Clare Paronich Final Growth Statement Before entering Manhattan College, my intention was never to become a special education

teacher. To be perfectly honest, I had the wrong idea of what it meant to be a special education teacher. As an undergraduate, many of my classmates spoke of the five-year program Manhattan had to receive a Masters Degree in special education. Knowing that I would need my Masters Degree to teach eventually, I decided to enroll in the program and see where it would take me. To my surprise, special education was about more than teaching students with mental and physical disabilities. Through the graduate classes at Manhattan, I realized that special education was about adapting curriculum and teaching methods into creative ways that exceptional students were able to understand. However, I was still not sure that special education was the route that I wanted to take, but I continued in the program. This year before student teaching began, I was nervous because I did not know what to expect in a special education classroom. I was nervous about the children I would encounter and I was not confident in my abilities to teach in a special education classroom. However, within a few weeks of teaching, I fell in love with special education. I was placed in an ICT classroom where there were eight students with IEPs in the fourth grade and two in the second grade. In addition to my students learning from me, I also learned a great deal from my students. My special education students taught me to be patient and understanding of all different types of students. I learned that every time I teach a lesson not all of my students will understand it and that was perfectly fine as long as I went back and retaught them in a different way.

Through my student teaching experience, I learned the importance of formative assessment and how to use it to create small group effectively. Small group work was one of the most important and useful techniques that I used in my student teaching experience. Quickly assessing students through the use of post-its allowed us to see what students needed extra help. Additionally, I realized the importance of a strong alliance between co teachers. In my ICT classroom, the teachers did not work well together and the students suffered. It was obvious that there were inconsistencies and tension between the teachers. This model of co teaching helped me realize that it is important for the teachers to work together because it is in the best interest of the students. In conclusion, my student teaching experience allowed me to realize that I belong in a special education classroom. After student teaching in a special education classroom, I now understand the goals of special education. I know that I truly belong teaching in a special education classroom.