Exceptional and special students
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Using appropriate assessment strategies to research on the diversity of community dynamics especially with the needs exceptional and special students
Introduction
The increase in the cultural, ethical and even racial diversity has been observed in many of the schools since the wake of the twentieth century. This reflection is mostly featured in the classrooms of early childhood. Since it is in the early childhood periods that one gets to develop him or herself, the initiation and instilling of the proper values in the life of a child is of fundamental importance. In these early childhood classrooms, the reception of children with disabilities and victims of development delays are also increasing. This increase in the diversity of overall composition in classrooms has created a challenge. It has also presented many opportunities to educators who have been laid the responsibility to teach. With this present challenge, teachers make responsive classrooms to the diversity of the needs of every child by being given enough support from the parents, administrators and even from friends (Bailey, 1994).
I was involved in handling one of the schools that was in one way or the other fitting in this description as their classes were made of a composite of students. These students were diverse in their culture and some cases of exceptional and special students. This situation was a real challenge especially when dealing with them in a classroom setup of a mixture of students who had differences in their abilities in doing something. Considering the current situation of the classes that I was handling, it was mandatory for me to employ different strategies in order to make sure that every student understood from the different lessons I handled.
After carefully conducting an assessment of different students’ capabilities, by taking observing the records and documentations those students did throughout the term. Through this observation, I was able to know the way every student performed. I later used this information I collected to form the basis in my derivation of steps to be taken when dealing with students. In the action plan, in order to provide an accurate, fair and a respective image of the different capabilities of and progresses of the students, I had to pay a close interest especially to students showing exceptional and special needs.
In the assessment and implementation in a heterogeneous classroom, I had to rely on three things: knowledge of the strengths and interests of the student, what were the cultural setup of the student, finally the information of the development and learning of a child with respect to age and the normal characteristics of a human being.
Some of the special and exceptional students were the heterogeneous group. This group show detrimental impact especially in the identification of students from racial minority, which included language and different ethical backgrounds. These groupings were better known as having a characteristic of “lower” performance tracks. The challenge was to breach the gap that existed between the high and the low academic track groups. When it was time for group discussion, i grouped the students in a mixture of lower and upper performers which proved to be a working approach hence I recommended it to other teachers facing similar. I saw this important as often students with special and exceptional disabilities form isolated groups limited themselves from the real world hence lessening their opportunities in interact with other children (Banks, 1993).
In some cases where the student was no familiar with what I was explaining, I had to use the expression of the physical language in order to help them understand. This use of a second language different from the usual speaking was helping the lot of a student who had difficulties in hearing. They could relate the movement of the mouth with a certain object I could be referring. This served as a boost to quite some individuals (Banks, 1993 and Abdal, 1994).
In seeing that the curriculum used by the students is student friendly and disability inclusive, I took advantage of the inclusive curriculum which took care of the strengths and accommodated the needs that every student in the classroom that had special people with disabilities and development delays.
This curriculum also deals with the issue of classroom differences yet shared or similar abilities. Using the guidelines suggested by the curriculum, I was able to come up with a schedule of activities that introduced different ways of interacting with special and exceptional student. Through this, they were able to share and learn from each other. In one of the physical education classes, I trained a crippled student on his wheelchair on how to go through the steps of a dance. I used this strategy intentionally to counter the misconception and stereotype surrounding the disabled of what they can and cannot do (Abdal, 1994).
Conclusion
Therefore, to give proper instructions that will benefit every person including people with special and exceptional needs, one has to device a thematic way of going about it. This could include the revision in the way of doing things. This is only possible after one has conducted an assessment on the people and exactly known the conditions that will counter the situation.
References
Abdal-Haqq, I. (1994, June). Culturally responsive curriculum. ERIC Digest [Online]. Retrieved from <HYPERLINK “http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED370936″http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED370936>
Banks, J. (1993). Multicultural education for young children: Racial and ethnic attitudes and their modification. In B. Spodek (Ed.), Handbook of research on the education of young children. New York: Macmillan.
Bailey, D.B., Jr. (1994). Working with families of children with special needs. In M. Wolery & J.S. Wilbers (Eds.), Including children with special needs in early childhood programs (pp. 45-70). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
