"EMBRACING CHANGES – ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE: JOURNEY OF A SPED TEACHER"

MARY ANN D. SERRANO

Exemptional blend of trials and triumphs, this is how I describe my journey as a special education teacher. Being an educator of learners with visual impairments, my career has been a testimony of creativity, resilience, and passion. This article aims to share the challenges I’ve met, the strategies I’ve used and the fulfillment I’ve found in embracing changes and accepting the reality in the field of special education.

I started teaching learners with visual impairment way back 2007 in Angeles Elementary School. For years, I’ve become skilled with the techniques and strategies in handling different learners with visual impairment. But this school year became a different one. Because of the remarkable increased of the number of learners in our department (Special Needs Education), especially in the ID (Intellectual Disability) sequence, we were tasked to handle learners with intellectual disabilities and some learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As teachers, we must embrace these changes and face the challenges that awaits us.Strategies and techniques in teaching learners with visual impairment are different from handling learners with intellectual disabilities. Teaching learners with difficulty in seeing requires specialized approach that focuses on accessibility and promoting independence. Some of the key considerations are sensory adaptation, assistive technology, and orientation and mobility. While teaching learners with intellectual disabilities, it is crucial to recognize their unique challenges and provide individualized support. Here are some of the key considerations: differentiated instructions, multi-sensory approaches, accommodations and modifications, and emotional support and positive reinforcement.

As a conclusion, teaching in a classroom of learners with special educational needs with different levels and disabilities requires a thoughtful and individualized approach. Teaching these learners is not without its challenges, but the rewards are immeasurable. It's a career that demands patience, creativity, and a deep passion for making education accessible to all. Through my experiences, I've not only been able to help my students overcome their weaknesses but also grow as an educator and individual. It is through our commitment and dedication to our “purpose/calling” that we can nurture the unique abilities of all our learner and fulfillment that comes from this journey is evidence to the transformative power of inclusive education.

-oOoThe author is SPED Teacher I at Angeles Elementary School