Alyssa Margulis Phase 4 4/26/13 Final Integrated Reflection: Phase 4 It never ceases to amaze me how much I continue to learn

about myself, and education, on a daily basis. When I first started the LBS1 program as a sophomore in college, I do not think I knew what I was getting myself into. I always knew I had the passion to work with individuals with disabilities. Along the way, I have learned the patience and the dedication it takes to honor this commitment. As I reflect on all the different things I have learned, one thing that distinctly comes to my mind is the necessity for constant data and documentation collection. As a special education teacher, you are drilled with the phrase data driven. But what does data driven really mean? I have come to think of it is as a way of always backing up what you are doing. Data shows you if an intervention is working, or not working. Good data can tell you exactly how and when you may need to change what services you are providing to your students. Data is the ONLY way to tell a parent, administrator, or another teacher concrete evidence of what you are doing. Without data, you are expecting people to go off your word that the student is doing well. Data can be formal or informal. Throughout my program, I have gotten the opportunity to create many informal assessments as well as using formal, standardized assessments. Some examples include AimsWeb for progress monitoring, the TEWL, The Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, and the Key Math, and the SORT- R. All of these formal assessments compare the students to national norms of students same-aged peers. These assessments are just some of the way that a special education teacher can collect evidence and data on their students. The second biggest thing I am going to take away from the LBS1 program at U of I is the importance of setting clear, consistent expectations for your class and the staff you work with. It is important to work with your paraprofessionals and your students in order to make the learning environment feel safe and secure. Being consistent on following through on behavioral expectations is the only way in which a teacher will be able to have her classroom under control. Students need to feel comfortable and confident to express them and be able to learn. As a teacher, it is your duties to figure out a way in which you can make that happen in the classroom you are working with. The last thing I am going to take away from this program is the drive and motivation to always be an advocate for your students. There are many times in this program where I have found myself in conflict because I

disagreed with a colleague. You must always remember as a teacher it is your duty to be your students strongest advocates. Make sure their goals are being met. Ask for and demand the services and accommodations they will need in order to be successful in their schooling. As a teacher, if you do not advocate for these things, you are doing your students a grave disservice. I have learned that although you may not always be the most liked in the room, at the end of the day, if you do what you know to be right by your kids, you will have no regrets. I am so incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my life. I know that there will be many challenges that lie ahead. I will never stop learning and growing. I know each new day will bring more confidence in my teaching and I will be able to be a strong advocate for my students. I hope I can inspire curiosity, growth, and motivation in the minds of every student I work with. I know the road will be challenging, but I have a solid and expansive set of knowledge that the program has provided me. I know with the right support, and administration that I will inspire excellence among the students who I will have the honor to work with.