Philosophy of Integrating Exceptional Students
When integrating exceptional students into a regular education environment it is essential to teach in a differentiated manner. Differentiated instruction to me is based on a foundation of flexibility, knowledge of student's needs, accessibility, and patience. As a pre-service teacher I have learned to be flexible and patient, as some strategies that I've used to accommodate students haven't always been as successful as I would have liked. Fortunately, this is a learning experience and each time something doesn't fall in place, I can reflect on it and make adjustments for the next time. It is also so important to me to be flexible, because no two exceptional students are the same; their needs and abilities are completely individual. This brings me to my next point. Knowing my students as well as possible is key to appropriately meeting their needs. It is important to know as much about their abilities or disabilities as possible and to be certain to be familiar with their IEP and/or 504 information in order to direct them toward the appropriate academic and behavioral goals. Differentiated instruction provides scaffolding for these students to help achieve. Accessibility is the final piece of the foundation for differentiated instruction. It is important to realize that the point of differentiating is to make the information accessible for ALL students. They will all achieve the same standard, but may get to it using a different route. Differentiation ensures that students will be able to meet standards using any means possible. Making more options available to them allows them more opportunities to succeed.