Ideological Writing

   Through my special education journey, I have learned that one of the best practices to utilize when working with students who have special needs, is to teach them the growth mindset. Many students who have intellectual disabilities, for example, grow up through the deficit mindset. The deficit mindset talks about the lack of something or the needs that an individual has versus the strength mindset that focuses on the individual's strengths. When I hear growth mindset, I immediately think about the strength mindset. They are both mindsets based off of developing the student's already existing strengths and skills and helping to develop new ones. 

   Many E.L.L. students, or English Language Learners, are wrongly placed into special education. The students are placed there because their reading skills are not up to par with their grade like peers. This is often times, not due to an intellectual disability but rather, to the fact that English is not their first language. E.S.L. students, or English as a Second Language student, are also misplaced into special education due to English not being their first language. 

   E.L.L. students and E.S.L. students are either working towards becoming bilingual or are already bilingual. This is a strength that many of their grade like peers do not have. Teachers should utilize the students' skills to help build strengths and other needed skills in the classroom room and their everyday lives. Some E.L.L. and E.S.L. programs are using the students' native language to teach concepts and then using English to reinforce those concepts. Schools are also testing students in their native language to adequately check for any disability. This way, students are placed in special education because they need the services versus being placed in special education because they have trouble understanding concepts in English. 

   In my SED 407 class, we are learning how to teach literacy in every subject. Literacy is so important. We read an article by James Gee on "What is Literacy?". He discusses ideologies and discourses. While reading through Thomas' post, I couldn't help but see the connections to Gee's article and to the content I have learned through my special education journey. 

   Thomas mentions something that I have never thought of before; how we grade with the deficit mindset. A student starts with a 100 on their assignment, and we subtract the number that they got wrong. Instead, students should start with a 0 and then have what they got correct added to that 0 for their grade. Grading is the one place that deficit mindset is very apparent. 

   Having a growth mindset is not only crucial to the success of students with special needs, but to all students. Each student is their own person. They all have their own ways of learning and their own unique set of skills. Teachers should utilize their student's strengths and skills to help build additional skills and strengths that the students need. Teaching a growth mindset is not only important to student's success in the classroom, but also success in their every day lives. 

    "Truly Wonderful the Mind of a Child is"- Master Yoda, Star Wars.