific help when needed, adjust instruction based on student need, reinforce student achievement using specific feedbacks like very good, you’re doing a great job, keep it up! Teachers provide cohesive, well coordinated-lessons: balanced instruction incorporating all elements of reading, fast-paced transitions to new activities and connections between ideas and activities. Teachers create a safe and supportive environment for participation: employ behavior management techniques, arrange and manipulate learning environments to foster participation, use peers to assist student responding and learning. We should learn and know that techniques and structures used to promote engagement demonstrate an integration of what we know from the process-product and motivation literature and that, teachers can foster high engagement even when using highly structured curriculum. Other occupations involved with the identification, evaluation, and development of students with disabilities include psychologists, social workers, speech language pathologists, audiologists, counselors, teacher assistants/teacher aid, occupational therapists, recreational therapists and teacher-preschool kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary.
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
IEP Development Date: Student Name: Age: Sex:
Level: School: Birth Date: ID Number: Exceptionality(ies):
Evaluation/Reevaluation Date: Date of Last IEP:
Unique Educational Needs, Characteristics, and Present Levels of Performance (PLOPs)
(including how the disability affects the students ability to progress in the general curriculum)
Special Education, Related Services, Supplemental Aids & Services, Assistive Technology, Program Modifications, Support for Personnel
(including frequency, duration, and location)
Measurable Annual Goals & Short-Term Objectives or Benchmarks
· To enable student to participate in the general curriculum
· To meet other needs resulting from the disability
(including how progress toward goals will be measured)
Present Level of Social Skills:
He lashes out violently when not able to complete work, uses profanity, and refuses to follow further directions from adults.
Social Needs:
· To learn anger management skills, especially regarding swearing.
· To learn to comply with requests
Services 3 times/week, 30 minutes
Goal: During the last quarter of the academic year, he will have 2 or fewer detentions for any reason.
Obj. 1: At the end of the 1st quarter, he will have had 10 or fewer detentions.
Obj. 2: At the end of the 2nd quarter. The child will have had 7 or fewer detentions.
Obj. 3: At the end of the 3rd quarter, he will have had 4 or fewer detentions.
Goal: The Child will manage his behavior and language in a reasonably acceptable manner as reported by faculty and peers.
Obj. 1: At 2 weeks, asked at the end of class if the child’s behavior and language were acceptable or unacceptable, 3 out of 6 teachers will say acceptable.
Obj. 2: At 6 weeks, asked the same question, 4 out of 6 teachers will say acceptable.
Obj. 3: At 12 weeks, asked the same question, 6 out of 6 teachers will say acceptable.
Unique Educational Needs, Characteristics, and Present Levels of Performance (PLOPs)
(including how the disability affects the students ability to progress in the general curriculum)
Special Education, Related Services, Supplemental Aids & Services, Assistive Technology, Program Modifications, Support for Personnel
(including frequency, duration, and location)
Measurable Annual Goals & Short-Term Objectives or Benchmarks
· To enable student to participate in the general curriculum
· To meet other needs resulting from the disability
(including how progress toward goals will be measured)
Study Skills/Organizational Needs:
How to read text
Note taking
How to study notes
Memory work
Be prepared for class, with materials
Lengthen and improve attention span
and on-task behavior
Present Level:
Carl currently lacks skill in all these areas.
Note taking from lectures
Note taking while reading text
How to study notes for a test
Memorization hints
Strategies for reading text to retain
information
Goal: At the end of academic year, he will have better grades and, by his own report, will have learned new study skills.
Obj. 1: Given a 20-30 minute lecture/oral lesson, he will take appropriate notes as judged by that teacher.
Obj. 2: Given 10-15 pages of text to read, he child will employ an appropriate strategy for retaining information e.g., mapping, webbing, outlining notes, etc. as judged by the teacher.
Obj. 3: Given notes to study for a test, he will do so successfully as evidenced by his test score.
Goal: the child will improve his on task behavior from 37% to 80% as measured by a qualified observer at years end.
Obj. 1: By 1 month, the child on-task behavior will increase to 45%.
Obj. 2: By 3 months, the on-task behavior will increase to 60%.
Obj. 3: By 6 months, he will be on-task behavior will increase to 80% and maintain or improve until end of the year.
Unique Educational Needs, Characteristics, and Present Levels of Performance (PLOPs)
(including how the disability affects the students ability to progress in the general curriculum)
Special Education, Related Services, Supplemental Aids & Services, Assistive Technology, Program Modifications, Support for Personnel
(including frequency, duration, and location)
Measurable Annual Goals & Short-Term Objectives or Benchmarks
· To enable student to participate in the general curriculum
· To meet other needs resulting from the disability
(including how progress toward goals will be measured)
Academic Needs/Written Language:
The child needs strong remedial help in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage.
Present Level:
The child is approximately 2 grade levels behind his peers in these skills.
Services provided in small group of no more than four students in the resource room, 50 minutes/day.
Goal: Within one academic year, he will improve his written language skills by 1.5 or 2 full grade levels.
Obj. 1: Given 10 sentences of dictation at his current level of instruction, he will punctuate and capitalize with 90% accuracy (checked at the end of each unit taught).
Obj. 2: Given 30 sentences with choices of usage at his current instructional level, he will perform with 90% accuracy.
Obj. 3: Given a list of 150 commonly used words in writing, the child will spell with 90% accuracy.
Adaptations to Regular Program:
· In all classes, the child should sit near the front of the class.
· He should be called on often to keep him involved and on task.
· All teachers should help him with study skills as trained by spelling/language specialist and resource room teacher.
· Teachers should monitor the child work closely in the beginning weeks/months of his program.
Participants:
Special Education Teacher : Regular Education Teacher:
Parents: Guidance Counselor:
Other IEP Team Members: Resource room teacher:
TEACHING PRIORITIES FOR A CHILD
QUARTER
WRITING
LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION
PSYCHOSOCIAL SKILLS
COGNITIVE & ACADEMIC
SELF-HELP
VOCATIONAL SKILLS
1ST
- to copy and trace shapes
– to trace letters and numbers
– to be able to recognize objects by description
– share & take turns w/ reason
– to be able to sort objects according to attributes & describe shape/size.
- to be able to recognize directional signs & symbols according to shape & color (picture)
To be able to identify coins
2ND
– to color objects with in the line
– to be able to answer basic information about himself:
I live in…
My father is…
My mother is…
– to be able to name children in the group playing & identify 2 friends
– be able to recognize shape
– be able to recognize numerical figures (1 to 5)
– to be able to read & understand traffic light signals (green means go, red means stop)
- be able to identify coins (centavo-P10 coin)
Strengths & Weaknesses of being a Special Education Teacher
1.Special education teachers enjoy the challenge of working with students with disabilities and the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with them. Although helping these students can be highly rewarding, the work also can be emotionally and physically draining. Many special education teachers are under considerable stress due to heavy workloads and administrative tasks. They must produce a substantial amount of paperwork documenting each student’s progress and work under the threat of litigation against the school or district by students’ parents if correct procedures are not followed or if the parents feel that their child is not receiving an adequate education, although recent legislation that has been passed is intended to reduce the burden of paperwork and the threat of litigation. The physical and emotional demands of the job cause some special education teachers to leave the occupation.
2.School districts do their best to integrate students with disabilities generally; small schools tend to do it better.
3. Fall vision conference provided a good opportunity for parents and service providers.
4. Federal support for students with disabilities.
5. Many sources of information are available.
6. Lack of state assessment data; reading below grade level; lack of student achievement data at the state level; lack of successful outcomes; needs assessment data and outcomes data (valid and reliable).
7. Need more parent education to ensure students are receiving services; communication with parents, birth to age 3,(more categorical programs); lack of parent information resources on a consistent basis; parents don’t seem to know sources for information; specialized.
8. Preparation for life post-school is insufficient; transition resources/career education; post secondary; attitudes and don’t see the need to provide self help, independent living skills, etc.
REFERENCES:
American Educational Research Association
2004 Mike Holt, M.Ed. – The Institute for School University Partnerships, Texas A&M Univeristy
http://www.sjcisd.org/grants/tech /Kelly_Barlow.htm Kelly Barlow Moorsbridge Elementary Portage Public Schools
Voros, Sharon (1997). Managing your career: the new realities. Communication World. February 1, 1997
Slayton, Rick (2006). Rising demand for executives. HRM Guide Executive Search. Sept. 14, 2006. Available: http://www.hrmguide.com/jobmarket/supply-demand.htm
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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