Professional growth and development in a special education master's program

Experiences in a Master’s Program

This paper provides a summary and evaluation of my experiences in the graduate program, including the nature and extent of my professional growth and development, the development of my educational philosophy and the components of the graduate program that have been of particular value to my professional growth and development of skills and building positive relationships with children. The paper concludes with an analysis concerning the problems facing new teachers in both general and special educational settings as well as the kinds of documented supports that have been found to help new teachers effectively respond to such problems.

Nature and extent of professional growth and development A comparative before-and-after frame of reference concerning the nature and extent of the professional growth and development experienced as a result of the completion of the master’s program indicates a greater awareness of the importance of special education programs in the United States today as well as the role educators can play in helping these young learners attain the full academic and personal potential. The varied coursework, seminars and real-world practicum opportunities combined to provide me with the broad-based education and training needed by general and special education teachers at all levels. Given the numerous serious challenges that are arrayed against the nation’s schools today, including most especially budgetary constraints and a lack of active parental involvement, it is important for graduates to be able to “hit the ground running” so they can be effective from the start and the availability of resources and support is an essential element in this effort. As Hughes and Valle-Riestra (2012) point out, “Quality in programs have been noted to run along a continuum focusing on classroom dynamics and interactions, classroom structure, staffing characteristics, professional development, administration and support services, and parent involvement” (p. 84) Likewise, there have been some qualitative changes in the nature of my professional growth and development as a result of this master’s program based on an enhanced awareness of the specialized needs of many students and the national priorities and initiatives such as common core curricular standards that have been established in response. An important point made by Bambrick-Santoyo (2014) with respect to common core standards, though, is that, “A standard can tell you what you need to teach. Only your students\\\' work can tell you what they actually learned--or didn\\\'t” (p. 70). Evaluating what students have actually learned (or not), however, also requires the judicious use of appropriate assessments but even here there remains some controversy concerning optimal testing regimens in light of the higher standards established by the common core (Bambrick-Santoyo, 2014). Educators and parents have expressed concern that too frequent evaluations will diminish the effectiveness of instruction and fatigue young learners in the process (Bambrick-Santoyo, 2014). While some teachers may secretly relish the groans that accompany the announcement of a pop quiz, it is clear that students frequently react negatively to too frequent testing. Despite the potential for these types of adverse outcomes, there is a growing consensus among educators that timely student evaluations are an essential element in applying the common core standards to their fullest. In this regard, Bambrick-Santoyo concludes that, “In truth, what the high standards of the Common Core give us is a rare opportunity to make complex texts more accessible to more students. We can only reap those rewards if we can assess whether students have really reached those standards” (2014, p. 71). This observation is also consistent with the axiom that in order to improve anything, it must first be measured. Consequently, identifying the optimal balance between instruction and assessment is an important step in professional growth and development. The emphasis on the use of evidence-based teaching methods and theories was also influential in professional growth and development. Based on a synthesis of various definitions from the different disciplines, including social work, nursing, psychology and medicine, Malott and Hall (2014) define evidence-based teaching as “the conscientious, explicit, and judicious integration of best available research on teaching technique and expertise within the context of student, teacher, department, college, university, and community characteristics” (p. 295). This definition indicates that educators cannot afford to find a comfort zone for teaching and continue to rely upon it throughout their careers. Rather, evidence-based teaching demands an ongoing reevaluation of existing practices and methods in view of the most recent research to ensure that optimal strategies are being used, a need that is an important part of the development of an educational philosophy as discussed below.

Development of educational philosophy Prior to completing the master’s program coursework, my philosophy of education was not so much a philosophy rather than a collection of various views and opinions concerning how best to teach young learners. This coursework, however, has helped to distill these disparate views and opinions into a cohesive educational philosophy. According to one authority, “A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher\\\'s role, and what should be taught and by what methods” (Philosophy of education, 2017, para. 2). Based on this definition, my philosophy of education can be summed up as follows: · The purpose of schooling: The overarching purpose of schooling is to provide young learners with the social and critical thinking skills, knowledge base and tools they will need to succeed academically and professionally. · A teacher’s role: A teacher’s role in achieving the above-stated purpose is to serve as a role model, leader, mentor, advisor, guide, instructor, disciplinarian when needed and friend when appropriate to young learners. · What should be taught: The common core standard provide a valuable framework with respect to what should be taught. · What methods should be used to teach: It is the teacher’s responsibility to identify the most effective teaching strategies for their students’ unique needs. This educational philosophy has been consistently reinforced by the growing recognition of the importance of early childhood and special education programs which has also been especially formative in the development of my educational philosophy. In this regard, the debate over optimal testing regimens assumes even greater importance and relevance since the temptation to “teach to the test” may override the need to help young learners develop the critical thinking skills they will need for academic and professional success later in life. Therefore, my educational philosophy now embraces the view that while timely assessments are an essential part of the process, young learners also need opportunities to freely participate in learning activities that are focused on the development of critical thinking skills without the constant anxiety that goes hand-in-hand with frequent rigorous testing. In addition, the essentiality of parental involvement has also become an integral part of my educational philosophy. As Hughes and Valle-Riestra (2012) point out, “One of the hallmarks in the field of early childhood and special education has been focusing not solely on the needs of the child and but focusing on both the child and his/her family” (p. 59). While it is reasonable to posit that all parents want the best for their children, actively involving parents in their children’s education is not as straightforward as it might seem. Indeed, as it turns out, many parents are simply disinterested in participating in their children’s education, believing it is the responsibility of the schools, others simply lack the background and knowledge that are needed to help their children academically in the home while yet other are too busy with their jobs to attend school events or help with schoolwork at home. Against this backdrop, it would also be tempting to simply give up and accept the status quo as intractable, but this, of course, would not be in the best interests of educators, their students or their families. Consequently, my educational philosophy has also embraced the need for dedication and perseverance in encouraging the active participation of parents in the face of otherwise seemingly daunting circumstances. This educational philosophy is firmly based on the exhaustive body of research that confirms the importance of parental involvement in children education in general and especially for special education students. As Hughes and Valle-Riestra emphasize, “The relationship between home and school is a critical component to providing quality educational services for young children, since children spend the majority of the time within a family unit” (p. 40). Therefore, investments in time and effort in helping parents become more proficient at helping their children academically in the home can pay significant returns. Moreover, these returns on investment extend to teachers, students and parents alike. When young learners realize their parents are not only interested in their education but are also willing to sacrifice their time to contribute to the process, they will naturally respond by becoming more interested themselves. Likewise, parents who are fortunate enough to witness the “ah-ha” moments in student learning will benefit by personally experiencing their children’s growth and increased love for learning. This process inevitably further strengthens the bonds between parents and their children and the importance of this outcome cannot be quantified or overstated. In this regard, Hughes and Valle-Riestra point out that, “Families are the primary social systems whereby children develop as individuals and increased levels of family involvement can positively influence developmental progress in children” (p. 41). Therefore, it just makes good sense to encourage the active participation by parents in the education of their children, and this encouragement can assume a number of forms depending on the unique needs of students and their parents. Certainly, educators cannot compel parents to actively participate in their children’s school activities or help with homework assignments, but they can provide them with the resources they require for this purpose, again depending on their specific needs. The potential also exists that some parents may not fully realize the significant role they can play in helping their children become better learners in the classroom or know how best to achieve this goal. Consequently, any informed philosophy of education must include the importance of family-centered practices. In this regard, Hughes and Valle-Riestra also note that, “Resources and supports that are provided in an early childhood special education program need to be family-centered so family-based practices will have the child, the parent, and family strengthening and competency-enhancing consequences\\\" (p. 41). This guidance sounds straightforward, of course, and its legitimacy is self-evident, but providing family-based practices can be a particularly challenging enterprise when new teachers are confronted with a diverse group of young learners from a number of different socioeconomic levels and cultures. Despite the challenges that are involved, an informed educational philosophy must embrace the need to become a truly effective communicator, not only with peers and administrators, but most especially young learners and their family members. As Hughes and Valle-Riestra (2012) emphasize, “For true collaboration to exist, professionals have a significant responsibility to share all information in a way that matches the family\\\'s style of understanding and processing information” (p. 84). Because the abilities of young learners exist along a continuum, an educational philosophy must also take into account the need to master the fundamentals before progressing to higher level activities. When young learners receive a “C” in a math class, for example, this does not mean that they have generally mastered 70 percent of the curriculum; rather, it means that they most likely failed to learn 30% of the coursework, and these learning deficits are cumulative over time. By the time students enter college, these learning deficits typically mean that they will spend an inordinate amount of time and money on remedial courses just to catch up to their peers. The ongoing needs of students and their families are also noted by Hughes and Valle-Riestra (2012) who advise: Strong emphasis should also be placed on the process of learning and development, and not just the end products; developing a universally designed curriculum framework that is flexible and comprehensive; working collaboratively with families; and embrace the practice of heterogeneous grouping that meets a variety of ability levels and individual needs. (p. 60) This educational philosophy is congruent with a growing body of research that confirms the linkages between early learning experiences and later academic and career outcomes. In sum, my educational philosophy most closely resembles a progressivist model based on the need to provide student-centered educational services. For instance, according to Sadker and Sadker (2017), “Progressivism is based largely on the belief that lessons must be relevant to the students in order for them to learn. The curriculum of a progressivist school is built around the personal experiences, interests, and needs of the students” (Philosophy of education, para. 3). Although all of the master’s program coursework contributed to the development of this educational philosophy, there were some components of the graduate program that were of particular value to my professional growth and development as discussed below.

Components of the graduate program that were of particular value to professional growth and development The real-world fieldwork and classroom teaching experiences were especially instructive in helping me refine my delivery and tone. The overarching desire to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and love for learning to young people can cloud teachers’ perceptions about what their students need so it is critical to remain alert to both verbal and nonverbal cues to ensure that students are actually paying attention and actively absorbing what is being taught. Moreover, these real-world experiences confirmed that young learners will frequently test their limits with novice teachers just to determine how much they can get away with since this is a golden opportunity for them. Consequently, gaining real-world classroom management experiences was invaluable in enhancing my professional growth and development. Rather than a whip and chair, I now recognize that there are some classroom management strategies that are highly effective in promoting and sustaining an environment that is conducive to learning, and these real-world experiences provided me with the confidence I need for the future. Most importantly, perhaps, the several opportunities to teach in both general and special educational classrooms at various levels were also of particular value in my professional development and growth, especially in view of the types of problems that new teachers routinely face (and as discussed further below). In addition, the several seminars, most especially the ones concerning school violence and prevention, identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect as well as child safety considerations, that were included as part of the coursework were also of special value in my professional growth and development. Finally, the experienced, dedicated, knowledgeable and highly professional faculty members in this master’s program were of invaluable assistance to me in guiding my studies, answering my countless questions and shaping my philosophy of education. Analysis of the problems facing new teachers and the effective supports According to Manna (2017), one of the most significant challenges facing new teachers is effective classroom management. Maintaining an environment that is conducive to learning is, of course, one of the fundamental problems facing any educators, but most especially those who are just starting out in their teaching careers. While some intrepid new teachers walk confidently into their classrooms, as noted above, many others would prefer to be armed with a whip and chair, especially until they gain some real classroom experience. The reality of this problem for novice teachers was confirmed in a study by Goodwin (2012) who reports that a clear majority (85%) of new teachers feel they “are particularly unprepared for dealing with behavior problems in their classrooms” (p. 84). In fact, a survey of 500 new teachers with 3 or fewer years experience determined that these educators were more than twice as likely to report classroom management as their biggest problem compared to teachers with more than 3 years of experience (Goodwin, 2012). Certainly, many people experience some level of “the jitters” when beginning a new job of any type, but classroom teaching differs from most jobs in that it requires a combination of theatrics, humor, creativity, dedication, compassion and expertise that is required by few other occupations. Moreover, the focus of teaching also differs from most other occupations, with the quality of the education of the next generation of leaders at stake. In other words, young learners are not so many “widgets” that simply walk in one schoolhouse door and out another and optimizing this developmental period in their lives is critical to future academic and professional success. Fortunately, and as mentioned above, the practicum experiences provided by the master’s program went a long way in my professional development with respect to classroom management strategies, and these experiences have added to my confidence level in ways that would not be possible otherwise. This real-world experience was especially significant because many new teachers report that they failed to receive sufficient preparation in most preservice programs, especially with regard to consistently disruptive student behaviors (Goodwin, 2012). In fact, many new teachers report abandoning their carefully crafted evidence-based lesson plans in favor of lecture and rote memorizations after being exhausted by consistently unruly students (Goodwin, 2012). Virtually all new teachers report needing additional support in classroom management methods, but there are other problems facing new teachers as well including a lack of support for lessons and unit planning from the outset (Goodwin, 2012). In fact, more than 40% of 8,000 new Teacher for America teachers recently reported that they received few resources and little or no guidance from their schools or districts concerning lesson planning. Moreover, many of these respondents complained that even when they did receive support and resources from their schools or districts, they were either inappropriate for their students or unit planning (Goodwin, 2012). While veteran teachers report appreciating the additional autonomy and freedom of being solely responsible for curricular planning activities, new teachers are less experienced with respect to what works best or why, leaving them searching for answers that may not be forthcoming (Goodwin, 2012). When added to the administrative burdens that are part of teaching, these constraints sometimes combine to cause frustrated new teachers to either transfer to other school districts or even leave the profession altogether (Goodwin, 2012). For example, a recent study by Lew and Nelson (2016) found that “New teachers face challenges in dealing with classroom management, curriculum planning and implementation, conducting assessments, and workload issues. The result is that many leave the profession after only a few years” (p. 7). These problems underscore the importance of providing teachers in training with opportunities for real-world classroom experiences including most especially the feedback provided by an experienced educator concerning respective strengths and weaknesses (Goodwin, 2012). In this regard, Goodwin points out that, “More than anything else, novice teachers often appear to yearn for, yet seldom receive, meaningful feedback on their teaching from experienced colleagues and administrators” (p. 85). Indeed, even when arrangements for classroom observation and feedback are provided, the feedback that is provided to new teachers is frequently either inadequate or outright misguided (Hover & Yaeger, 2004). As one new teacher conceded, “Some of the teachers who are mentors shouldn\\\'t be. They\\\'re not nurturing people; they\\\'ve just been here the longest, and they want [the mentor position]\\\" (as cited in Hover & Yaeger, 2004, p. 20). Although a number of master’s programs have recognized the need and are providing additional resources and practicum experiences, far too many new teachers enter the classroom for the first time following their graduation only to be confronted with students who are eager to learn but with little or no guidance concerning how to even get started. As if these constraints were not enough to dissuade all but the most dedicated new teachers from continuing, new teachers are also faced with other problems during their initial period in teaching. For instance, Goodwin emphasizes that, “The sink-or-swim nature of many first-year teachers\\\' experiences frequently surfaces as another significant challenge. New teachers often report difficult interactions with colleagues, ranging from ‘benign neglect’ of administrators to lack of cooperation or even hostility from veteran teachers” (2012, p. 85). A study by Hover and Yaeger (2004) also evaluated the problems that new teachers typically face in their careers and likewise cited the dearth of support and even modest levels of cooperation and collaboration with more experienced teachers. For instance, one new teacher interviewed reported that a more experienced teacher refused to share his lesson plan which she viewed as being especially “unfortunate my first year, sinking down and getting no help” (as cited in Hover & Yaeger, 2004, p. 21). The drowning metaphors used by new teachers are, unfortunately, highly appropriate in these situations since new teachers have few other places to turn for help and feel they have been abandoned by administrators and more experienced teachers (Appl, 2009). Taken together, it is reasonable to conclude that the types of problems that are typically experienced by new teachers are ubiquitous and severe, and many new teachers are simply left to their own devices in formulating appropriate responses to the needs of their students. With an ongoing nationwide shortage of qualified teachers, these constraints should have been made priorities long ago but the research to date indicates that not only have these types of problems failed to lessen in severity in recent years, they have in fact managed to become even more pronounced in many school districts. Of course, education is not the only field that have suffered from these types of constraints, and there is a similar nationwide shortage of acute care nurses due to the same types of problems that new practitioners encounter in the workplace which cause many to leave their profession entirely. While these trends can be attributed, at least in part, to dwindling state education budgets and the increasing costs of human resources, many of the problems that are faced by new teachers have readily available and cost effective solutions available, including most especially simply encouraging more experienced teachers to help their new colleagues through mentoring and yes, even sharing a lesson plan when appropriate. It would seem that many new teachers feel lost in a maze of confusion where conflicting demands on their time and energy create situations where they are unable to draw on their education and training and must rely on “seat of the pants” teaching methods just to get through yet another day. In the final analysis, the laundry list of severe problems that many new teachers face when entering the classroom for the first time can be mitigated by providing them with relevant practicum experiences as well as the administrative and collegial support they need to reach their full potential as professional educators.