The Council for Exceptional Children and Its Code of Ethics
The Council for Exceptional Children or CEC is an international organization that strives to improve the education of children who have disabilities or specific talents (CEC unpaged).
CEC promotes the adoption of governmental policies that can benefit such students; moreover, this organization facilitates professional development of teachers and helps them receive the resources that they may need.
On the whole, CEC cooperates with different agencies such as schools, educational agencies, policy-makers, and so forth. The activities of this organization are useful for helping children with disabilities as well as their families.
It should be noted that CEC has a code of ethics that governs the strategies of teachers who work with exceptional children.
First of all, one can speak about the commitment to improve the quality of education. These people must be constantly concerned with the welfare their students and their families.
Secondly, this code of ethics stresses the integrity of these professionals, especially when they interact with students, their parents, colleagues, or people who agree to participate in their research studies (CEC unpaged).
In other words, they should clearly explain the rationale for their decisions and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. It is possible to identify another important component of this code.
In particular, educators are obliged to develop their skills and expand their knowledge of instruction methods (CEC unpaged). It seems that this requirement is quite necessary because there are numerous studies that can potentially improve the experiences of learners.
Thus, a teacher should be familiar with the findings of many researchers and their recommendations (CEC unpaged). So, there are several distinct elements of this code, namely commitment, continuous improvement of their professional skills, and integrity.
My Vision of Special Education
Overall, these principles are quite consistent with my views on special education. In my opinion, the purpose of special education is to make sure that children with disabilities can acquire knowledge and skills that can help them integrate themselves into society.
Moreover, special education should help these students enter professional life without being disadvantaged in any way. These are the main goals that teachers should attain. This is why commitment to quality of education should a top priority for teachers.
In my opinion, educators should focus on the development of curriculum for such learners. They should remember that students can differ dramatically in terms of their abilities, interests, or skills. Moreover, teacher should adopt instruction methods that are best suitable for the students who may have disabilities or disorders.
It should be kept in mind that psychologists attempt to develop the most effective methods of instruction. Therefore, continuous improvement of instructional methods and techniques is obligatory for such special education professionals (CEC unpaged).
Finally, these educators should remember that conventional assessment criteria are not applicable to learners with disabilities because they cannot always reach performance standards set for non-disabled learners. Provided that these requirements are not met, exceptional children are not likely to succeed in schools.
Overall, my vision of special education was shaped mostly from my study of various books and articles related to the work of special educators. Secondly, I was able to observe the work of some special educators. Their commitment and professionalism produced a long-lasting impression on me.
This is one of the reasons why I chose this career path. Their example demonstrated to me that I could create value for other people. I think that my major task will be to promote the wellbeing of these learners and assist their parents. This is my main motive for becoming an educator.
The Best Practices
It is also important to speak about the best practices that special education professionals should adopt in their daily work. First of all, it is important to speak about the instruction methods that teachers should adopt when working with exceptional students.
One of the strategies that can be applied is modification of the learning task (Pardeck 69). For example, teachers should quickly alternate the activities of students who have attention deficit disorder.
Moreover, such learners should not be forced to do time-consuming tasks because these children may not be able to concentrate on these tasks.
The second method that I will use is accommodation (Pardeck 69). For instance, children with hearing impairments should have access to audio or large print books. Overall, the task of teachers is to bridge the gap between non-disabled students and learners with special needs.
Moreover, the use of instructional methods is critical for the educational attainment of these students.
Additionally, educators should focus on the environment that can facilitate learning and emotional growth of students with exceptional needs (Fromberg and Williams 333). Specific actions depend on the specific disability of a learner. A teacher should first pay attention to the spatial organization of learning.
For example, a student, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, should be visible to the teacher so that he/she could monitor the activities of a child; otherwise the learning of this student will not be productive. Moreover, it is important to remember about the learning materials that should be offered to his children (Fromberg and Williams 333).
For example, students with visual impairments should have access to books with Braille script. Admittedly, teachers should provide some accommodations for such learners; however, children with exceptional need should not be separated from other students.
They should be able to communicate with their peers; otherwise it may be difficult for them to socialize or develop emotional intelligence. Moreover, learning can be more productive when a person can exchange ideas with fellow-students. This is one of the main points that I can make.
The practices of educators are closely connected to the assessment of students with disabilities or talents. First of all, educators should closely evaluate the needs of children; special attention should be paid to the learning environment, the most optimal instruction methods, or learning materials and resources that they need (Fromberg and Williams 333).
Moreover, special education professionals should find ways of evaluating the performance of these learners. Teachers cannot always expect that the academic results will be similar to the results of non-disabled children.
In this case, the most important criterion is the individual education plan or the IEP that describes the developmental tasks set for a student and his/her acquisition of knowledge. This document should be the main guideline for teachers.
Both instruction and assessment are important for the transition of children into adulthood. This transition can be successful, provided the initial assessment is objective and accurate because only in this way, teachers can identify the strengths and weaknesses of a learner (Pardeck 69).
In contrast, appropriate instruction insures that a child with special needs can acquire knowledge and skills. Provided that teachers cope with these tasks, their students will be better prepared for professional life and interpersonal relations.
Children with disabilities should know how to live independently because they will not be able to rely on the assistance of parents or teachers. This is one of the tasks that special education professionals should cope with.
If I will work with children, who have special needs, I will certainly attach my importance to my professional development. In particular, I will regularly consult with my colleagues in order to discuss the best practices with them.
I may also ask them for their advice if I will encounter any significant problems. Moreover, I will continuously study academic literature that is related to special education. It seems that the findings of other researchers can greatly improve my work. These are the main steps that I will take.
Additionally, I will also have to represent a student with exceptional needs. For example, I can tell school administrators what kind of learning materials, resources, or technologies should be provided to the student. Secondly, I will closely cooperate with parents or legal guardians of the student.
These people should know every detail of the IEP, the academic progress of their children, and the goals that learners can achieve. Finally, it is important to work closely with school personnel. For instance, school nurses who should instruct students on disabilities on how they can avoid injuries.
These examples suggest that teachers should closely cooperate with other professionals who are responsible for the promotion of students’ welfare. Without this cooperation, the socialization and academic achievement of these students can be at risk.
Strengths and Weaknesses
In order to become a good teacher I should pay close attention to my strengths and weaknesses. First of all, I enjoy working with children and I am able to engage them into learning activities. In my opinion, I can design tasks that students can find interesting.
This is one of my major strengths. Furthermore, I have had a chance of observing the work of special education professionals and I can adopt some of their practices. It seems that this knowledge can greatly assist me in my career as a teacher.
However, I have to admit that there are several weaknesses that can prevent me from becoming a good teacher. Lack of confidence is one of these drawbacks. Sometimes it is difficult for me to cope with the feeling that my instruction methods may not be effective.
At this point, my education has not been completed, and I will definitely try to attempt to improve my professional skills.
In particular, I will study the best practices that special education professionals use, and attend workshops organized by experienced teachers. Finally, I hope that work experience and interaction with students can help me become a better teacher.
Overall, I think that special education is of great importance to contemporary society, because they are many students, who have disabilities and special needs, and teachers should facilitate their socialization and professional life.
In my view, children with exceptional needs should be offered more opportunities, especially if one is speaking about their vocational and family life. Finally, the problems related to special education policy-makers should attract attention of policy-makers and researchers.
Works Cited
Fromberg, Doris & L. Williams. Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education, New York: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Pardeck, John. Children’s Rights: Policy And Practice, New York: Routledge, 2006.
The Council for Exceptional Children. CEC Code of Ethics for Educators of Persons with Exceptionalities. 2011. Web.