Statement of Purpose

The ultimate goal for when I graduate is to become a special education teacher. I have had a

passion for working with students with disabilities ever since high school. The experiences I have gained

throughout my education have developed a genuine understanding and passion for the realm of special

education. Over the past few years, I have overcome so many challenges in shaping my classroom

management styles, bringing in positive praise, and adapting to any classroom environment. These

challenges have shaped me as an educator and have helped me become a more effective teacher.

In my first placement, I was in a 2nd grade classroom. This placement provided a way for me to

test my flexibility in different classroom environments. This experience has helped me to develop

adequate classroom management skills and how to engage students in the lessons that I created. The

second placement was in an elementary resource classroom for 1 st through 4th grade students. This

placement helped me to grow in my skills of thinking on my feet and having to abide by different

classroom curriculums. The third placement that I was in was a middle school life skills classroom where

I was able to put to practice new skills. I had to test my classroom management styles and instructional

strategies for teaching in this classroom setting. I had to make sure that I put to use the token economies

that were in place by my mentor teacher, and implement different modifications that may be needed

during the lesson. The fourth placement was with a 10th grader working on their transition plan post high

school. During this time, I developed a full transition and graduation plan for this student. Finally, I was

placed in a 4th and 5th grade resource classroom in Leander ISD. I have had the experience of creating

lessons, attending and contributing to ARD meetings, as well as creating behavioral and instructional

intervention plans. The placements have enabled me with the knowledge and experience to help me

become a more experienced teacher.