From my point of view, the purpose of education is the formation of knowledge, skills, and intellectual, moral, creative and physical development of the student’s personality. The purpose of special education is also to predict in advance the results in the personal development of students, preparing them for independent life and work (Francisco et al., 2020). The general educational goal is to educate a person focused on the progress of society and universal values, continuous self-education and self-development. Education is addressed to the personal and semantic content of human activity, it is associated with the formation of life goals, value orientations and motives. Therefore, the goal of special education is defined as the goal of contributing to the comprehensive and harmonious development of student’s personality.
Personal Vision of Meeting Learning Needs
Meeting the learning needs of students with special needs are organically interrelated and complementary with self-development, and they are implemented in special educational conditions. The most important components of these using standards-based instruction conditions are the following. First of all, it is the availability of modern special educational programs, both general education and correctional and developmental. It also consists of taking into account the peculiarities of each child’s development, an individual pedagogical approach, manifested in a special organization of the correctional and pedagogical process (Wagner, 2019). Depending on the degree of limitation of opportunities, and first of all on the preservation of intelligence, as well as on the quality and timeliness of providing special educational conditions, people with developmental disabilities can master different levels of education. However, in all cases, to meet their needs, it is necessary to use standards-based instruction in combination with special methods and means of training compensation and correction, including technical ones.
Ethical Frameworks & Professional Practice Standards
A worker of special education must have pedagogical tact and the ability to follow the requirements of pedagogical ethics in relation to a child with limited opportunities. The ethics of professional working that will guide my practice is based on the unity of moral consciousness, moral activity and moral relations with children in the field of professional work (Wagner, 2019). In my ethical frameworks, those norms and rules of behavior will be observed, without which the social rehabilitation process and interaction with a child with limited life opportunities cannot proceed effectively.
Professional practice standards that will guide my professional practice will include compliance with core competencies. First of all, I will use professional hearing, which includes an understanding of the essence of the situation and the ability to understand the experiences of a child or teenager by external signs (Francisco et al., 2020). I will also operate with such standards of professional practice as optimism, that is, an approach to a child with faith in their potential, the reserves of their personality and their success. In addition, the conflict-solving techniques will be used in my professional practice: this is the ability to easily rebuild a difficult situation into a simple one, giving it a positive emotional coloring and positive orientation. Reflection also seems to me to be an important professional standard, that is, turning consciousness towards oneself, taking into account the ideas of students, parents and colleagues about their activities; this competence will also guide my professional practice.
Resources
Teachers should use different types of resources to continually deepen their understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences among their students. It is necessary to refer to officially approved resources that contain a large bank of educational and methodological literature. For example, one of the official websites in the education system is the international center for Information and educational resources (Masyhum, 2021). On it, the special education teacher can find out the latest news in the field of education, and download professional literature or watch conference recordings that expand the professional and cultural horizons of the teacher.
Professional Activities & Learning Communities
The development of Internet technologies has provided teachers with many opportunities for continuous self-education, acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Therefore, it is necessary to participate in various professional activities to improve their skills. For example, one can use courses for teachers, master classes, conferences, seminars, webinars and competitions (Wagner, 2019). Participation in online conferences and seminars will be as effective as offline events. Even with a heavy workload and a busy work schedule, the special education teacher can participate in remote activities aimed at professional development.
More and more teachers are actively participating in online professional communities. By joining such a learning community, each special education teacher gets numerous opportunities to communicate with colleagues, exchange experiences, and expand their own horizons. If desired, one can share their own experience with colleagues there, or ask for advice (Wagner, 2019). Participation in such communities gives access to news in education, the opportunity to share methodological developments. This allows special education teachers to feel part of a large pedagogical community, go beyond their school, and form their own professional ratings.
References
Francisco, M. P., Hartman, M., & Wang, Y. (2020). Inclusion and special education. Education Sciences, 10(238), 1–17.
Masyhum, M. A. (2021). Headmasters’ leadership on task load and job satisfaction of special education teachers in Malaysia. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(11), 304–319.
Wagner, J. (2019). “Weakness of the soul:” The special education tradition at the intersection of eugenic discourses, race hygiene and education policies. Conatus – Journal of Philosophy SI Bioethics and the Holocaust, 4(2), 83–104.