Principles of Education Essay Assignment
Introduction
Special education principles are essential drivers of change in the learning environment. The principles provide the backbone of operation for the teachers and families. The primary objective is to give the learners a healthy environment to acquire learning and fulfill their dreams. Trust is an essential component in special education. Parents come from different backgrounds and have diverse experiences. It is essential for schools to communicate effectively to gain trust. Other principles include respect and equity, which shape healthy relationships between parents and the school. Commitment is an essential principle since all stakeholders in special education need to demonstrate their loyalty and commitment to the program. Parents and schools should commit to realizing healthy school-parent relationships. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the principles of special education.
Principles of Education
Trust and Communication
The relationship between parents, teachers, and students requires good communication. Lack of effective communication can affect trust. For instance, parents or guardians of children with disabilities need to access information on time about programs, financing, and performance (Blanton et al., 2018). Communication determines the level of trust from the parents on whether they are paying quality attention to attend to the student’s needs. Trust is an essential component in special education. Schools need to provide an avenue for a parent to trust the systems and programs in the school (Blanton et al., 2018). The avenue involves providing appropriate information on time to parents and guardians. Schools and parents should utilize different forms of communication to exchange information and ideas. It is important for a school to be open to communication using virtual platforms (Bateman & Yell, 2019). Learning institutions embrace virtual platforms that can be used to avoid the risk of infection. Sensitivity during the pandemic effectively reaches out to all parents without affecting their trust. The effort to communicate regularly and effectively boosts the trust of the parents and guardians.
Special education programs require appropriate communication and trust since parents with special children have a history of neglect, denial, and discrimination. In some cases, parents experience stress and depression, fearing for their children’s future (Bateman & Yell, 2019). Treating the children and parents professionally is effective in gaining their trust. It is crucial to gather all the information and develop appropriate plans for special children. Open communication channels eliminate the risk of guessing, which puts the parents at risk of suspicion (Willemse et al., 2018). Trust and healthy communication are essential in bolstering healthy relationships and partnerships with the learners and parents. Healthy communication involves sharing all the information without withholding essential data that can help parents make decisions.
Bateman and Yell (2019) state that trust and communication occur when stakeholders engage in a positive and open dialogue. For instance, the conversation will occur when parents want to protect the welfare of their children while educators want to provide for and assess children professionally (Willemse et al., 2018). School-family relationships involve cooperation, coordination, and consistent collaboration. The Holy Bible in Colossians 4:6 states that “Let your speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you out to answer each person.” The scripture shows the value of communication to all people. For instance, understanding a child’s background is critical in understanding how best to support the child.
Respect and Equity
Respect and equity are essential elements in special education. It involves respecting the school systems while realizing equal treatment. According to Bateman and Yell (2019), schools and parents must highly regard each other. For instance, schools should ensure they involve the parents in their meetings, despite their minimal input. Guardians, for instance, fathers and mothers, should get equal attention and communication (Willemse et al., 2018). The Holy Scripture addresses the concept of equality and respect in 2 Corinthians 8:14 by stating, “at the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.” The commitment to respect and equity creates a healthy environment for the special children to achieve academic milestones.
Respect, equity, and loyalty are essential for the communities dealing with parents from diverse backgrounds. The objective is to offer culturally-sensitive services to the parents (Willemse et al., 2018). Parents from diverse ethnic backgrounds should experience a healthy relationship with the educators or school management. Discrimination can result in a lack of trust. Respect and equity are essential for the religious beliefs of the communities or individuals (Kauffman et al., 2018). For instance, Muslims have a specific dress code, which is part of their daily lives. Respecting the religious affiliations will help the stakeholders focus on achieving learners’ goals and future aspirations.
Listening to the stories of the parents and the background of their children is vital in gaining trust. Parents with special children have fear about their behavior, education, and the future (Kauffman et al., 2018). Listening to the parents is essential in understanding the challenges, the weaknesses, and the areas of focus. Information from parents forms the basis of the intervention. Parents who meet teachers who are active listeners appreciate their respect (Gilmour, 2018). The focus is to ensure equality for all students despite their medical background, history, age, gender, religion, or ethnic background.
School management boards appreciate that, in some cases, opinions may differ in terms of the dynamics of providing learning materials or activities. It is paramount to demonstrate respect for the opinions of all parties (Gilmour, 2018). In case of disagreements, the parents expect the school will communicate about the way forward. Communication should be based on professional standards and evidence-based practice. Parents should feel like they are struggling to be respected. The school needs to be proactive in their communication and respectful relationships with the parents and learners (Blanton et al., 2018). Providing a level playing field for all parents and children guarantees equal respect and loyalty from the parents and guardians.
Commitment
Commitment in the special education sector means the application of evidence-based practices with fidelity to meet the needs of the children. Commitment involves the pursuance of the family and school partnerships for the benefit of the learners (Blanton et al., 2018). Educators commit to collecting data from the children and making appropriate observations to realize continuous improvement in the learners. Willemse et al. (2018) state that professionals should commit themselves to teamwork and collaboration to achieve diverse goals. The commitment of the members is to provide quality education to the learners. Parents need to show their commitment by supporting them by collaborating with the school teams to realize positive development. The Holy Scriptures support the argument of commitment in Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians by stating, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). The objective of special education is to realize the goals of the learners.
School-family partnerships continue to be an integral part of special education. Cordial relationships between the teachers and parents or guardians are a sign of commitment (Bateman & Yell, 2019). Teachers cannot achieve the goal of supporting children with special needs without involving the parents. For instance, parents will provide information about the progress a child is making, the history of the child, and the ability to complete diverse tasks (Bateman & Yell, 2019). It is vital to collaborate in learning about the progress or challenges the child is making in school. Parents should make the commitment to attend meetings. It is recommended that both parents should attend to show their unwavering support for the child. Family-school partnerships are successful when both parties enjoy quality communication, trust, and a respectful environment (Kauffman et al., 2018). Families and school management or educators should work towards the child’s success. When the relationships are sour, the child will suffer, and the academic milestones will be minimal.
School-family partnerships are vital since they support excellent academic performance. The partnerships enhance motivation, improved social skills, higher grades, and better post-secondary outcomes (Kauffman et al., 2018). The partnership is a two-way process that involves the school’s action and the support of the parents and guardians. Both parties strive to use various tools to enhance the experience of the learners. Schools utilize healthy partnerships to Help the learners in achieving their maximum possible potential (Gilmour, 2018). Collaboration between parents and schools enhances the quality of a child’s academic, social, mental, and general outcomes.
Collaborative efforts start with the support from parents. Studies find that children who experience support from the parents’ experience a low risk of mental distress. Studies show that collaboration effectively promotes healthy eating behavior (Kauffman et al., 2018). Poor school-family partnerships trigger unhealthy behavior such as breaking the school rules. In some cases, the children attempt suicide when they feel the school or parents are not supporting them despite their physical and mental defects (Gilmour, 2018). Positive school-family partnerships are critical in encouraging learners to continue learning. A high risk of disengaging from learning is evident when parents and school management have poor collaborative relationships. Parents should realize the value of their participation and support in the learning environment to help learners achieve their academic goals.
Conclusion
Schools need to provide an avenue for a parent to trust the systems and programs in the school. Treating the children and parents professionally is effective in gaining their trust. Schools should give every parent and student an equal chance. Respect, equity, and loyalty are essential for the communities dealing with parents from diverse backgrounds. Trust is evident when parents realize they have an equal chance and fair playing ground. School-family relationships involve cooperation, coordination, and consistent collaboration. The two parties should express their commitment to providing evidence-based special education to help the learners achieve their academic milestones. Commitment to school-family relationships reduces the risk of mental distress, suicide, learning disengagement, and unhealthy behavior among learners.
References
Bateman, D., & Yell, M. L. (2019). Current trends and legal issues in special education. Corwin
Blanton, L. P., Pugach, M. C., & Boveda, M. (2018). Interrogating the intersections between general and special education in the history of teacher education reform. Journal of Teacher Education, 69(4), 354-366.
Gilmour, A. F. (2018). Has inclusion gone too far? Weighing its effects on students with disabilities, their peers, and teachers. Education next, 18(4), 8-17.
Kauffman, J. M., Hallahan, D. P., Pullen, P. C., & Badar, J. (2018). Special education: What it is and why we need it. Routledge.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Willemse, T. M., Thompson, I., Vanderlinde, R., & Mutton, T. (2018). Family-school partnerships: a challenge for teacher education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(3), 252-257.
