As teachers become a marking of their past, children swiftly become the future of society.

As a future special educator, it is my firm belief that the time we are given with an individual student is to be handled with delicacy, care, and relentless effort in order to ensure their bright future. Children must attain skills that are practical to not only their future education but also to their participation within society. I will teach students skills that are relevant to my classroom but I will not stop there. I will facilitate the acquisition of social skills, life skills, and adaptability. Through hands on tasks along with guided lessons my students will acquire essential knowledge that will impact the rest of their lives. I will teach them ordinary skills, such as how to use a calculator, while encouraging adaptability, by switching out the different types of calculators, to encourage flexibilitya necessary skill in an ever-changing society. I must take the proper steps to allow my students to be successful in a post-educational world. I must teach them to apply concepts to a variation of lifestyles. In my classroom, I will highly encourage independence. The abilities to problem-solve, to be a self-advocate, to be competent at basic procedures, and to take initiative are all things that I personally value and will encourage my students to value. Independence, especially for individuals with disabilities, is a key medium to success. Independence in the classroom translates into scaffolding lessons to provide the correct amount of support, teaching through student formed discoveries, and allowing students to try on their own, fail, and learn from their mistakes. Encouraging independence forces students to be accountable for their own actions and take the necessary steps to success, without assistance. As a teacher I will be an advocate for my students. I will not allow them to be discriminated against by the government, their peers, or by my colleges. They will have every

opportunity that a student without disabilities has. I will strive to promote a culture that will allow for my students to achieve anything they want to. It is extremely important that my students receive the necessary supports to facilitate their learning. In order to ensure that these supports are granted, I will fight for every one of my students to receive a free and appropriate education. In all cases, I will make decisions in the best interests of my students. As a future special educator, I have firm beliefs in inclusion. I fully support the idea that children with disabilities should have a general education experience, with the necessary modifications. There should be very little separation between students with and without disabilities. I will advocate for my students to receive an inclusive education. Most importantly, in my future teaching and continued learning, I hope to enlighten those around with me that having a disability is not a downfall. It is not a setback or a struggle, although for people with disabilities it is, due to the way our world views disability. If society can bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities we could reduce the ignorance that surrounds the topic of disability. Society marks people with disabilities as incapable. In order eliminate this negative stigma we must educate on the value of inclusion. We must demonstrate the importance of the practice. We must continue to find programs that are built on inclusions ideals. Most importantly we must start with the youngest generation. If we enforce the ideals of inclusion while children are young, they will know no differently. As a result, as that generation ages, our society will become unified. I fully believe that children hold the future in their hands, we must teach them how to manipulate it.