Reflection #3

“With the right focus and right energy, every child will learn. And as every child learns, the future of this country will never have been brighter,” (School Success 2007, p. 1). I have polar views when it comes to statements like these. I believe that every child should be provided the opportunity to learn, and I can say with confidence that in my classroom they will. But, giving someone the opportunity to learn and that person being capable of learning are two different things. On the topic of inclusion, I have seen first-hand the successes of a classroom with dynamic learners. It surprised me how much students were willing to help each other, especially the special ed kids. Seeing them grow more confidence in themselves and in interacting socially has made me a firm believer in inclusion. When it comes to addressing the needs of every student, I can honestly tell you that in the class sizes we have right now it’s not humanly possible. I don’t want to sound defeated, this is just something I have realized in a short amount of time in a classroom. For example, we have two classes of with thirty students in each of them and we only have 50 minutes a day to teach them everything they need to know. My teacher and I help every student we can, and we are also available at times outside of the regular day, but to accomplish what we want to accomplish with our students, we NEED the parents to be heavily involved in their child’s education. “Learn everything you can about your child’s school. You know your child best and understand his/her needs. Research shows that when parents and families are involved in their children’s schools, the children are more likely to succeed,” (School Success 2007, p. 3).