Reflective Blog # 1

At fifteen, I knew I wanted to be a special educator. That was one of the first times I realized the capacity and unconditional love that a child with special needs provides. I remember my first “students”. I remember the challenge it was to get them to complete a task. I also realized that this success was what drove me to keep working even when I was discouraged. Costa said, “If we expect students to put forth and sustain high levels of effort, we need to motivate them by regularly recognizing their accomplishments” (Costa, 2001). I think motivation is key when working with students to complete a task. I also think we have to make our “children feel that their thinking is valid and valuable” (Gates, 2007). Special needs children give us so much more than we can ever give them. They give us joy and happiness that typical children just can't give us. I look forward to incorporating creative and critical thinking in my future teaching.

Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking, 3rd Edition. Edited by Arthur L. Costa, 2001.

Teaching for High Potential: Infusing Thinking Skills into the Classroom. Jillian Gates, 2007.