EDUC 510

INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE – QUESTIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

TEACHER OR PARAPROFESSIONAL
Interviewer, you may type the interview responses directly onto this template.
First name or initials of interviewee: Jill Smiley
Subjects taught or supported: SPED
Age of students: Elementary School Age (Kindergarten-2nd Grade)

Description of the special needs of these students, including:

 Name or types of conditions, syndromes, or disorders in the class: Autism, Down
Syndrome, and Developmental Delay are all possible diagnoses in our class.
 Physical challenges: Although all students are able to walk on their own, they may have
difficulty with their depth perception. To help students navigate the school and climb the
stairs, an adult is always present to assist them.
 Intellectual challenges: Students' ability to attend and learn is severely limited. In other
words, the students are performing at a level that is well below their grade-level. Their
challenges have an impact on their desire to learn new skills and behaviors.
 Emotional challenges: Social challenges: Due to the student's disability, non-verbal,
and inability to communicate needs and wants, there are emotional challenges for the
student to deal with as well. The ability to communicate with others or interact
effectively can be compromised as a result of this.

Equipment, therapies, additional support needed to address classroom challenges:

Equipment, therapies, additional support needed to address classroom challenges:
There are a variety of equipment options that can be used in the classroom such as modified

seating or preferential seating as well as toileting and feeding equipment as well as adaptable

pencils and crayons. Students may use assistive technology to communicate, such as an IPAD

with a communication app, GoTalk, or 4-12 button talk. In addition to occupational and physical

therapy, students may also receive services from language therapists or vision specialists. The

possibilities are endless!

What kinds of skills are required to work with students who have special needs? How do
you work with others who support your students?
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Being patient is essential. Accepting that mistakes are part of the learning process and

being able to adapt. In special education, you'll learn that less talking is more effective. First and

foremost, I learned to be quiet at times during my first year. It can be done by pointing, using

PECS or pictures, or using small, distinct words. It's important to keep in mind that special

education is constantly undergoing changes. No child can be compared to another. And it's not

always the case that what works one day won't work the next. The importance of knowing your

students becomes apparent.

Activities the class enjoys. Include a description of any adaptations required Qfor students

to be able to participate in these activities.

The class enjoys participating in various activities University of Tennessee's TRIPS

program is well-received by the students involved. They are REC students who come to the

school and do activities with the students, according to the school's website. It is their

responsibility to provide all of the necessary materials for all of the planned activities. Adaptive

bikes are a favorite, as is pushing a small grocery cart that is weighted around the school to make

deliveries. It's fun to dance, play interactive games on the smart board, and throw a ball into a

basket to keep it moving. To get them to participate, the teacher or assistants must give them

prompts.

How has your life been impacted by teaching students with special needs?
My students have brought me a lot of joy in my life, and I'm grateful for that. Their

personalities are endearing and can make you laugh.

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Why did you want to become a special education teacher? What do you enjoy most?
What’s you’re the biggest challenge/ reward in working with students who require special
education?

Originally, I wanted to teach kindergarten, but I also had a special education

endorsement. Teaching special education was not a problem for me at all. It was in special

education that I got my first chance to shine. They make me smile when I see their smiles and all

of the progress they make in school. As a special education teacher, my biggest challenge is the

lack of support you receive. My reward is seeing how far they have come.

After you have completed the interview, you will write a 200-word summary of what you
learned from the interview and a 300-word conclusion. The conclusion must include citations
from at least one scholarly resource and the course textbook. A reference page should be
included. The interview template, summary, and conclusion should be submitted in one
document.

After listening to the interview with Jill, I was able to see that she genuinely cares about

and enjoys her work, which is filled with daily challenges. After thirty minutes of asking her

questions and listening to her heart speak about the stories of each student she had in class, I was

filled with chills and tears, and laughter. Her words fueled my desire to pursue my dreams. Even

though her students are challenging, the language she uses to communicate with them is crucial.

There are days when you have to survive, and it is essential to remember that any feelings I

could have been valid and all right, as she explained to me. Some days are just about surviving,

and the students may not be able to learn anything new. What can I do to help? Every feeling

makes a difference, and if a student is overloaded with emotion, they will be more focused on

that than on a teachable moment and acquiring knowledge. There is no point in clinging to the

past. There will be no carryover from the previous week. If they do not have a place to start, they

will not grow.

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When it comes to special education, mentorship can make the difference between a good

teacher and a great one. (Williams, 2016) Because special educators encounter a variety of

problems on a daily basis, they are in high demand and difficult to retain. When starting out as a

special educator, I believe it is critical to seek support from other special educators. Because this

field may be so difficult, having someone who understands it can be really advantageous. Jill and

I had a great conversation about special education, and I found this quote to be appropriate.

Special educators continue to be in high demand and difficult to retain because they face a

variety of challenges every day. As a special educator, I believe it's crucial to rely on other

special educators for support and guidance. Knowing that you have someone who understands

this field can be extremely helpful. “Special education services are provided to approximately

13% of the total school population because they have a recognized impairment and exhibit a

need for specially planned teaching. “(Orlich et al., 2018) This number, I believe, exemplifies the

significance of special education teachers.

As a 11-year veteran of the teaching profession, my friend Jill told me that she learns

something new every day from her students, and I am excited to continue learning for the rest of

my career as a teacher. Even if things do not go as planned, Jill reminded me that everything

works out for the best. I agree with Jill that it is essential to share our own stories with students.

Jill has seen her students overcome a wide range of obstacles, but she has also witnessed their

success stories along the way. The traumas we have experienced in the classroom can be used to

show students that we comprehend what they are going through, just like the adage "practice

makes perfect," read something that will assist in understanding what they are going through and

use your own experiences as a guide. For us, as teachers, this means that we will continue to

learn something new every day, and we will be able to see things click for students in a way that
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others cannot imagine. The interview with Jill helped me understand what goes on in her

classroom and all the other special education classrooms. My heart has always been to witness

the students learn, but Jill tends to make her students love learning, which is my main goal in the

future.

Reference
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Orlich, D. C., Harder, R. J., Callahan, R. C., Brown, A. H., & Trevisan, M. S. (2018). Teaching
strategies: A guide to effective instruction. Cengage Learning.

Williams, A. R. (2016). Becoming a positive and effective special educator. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/90010510.