Teaching students with special needs and learning difficulties is a challenging task that requires specific knowledge and skills. These children need an exceptionally safe and supportive environment to ensure that absorption of the material is not interrupted by their fears (Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2011). Thus, guidelines that help teachers work with these students were developed by Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The two common themes in CEC and InTASC standards are collaboration and leadership and ethical practice and professional learning. These two themes encourage professional development to improve teachers’ knowledge, skills, and values.
Both CEC and InTASC highlight the importance of cultivating teaching practices that help learners gain literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities; hence, collaboration and professional learning play an essential role in these two guidelines. CEC standards emphasize that educators should be lifelong learners who should also engage in mentoring programs (CEC, 2015). Furthermore, teachers must work cooperatively with professionals that maintain the health and well-being of children with special needs (CEC, 2015). Similarly, InTASC guidelines state that educators should “engage in ongoing professional learning” and “collaborate with learners, families, other school professionals, and community members” to ensure a high-quality teaching process (CCSSO, 2011, p. 9). These practices allow for constant improvement of their knowledge and skills.
Collaboration allows for student-driven, data-informed instructional decision-making. Information exchange allows for rigorous learning for teachers to develop an individualized approach to each child (CCSSO, 2011). According to InTASC standards, teachers are expected to advance their profession and improve practice by continuously seeking knowledge from external resources and colleagues (CCSSO, 2011). Overall, a professional learning theme provides students with accurate information necessary for their future careers, while a leadership theme ensures cooperation between professionals, facilitating the exchange of experiences and values.
In summary, the two common themes of InTASK and CEC standards are leadership and collaboration and professional learning and ethical practice. The former demands cooperation between educators, students, families, and other professionals to create a safe and comfortable environment for children with disabilities. The latter implies that teachers should be continuous learners who take responsibility for improving and advancing teaching practice, ensuring student-centered data-informed teaching.
References
CEC. (2015). Initial preparation standards. In What every special educator must know: Professional ethics and standards (pp. 1-4). Arlington, VA: CEC.
Council of Chief State School Officers. (2011). InTASC model core teaching standards: A resource for state dialogue. Washington, DC: CCSSO.