Wednesday, November 4, 2015
What have YOU learned?
Last night you had an opportunity to share with President Wight how you personally have been impacted by CAPES! Many of you did not get the opportunity to share, so here is your opportunity. How has CAPES impacted you, not only on a personal level, but as a future teacher of students with disabilities? What have you learned about individuals with disabilities? What have you learned about yourself and your abilities to teach?
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Thank you for letting us share how CAPES! has impacted us. I had so many thoughts last night about this experience, I think it's hard to fully explain (especially to President Wight) just what this experience has done to help me develop personally. I think about my student all throughout the week and wonder what I can do better to teach her more effectively. I realize just how lucky I am to not have the daily challenges she has (and her mother...she has so much patience!) As a future teacher I feel that I am realizing how necessary it is to fully care for and love these individuals with disabilities. They are fully capable of learning and developing skills and we cannot hold them back. I am realizing that although I am not a great teacher, I can still make a difference so long as I try my best. As long as I don't give up on myself and the students I am still making a positive impact.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely learned so much about myself in these last few weeks with regards to working with people with disabilities, as well as my own capabilities as a teacher. I've learned that individuals with disabilities are far more capable than we think they are. At first I was quite tentative to the things that my kid couldn't do, but as my eyes were open to the many things he could do (and do well), I learned that I can set higher expectations for him. I've also learned that I have to demand respect as well as be trustworthy when I am working with these people. They need to know that I need them to listen and not listening will result in consequences. They need to be able to trust me as well so they will openly engage in the things that I ask of them. I've also learned that praise is one of my best friends as an instructor or teacher. My kid responds the best when I give him the specific verbal praise that he deserves.
ReplyDeleteI think this experience for me as a future teacher is huge! Just the idea of having the mentality of “what else can they do?” instead of “they can’t do____.” Is very instrumental in providing a positive learning experience for them. I think by focusing on their strengths then stretching them little by little. Whether it’s making something their good at a little harder or helping them on something they haven’t learned yet or haven’t mastered yet. They’re amazing little learners we just have to help them focus. I’ve learned that I have a long way to go! I can love them and have fun with them. I’ve got that down pat. But I’m not sure I’m very good at explaining what I want them to do or knowing how to cater it to the individual and break it down into its smaller parts. If that makes sense..
ReplyDeleteI would say the biggest thing that CAPES! has taught to me is that persons with disabilities (and others!!) need a lot of individual attention. I'm not sure if this was the desired outcome, but I believe it is what has impacted me most. My participant needs someone to ensure that they are on task. They often try to hurt themself. They have difficulty speaking, and has immense challenge whenever they do not get their way. And from what I have seen from my participant and from others, the individual attention they receive at CAPES! is so beneficial. They make gains here that their teachers can't even dream of. That includes cognitively and affectively. The individualized learning they receive rocks. I have also learned how to be more compassionate, caring, and stern! I definitely learned to be more stern.
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ReplyDeleteCAPES has influenced me not only a personal level but as a future teacher by giving me real life experience to draw from working with children with disabilities. Learning is best done experientially and that’s exactly what CAPES has provided. I have gained experience working with these kids and it has brought me a lot of insight, joy and touched my heart to get to see the spark in the eyes of the children I have had an opportunity to work with when they “get it.” It has also opened my eyes to the potential I have in teaching these children and the potential these children have in learning as well. It has made me aware of how labels just place people in boxes and should not be definitive of their capabilities. Each child has their own unique contribution to give and potential to reach. Diagnosis and labels get in the way; it’s important to know disabled individuals are simply differently-abled and capable. This is crucial as a teacher where every class has students with exceptionalities of one sort or another. I have also learned that it’s important for me to get to know my students just as I have gotten to know G so that I can recognize what works for them individually. I have learned that the greatest value I can get from teaching is through a heart to heart connection and that is best developed through getting to know my students and celebrating their individual successes. I had a fear of “doing it wrong” or offending persons with disabilities; through knowledge, experience and this program I have gained confidence in working with them. I am applying for the Master of Education program and this has even made me consider specializing in Special Education somehow.
ReplyDeleteCAPES! has taught me many more different types of lessons than I thought it would. I feel more confident in working with all types of students because of this experience. I've always known that I wanted to teach, when I had to be placed in a special needs resource classroom from small portions of the day for two years. This class has cemented what I leaned as a young kid. And that is no matter the students ability in one subject or way of life, they will excel in another area if you let them. It has also taught me that even though I have more patients than most, that working with students is going to require a lot more. I have learned that I can't be as timid when I am trying to teach something or speak with a kid. I tend to be a little shy at first and I've learned that that won't fly when I am a teacher. I have learned a lot, and I can't wait to learn even more!
ReplyDeleteCAPES! has given me a better awareness of the many types of disabilities that we may face later on in our teaching careers. I feel that I have learned a great deal about down syndrome. I have learned what my participant can do and what he may one day be able to do because of skill development. I have learned to be more patient, flexible in my lesson plans, and to push myself outside of my comfort zone. I have learned how to help these individuals learn whether it be by slowing things down, using pictures, or the use of a pool and how it can be beneficial to learning. I have learned how easy it is to get along with and develop relationships with these individuals.
ReplyDeleteCAPES! has really made me sure that teaching is where I should be. It just makes my day to see all of the kids and especially working with A and seeing how much fun she has. I've also really seen so much patience through her and it has definitely opened my eyes and made me more patient in many situations. I have also learned that it's not just about how it impacts me directly, but how it impacts the kids directly, and that it's so important to get out of my comfort zone because I was very skeptical about CAPES! at first, but now I really love it!
ReplyDeleteCAPES! has been a great experience for me. I have honestly learned so much. As others have said, I have learned to focus on what students CAN do instead of what they CAN'T do. I have also learned a lot about myself and really got a confirmation that teaching really is the right thing for me. The biggest thing I have learned and anyone who has spent time with my student is to find the joy in life. K is one of the happiest kids I have ever met! She is so positive and up beat about everything. She is constantly making me laugh. This has been a great influence on me and helps me to just enjoy life not matter what challenges arise.
ReplyDeleteCAPES has impacted me in such a positive way. I have worked with individuals with disabilities before and it so amazing to see people changing their views from what they CAN'T do to what they CAN do. I love working with T. He has brought so much light into my teaching career as a Physical Educator. We have such a huge impact on these individuals in the classroom. They love to be physically active and be treated as an equal. Which as teachers we can help accomplish both of those aspects just by including them into our classrooms and incorporating them into our lesson plans even if it takes a lot of modification on our part as the teacher. I think I have improved immensely with my skills as a teacher just in these short six weeks with T. He has taught me so much with teaching kids with autism. I absolutely love CAPES and am so thankful for the opportunity that I have been given to work with these individuals.
ReplyDeleteI talked a little bit about it last comment, but to go into more detail on how it has effected me is incredible. I was so nervous the first day that I honestly wanted to drop the class. Working with a disability kid has changed my outlook on teaching quite a bit. I was one of those people unfortunately that looked at what they could not do. I wasn't necessarily one that looked down on them, but I was one that set limits for them in an honest way of trying to help them. Now that I have been able to work with someone with a disability closely, my outlook has changed. They are capable, with the right help, to achieve much more than most give them credit for. And I think that this is how it has changed me as a teacher the most. I want to really focus on not setting limits for them. I want to concentrate on how I can help them achieve the same things as my other students just maybe in a different way.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have learned is how amazing these kids are, and how smart and capable they are when they are given the chance to be. I love seeing the progress they make and the strides they take and make in learning and growing. I have learned that its okay to push them to do things they may not be comfortable with at first but you have to take it slow and do things in different ways. I have learned that you have to teach in a way they can learn, we adjust our teaching not the way they learn.
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