I really appreciate this class because I feel that we could have used this information months ago and it would have greatly benefited my performance in the last practicum. There are many instances now where I think that I could have served my students in New Media 11 better if I had been capable of looking at their learning through this unique and inclusive lens. There were students who had behavioral issues that I may have approached differently with the knowledge I am gaining now.

I found this class to be very helpful in giving us examples of exceptionalities by accessing the body of knowledge of the students themselves. I like this very heavy discussion model mixed with lecture. We began with discussion on the readings we had done, and we connected that learning to our personal experience. I also felt that we benefited greatly from having a student in our class this term that is an experienced teacher already. This student is not part of our regular cohort, but their local and relevant experiences framed within our classroom learning the experience of someone who is a few years ahead of us in the teacher journey. I felt very lucky to have this student in our class this year.

One of the struggles I want to highlight in this framework of learning is trying to get the parents on board with making adaptations for their students, whether that results in IEP or just adaptations in the classroom. Some parents are not open. Some parents do not want their child to be singled out as different within the learning framework of school. I feel that understanding all the nuances of this is something that I will spend the rest of my profession working through. At the end of the day, it is our responsibility as educators to adapt our teaching to the learner’s needs, regardless of whether or not the parents or resources within the school are on the same page as us.