Ch. 11: MI Theoryan Special Education

If we treat people on a level in which they should achieve then they will achieve. Special education varies on a wide spectrum from speech pathology to ADHD or mental disorders and emotional disturbances. Armstrong’s MI model provides us with a model of understanding. Teachers are meant to detect the strengths of all their students through MI evaluations. Armstrong gives us here a few ideas and modes to follow to allow everyone to succeed. I fear having special education students merged into my class because I feel I won’t be able to accommodate. How do I make a unit plan that each student will find useful? How can I focus on everyone’s needs at once? How can I be assured that I will be able to communicate clearly with the paraprofessional in my class? I always found it awkward when there were paraprofessionals in my classes in high school because it became distracting. I know the “no child left behind” but at times it felt like she was running a different class in front of us and the “real” teacher. I find it a helpful tool for everyone, not only special education students, to point out the strengths in my students and not the weaknesses. It is not helpful to fix a leaking roof when it’s raining. We have to understand that students push forward through encouragement and if everyone works together, success will emerge.