Free Family School Partnership Essay Sample
In a school environment it is important for the teacher to take care of the learners with special needs. Based on their situation, learners with special needs deserve to be given an opportunity to gain from the learning activities despite their individual differences from the normal learners. This paper addresses the ways through which a teacher can ethically address the needs of learners with special needs.
Individual learning differences
Collaborations with family members of exceptional students are of great importance in the process of helping the students to benefit from schooling. The families of exceptional students know all the background information of the students. It is only through collaborating with them that special education teachers can have access to this important information. By sharing the information with teachers, it becomes much easier to address the needs of exceptional students in schools. Through the collaboration the family members can get more knowledge and skills of handling the exceptional students outside the school. The interaction provides an avenue through which other needs of the learners can be identified.
For instance with the teacher asking the parents or sibling of the exceptional learner about the needs of the exceptional learner, there is much which can be revealed and can be use for future improvements in schools. The collaboration can also fast track the acquisition of the important aids that are needed in school for the exceptional learners. For instance the family members can assist the special education teacher in finding the most suitable tools or equipment to be used by the affected learner. The collaboration with family members can facilitate the creation of more time for the exceptional learners to gain from the teachers. For instance making arrangements for extra hours in which remedial learning is performed to allow the exceptional learners to make up for the lost time during schooling.
Professional and ethical practice
Special education teachers have undergone professional training and they have all that is takes to address the needs of exceptional student. The collaboration between these professionals and the families of exceptional learners helps to assure the students and their families that their needs have to be met. As professionals, the teachers look for better ways of meeting the needs of exceptional students by gaining more information from their families. Through collaboration, teachers can easily make use of the strategies that are used by the family members is handling the special needs students. The role of parents or guardians in reinforcement of learning can be addressed through collaboration.
The skills applied by teachers at school can be reinforced by the family at home. This can go a long way in reassuring the exceptional students that their needs are being met throughout their schooling. The parents and family members can benefit from workshops and seminars organized by schools with the intention of addressing the needs of the exceptional students. In this sense the teachers can apply their professional skills and training to ensure that ethics are adhered to in the process of meeting the needs of the exceptional learners.
As professionals, teachers must exercise confidentiality when dealing with the family information of the exceptional students. They have to reassure the family that their information would only be used to improve the learning of the exceptional learners. No information should be allowed to leak out to other students or people. This is aimed at ensuring that ethical behavior is maintained in the course of the family school partnerships. Teachers should also be cautious with the activities they involve the parents or guardians. Activities that can compromise the integrity of individual parents should be avoided in the course of the collaborations.
Collaboration
Collaborating with family members can be a major step towards addressing the diverse needs of exceptional students. Methods such as pre-arranged visits to the student's home or residence can help in ensuring that their needs are met during schooling. Special education teachers have to play the role of organizing for such meetings so as to have a chance to interact with the parents.
School organized discussion forums can be very useful in developing partnerships with the parents and guardians of the exceptional students. During such sessions the teachers and parents can voice their concerns on the best ways of addressing the needs of the students. Workshops and seminars help to bring together parents of the exceptional students and they can also learn from other parents who are having children with similar exceptional needs.
Collaboration essentially empowers the parents and other members of the family in relation to their participation in meeting the needs of the exceptional students. With information and training, parents develop better strategies of handling the exceptional students when they are away from the school. It also creates an opportunity for the parents to have a good understanding of the needs of the exceptional students. With a good understanding of the needs, the exceptional students can find their needs fully addressed by parents and teachers.
In summary it is vital to state that exceptional students have diverse needs that have to be addressed with the family school partnerships. A good understanding of the diverse needs of the exceptional students can be achieved through collaboration. As professionals teachers have to device good strategies of enhancing the role of family members in addressing the needs of exceptional students. If well undertaken, collaborations between the family and schools can ensure that all the needs of the students are met.