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Perspective: Seeking to understand students with disabilities

Ian Salas
Cal State Dominguez Hills
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Abstract

Teachers need to understand the perspective of students with disabilities. Educators struggle to

understand their students, yet for the sake of the student's education, it is important for them to

understand them. It's important to have a positive relationship between teachers and parents.

Teachers need to seek out what parent's expectations of them are. Educators should also be

proactive in communicating with parents. Students with disabilities are unique and the student's

needs vary from student to student. Teachers need to research what their students' interest are to

best teach them.

Introduction

A teacher's success in a classroom is hard to measure. How can success be measured

when a student spends a single year with a school teacher? The student will move on to another

teacher or school in the conclusion of the school year. Does a teacher know when they are

fulfilling the needs of the student, classroom, school or community? The needs of individuals

and community vary and are complex. Teachers who have students with special needs

(disabilities) will need to be adept at understanding what their student's needs are. The

responsibility of teachers is great. The motivations should be strong and just. So, whose

perspective do they follow? Teachers are trained and schooled to be instructors. Parents should

be seeking to facilitate their children's education. Students with disabilities can get lost in the

general education classroom. The theory of Funds of Knowledge tells us that teachers should

know who the students are outside the school and what they learn at home (Lalas et. al. 2010).

Research shows that to be an effective teacher, understanding students, their parents and one's

own motivations/perspective is vital.

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Teacher perspective

Teachers struggle when educating students with certain disabilities. When trying to meet

the needs of students, teachers become frustrated when there are little results (Groff, 2014). If

teachers do not see progress in their own work, they will become unmotivated themselves. This

can lead to a change in self-perception and of their students. The perspective that teachers have

for their student's learning and behavior characteristics will affect their instruction and the

classroom dynamics (Shippen et. al. 2011). That is why, as educators, teachers should seek out

not to just teach their students but to expect the very best of them.

Pinto (2013), in her book, From Discipline to Culturally Responsive Engagement, asked

a few interesting questions teachers should ask themselves when challenged with dilemmas.

These are, "Do we frame the problem with empathy for the student, or do we face the situation

from a place of anger and punishment?" (p. 4) Teachers should look within themselves before

acting or engaging in a manner that can negatively affect their students. Pinto (2013) also asked,

"Do we look to the core of the problem, or do we react to the symptoms manifest in the

behavior?" (p. 4) Students in special education have challenges, and as educators, there is a need

to have a degree of understanding and compassion for these students, which may be different for

none special education students. That is why teachers have the responsibility to find a zone

where they can best communicate with their students. Teachers should not stress proactive

measures to avoid behaviors, but to use proactive measures to encourage students in the

classroom (Pinto, 2013). Students should know that teachers are a resource for their success.

John C. Maxwell said, "students don't care how much you know until they know you care." This

fundamental truth can change both teacher and student perspective.

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Parent Perspective

The relationship between parent and teachers vary. There are many components that

shape that relationship. Sometimes a parent is very willing to communicate, be helpful and

supportive from the beginning of the school year, other times it takes work to have a "good"

relationship with parents ("good" sometimes meaning good enough). A teacher's experience with

parents should not bring about anxiety, panic or a feeling of vulnerability for neither the teacher

or parent (Cianca & Wischnowski 2012). To best understand the perspective of the parent

educators must communicate with them.

Cianca & Wischnowski (2012) describe a quantitative study in which teacher's

candidates perform a thirteen-week research project. This study analyzed the effects of parent's

interaction with future teachers. The subject of this study are teacher candidates, working

towards teaching credentials. After reviewing student IEPs (Individualized Education Program)

the candidates contact parents of students with disabilities, meet with the parents and ask the

parents what the candidates should research to better teach their children. At the ends of the

research period parents share the experience they had during that research period, and the

candidates present their research finding to the parents. This research indicates that having

experience communicating with parents prior to entering the classroom is beneficial to teachers.

Having communication from school to home contributes to a better educational outcome

for individual students (Pinto, 2013). Parents need to know how their children are progressing.

Parents don't want to be called only when their child gets in trouble. Having communication with

parents before a student gets in trouble is ideal (Pinto, 2013). The first experience with a child's

teacher should be positive. The positive feedback from teacher to parent should trickle down to
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the students from the parents, giving parents the chance to support the children's education

(Pinto, 2013).

Student Perspective

Children are like snowflakes, no one is the same. This is also true when it comes to

students with disabilities. These students can't be simply categorized as disabled. They can have

a specific learning disability or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, visual impairments, be

deaf and hard of hearing, have health impairments, mental health issues, physical disabilities,

have autism or Asperger's syndrome (Texas A &M University, n.d.). And within each of these

are variations that need to be considered. The nature of several disabilities can hamper the efforts

of these students (Lamorey, & Leigh, 1996). The differences in each student make them unique

and understanding their motivations and lack of motivation even more important.

Student's interest plays a critical role in their academic motivation and achievement.

Having an interest in an academic matter will bring a good attitude towards it (Groff, 2014).

Finding those interests give the student a voice where the instructor can hear them and

understand their motivations (Groff, 2014). Student interest is only a part of their voice, teachers

must also interview their students and ask what kind of academic instruction and activities they

like (Groff, 2014). Educators need to try their best to understand their students. Though

sometimes it may be difficult, the effort being placed will impact these students. This alone may

motivate them to do their best.

Conclusion

Understanding students and their parents and one's own motivation are important to

successfully educate students with disabilities. The education of students both with and without
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disabilities will be successful when an effort is brought by the student, parent, and teacher. It will

be the teacher who motivates all three parties by seeking to understand their motivations or at

times give them motivation. Educators must do research into who they are, who their students

are and who their student's parents are (Cook at al. 2008). Because one model of teaching doesn't

work for every person, becoming an educator that can customize lessons for a whole classroom,

small groups and individuals require understanding the needs of students. Parents as a resource

to facilitate that education also requires an understanding and relation with parents. As an

educator one's own motivations must be clear, seeking to be an instrument to better educate one's

students.
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Reference

Cianca, M., & Wischnowski, M., (2012) Collaborating with Parents of Students with
Disabilities. Education Horizons, 91(1). 26-29.
Cook, B. G., Tankersley, M., Cook, L., & Landrum, T. J. (2008). Evidence-Based Practices in
Special Education: Some Practical Consideration. Intervention in School and Clinic,
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we are and how we learn: Educational engagement and justice for diverse learners (1st
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Disabilities: Differences in Elementary and Secondary Teachers. International Journal of
Special Education, 26(3), 36-44
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