Will the Real Special Educator Please Step Up

Something has got to change and it needs to begin with the real special educators out there. If I see one more incidence of a child with special needs being "mainstreamed" for the sake of simply sitting in the classroom and taking up space I'm going to explode. Children cannot be told that they aren't expected to contribute and achieve but yet that is exactly what is going on when we "mainstream" a child into a classroom for the sole purpose of exposure. I personally cringe when I hear that expression.

Children are not stupid. They know exactly what is going on and they should. If they are told enough times that they aren't capable of doing what the others are doing, they will begin to believe it. If a learning disabled child is "mainstreamed" into an academic classroom, they deserve the same opportunities as anyone else and that is to experience success and feel positive about their own performance. For a learning disabled child to sit and not be accountable for appropriate academic performance actually disables the child even more. Instead of fostering positive development in many different ways, we are hindering the child. We, the professionals and parents included, are sending a message to this child that he or she is not good enough and not able. We are also sending the same message to the learning disabled child's peers that they are in fact better than he or she. Both messages are terrible inappropriate.

Any and all students deserve to experience self worth by earning good grades and experiencing success and not by simply receiving grades for sitting quietly and looking pretty. They should also be an extremely active participant in their education. Regardless of their academic levels, at some degree, children can perform and be accountable for academics. They can be expected to prepare for class. They can learn to study, be contributors in a classroom, and be held accountable for material and grades. Far too many times the appropriate material is not prepared by the educators themselves for these children. Perhaps the concept of "mainstreaming" needs to properly explained. In my opinion, a child should not be "mainstreamed" into an academic classroom until the special education teacher and others involved have properly prepared that child with the tools necessary to be successful.

It is absolutely imperative that the first true mainstream experience be a successful one. At times, the special educator may have to quietly modify materials behind the scenes and work with the classroom teacher to help facilitate success but with a clear understanding that the child still needs to prepare, study those modified materials, and be accountable for academic performance. The days of the learning disabled child being placed in an environment where he or she is spoon fed and not expected to perform should be over but apparently, they are not. On more than a few occasions this school year I have had discussions with frustrated educators sharing this very scenario.

I am an educator of children with special needs. I teach children from preschool age to eight grades and maintain the same philosophy throughout and see positive results daily. Please, don't misunderstand me; I know there are many good educators are in the classrooms today but there still is more work to be done. Teachers that work with the learning disabled should be advocates for these children and encourage a work ethic that will ultimately help these children to be productive citizens in our society, not dependent upon our society. Again, there are many extremely dedicated educators working with children every day and with a modification of the mainstreaming philosophy, the children will be the ultimate benefactors.