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ISU Personal Statement

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Learning and Scholarship are critical values to all students, but throughout my time at ISU, I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the idea of being a lifelong learner. The programs for Special Education at ISU are some of the best and have offered me more ways to learn than I originally thought imaginable, and have inspired me to explore my educational possibilities in the future. Through my clinical experiences, coursework, and experiences outside of the classroom, I have gained a deeper appreciation for what it means to work in special education. I have decided that I will get a Masters in School Counseling and work as an academic advisor for special education students. Through this path, I will be able to continue learning more and …show more content…

In my current clinical placement, I am paired with another special education student who I collaborate closely with to create lesson plans and teach each day. Strong collaboration skills are essential to my academic area, and it is a skill that I will be working with for the rest of my career. Being a special educator includes collaborating with parents, and being a part of individualized teams for each student. I will also work closely with teams of general education teachers whom I will co-teach and plan with. Ultimately, I see myself working as an academic advisor for special education students. In this role, I will be collaborating with school personnel and families, but also with the students and other community resources. I have been able to observe these skills by attending weekly planning meetings with the seventh grade team and see how collaboration can impact team dynamics. My cooperating teacher is able to learn more about her students in the classes where she is not with them and then adjust her plans for the following days based on student needs. This is something that I am also starting to pick up on and implement in my own role as a future teacher. I am also working collaboratively with my site partner to plan in depth lessons for the week, and taking initiative to put more time into lesson planning so that the students will have access to better resources and more in depth lessons. When given materials by the teachers in the school I am working with, I make a conscious effort to help adapt them for my special education students and improve the lessons overall to further support students' learning. In my role as a mentor for the Honors Program and the Redbird Educator Scholars Program, I help come up with ideas for how to adapt the program so that in the future more people can feel supported and benefit from their membership. Working on these leadership teams

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