My upbringing was mainly influenced by values dictated by Christian religious beliefs. My parents ensured that I was informed of what is the right thing to do in various situations in accordance with religious beliefs alongside with what is usually viewed by the society as being correct. Religious ideas in conjunction with social norms influence the way I work with people having disabilities in a significant way. Christian beliefs dictate that I need to treat people with disabilities with respect without making them feel sorry for themselves. This kind of upbringing instilled empathy that motivates me to help people with the disability whenever possible. Moreover, it made me realize that it is vital to deal generally with disabled people just like young people would deal with other people who are not disabled. This way, the disabled get to blend well in the society and avoid feeling stigmatized.
Personal Teaching Philosophy
When teaching a class that has some students with various disabilities, it is critical to ensure that these disabled students do not feel left out. The way to achieve this is by making them participate in the class. When asking random questions to the level, for instance, one of the disabled students could be picked and asked to give their answers to the problem.
Examples used for teaching specific concepts should not be made in such a way that makes the disabled students feel like they are being mocked. Any examples given should be sensitive to the disabled students. It is also possible that some naughty students may express some negative behavior towards the disabled students. Such cases should be managed through giving of stern warnings to students who show such unbecoming conduct.
As a teacher, it is vital to encourage all the students to mind the wellbeing of their fellow students especially those with disabilities. This way, any situations that may arise can in many cases be solved among the students themselves.
List of Resources
In my area of teaching, I would need many resources. Since my field is geography, I would need physical resources such as maps, atlases, and a globe. These resources are related, and all will help provide information on terrain and physical features in various parts of the planet such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Another physical resource that would be valuable in the lesson would various types of rocks collected from different regions. These rocks will be very helpful in tackling the topic that deals with stones. The students will get a chance to practically see examples of obsidian, volcanic, sedentary rocks, etc.
Online resources such as geographical websites that give descriptions of physical features of various places would be valuable. Such sites could provide reports of things such as economic activities carried out in respective areas, the climate and vegetation found in such an area. Google map online could make an excellent online resource due to its capacity to give information about the weather in any place at any given time.
Student backstory
In my class, I have a student named Denis. His legs were amputated some years back due to an accident he was involved in. Denis is 17 years old, and he is currently in high school. Denis is an African American. He speaks fluent English and Spanish. The information in his files says his dad passed away when he was a young boy. He has so far been raised by his mother with the help of his elder sister.
There are often no issues from Denis' background. He was brought up well, and there haven't been major issues in his upbringing other than his accident which rendered him unable to use his legs to walk anymore.
Denis is a jovial student and fits well in the class that I teach. He is also a bright kid and scores good grades in most of his units.
Strength and limitations
The most apparent strengths that are observable in Denis are his intelligence and his ability to speak eloquently when called upon to give a speech. Denis often leads in his class regarding marks scored after exams. This when combined with his ability to speak well with people, makes him a favorite among his classmates. The only academic deficit I think is inherent in Denis is his dislike for writing notes. I often find his notebook empty when I'm checking student assignments.
Although Denis is a smart student, he does seem to break boundaries at times and make fun of the other students who often leads to conflicts. Although he doesn't do it often, it does bring some discomfort in the class. I remember having to solve such an issue sometimes when Denis had made fun of a student who had scored shallow marks on a specific subject, and it almost led to a fight.
General Lesson
The lesson to be taught will be on the topic of rocks, and the subject area is geography. The lesson would be presented in such a way as to make the students get an understanding of the different types of rocks found in different areas and the process that led to the formation of these rocks.
The first part of the lesson will entail a detailed explanation of the different types of rocks and examples. Physical examples that are available will be shown to the students as well. Then the second part will involve explaining the processes that led to the formation of the various types of rocks discussed.
The last part of the lesson will include asking questions randomly to evaluate how well my students will have understood aspects of the experience.
Adapted Lesson
This lesson would be appropriately adapted to accommodate Denis in the most appropriate way possible. One such adaptation would be ensuring that Denis is seated at a good place within the classroom. By a right place, I mean a place where he can see the board well and does not have to stand at times to see what has been written on the board. The area should also allow for smooth movement of his wheelchair.
The main lesson itself will not be modified at all. Geography is geography whether you are disabled or not. The teaching style will be the same. The only modification that I may opt to make is when it comes to the physical viewing of the different types of rocks. Instead of having Denis come to pick his sample rock like the other students, I may opt to either take a sample to him or have one of the other students help him get a sample rock. Other than this, the rest of the lesson remains the same.
I opt to make minimal or no changes to the lesson since these changes won’t make any difference in the way Denis will understand what is being taught. The modification is only on the part of how Denis will receive his sample rock for learning. This is the only modification that makes sense in the lesson. No other adjustment is necessary.
Testing of the comprehension of the material taught will be done through the issuing of an assignment at the end of the lesson in conjunction with asking random questions in the class to assess the level of understanding that has been arrived at by the students.
