When I first heard about the story of Gina's birth, I felt the deepest sympathy for her parents. I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have a completely normal pregnancy, only to find out that my child had a potentially life-threatening illness.
Hearing her story touched me, however, when I realized that despite the insurmountable odds stacked against Gina, she has clearly made an impact on her friends, family, peers, and community and made a difference for other kids like her
What some might view as a disability, Gina and her family view as something special: she has brought so much positivity and awareness to her condition, allowing changes to be made for future generations of special needs students.
Making my classroom more accessible for special needs students and their families is an important part of these student's educations and also for their parent's peace of mind. I think it would be a great to have parents sit in in classes every once in a while to observe how their child is functioning and progressing in class!
Gina's story inspired me firsthand and made me wonder how exactly I could help my future students who might find themselves in the same situation as Gina and her family and how I, as a teacher, can be a better advocate for my special needs students.
To make sure parents are as involved as possible in their child's education, I would create office hours for parents to contact me directly with any concerns about their child. They should feel free to set up meetings to discuss their child's progress, IEPs, socialization, and any other concerns or questions they may have. I would also make sure to meet with the parents at the very beginning of the school year to discuss goals, milestones, and concerns they have for their child for that year.
Seeing how involved Nikki is with Gina's care has made me realize the importance of parental support when working with special needs students. They know their child better than anyone, so they should have a front row seat to their child's daily school life
Adding interactive elements to my lessons to make the content accessible and interesting for all students. For my lessons, I could incorporate audio and video aspects, games for the students, and varied content to make learning a more fun experience.
Gina also showed a proclivity for many interactive and engaging activities like aqua therapy and riding her tricycle. Making lessons more interactive could increase engagement, not only for special needs students, but for the general body of students, too!
To show parents how their children are responding to the classroom activities, I would be happy to send parents weekly updates and progress reports!
Gina and Nikki's story really inspired me to think of ways which I, as a teacher, can make my curriculum more accessible for special needs students and their parents. The involvement of both parties is essential in the educational success of every child!
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