Running head: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATNESS

Creating Opportunities for Greatness: A Personal Philosophy of Education

Gianna Persico
California State University Long Beach

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATNESS

As an education specialist, it is my firm belief that all children, no matter their abilities or
disabilities, are exceptional individuals who have within them the potential for greatness. It is the
unique responsibility of educators to nurture the personal, academic, emotional, and social
growth of these exceptional individuals by working together to make learning come alive for
each student. In order to do so, educators must focus on the abilities, talents, and gifts of each
student rather than focusing on their deficits. Albert Einstein, a celebrated genius, once said,
Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole
life believing that it is stupid. These words resonate with me as a future educator of students
with special needs. I am dedicated to making it my lifes work find and nurture the genius in
each one of my exceptional students. My vision for them is that they will see not what they
struggle with or cannot do, but what they are innately gifted in, what they do exceptionally well,
and capitalizing on those abilities. In order to make this possible for students, special educators,
like myself, and general educators must be diligent and dedicated to a practice of true advocacy
for all of our students, but especially for our students with special needs.
All students not only have a right to free and appropriate public education, but also have
a right to an education that is uniquely designed to ensure their success, guide their efforts, and
attend to their needs. In order to make this possible, students need advocacy, guidance,
persistence, and dedication from a team of specialists that ensures that they are meeting their
potential. This requires that special education teachers and general education teachers receive
proper training and use research-based practices to provide the best possible education for each
student. Additionally, it also requires that general education and special education teachers
collaborate together with administrators and other specialists to thoughtfully create an education
plan that is truly individualized, meaningful, and reasonable for individuals with disabilities. The

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATNESS

goal should always be to create a positive environment in which the students academic,
emotional, and social needs are being met. In order to make this happen, this collaborative team
must consider not only how the students will gain access to academic material, but how they will
be included in a positive environment that allows for meaningful social interactions and
development of self-esteem and self-efficacy. Students need to not only feel that they have access
to what they are learning, but that they are truly part of a community of learners who truly care
and uplift one another.
In a time when schools are more diverse than ever, a one-size-fits-all approach to
education is simply unacceptable. For schools in urban areas, there are a multitude of needs that
must be addressed, including facilitating language development for English Learners, attending
to the needs of students with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or emotional challenges.
The goal of teaching, therefore, cannot simply be to instill knowledge, cover content, or help
students become proficient in areas of academics. Rather, the true professional responsibility of
teachers should be to instill an attitude of perseverance, of critical thinking, of self-worth, selfefficacy, and of collaboration with others so that students are college and career ready, and so
that they are ready for the volatile and often challenging life that awaits beyond their experiences
in school. Therefore, educators must be willing to individualize their teaching to make it
universally accessible, not only because it is the legal right of the student to receive such
accommodations, but because it is the ethical responsibility of the teacher to provide a
meaningful education for students that truly prepare them for the future.
For students with special needs, achieving these goals is even more crucial. In the everchanging world of education, it can seem unreasonable to go to such great lengths for each and
every student who goes through the public school system. However, it is the responsibility of the

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATNESS

educator to advocate for students and to ensure that all students have the needed resources to
become successful. As Whitby, Marx, McIntire, and Wienke (2013) point out, the role of
advocacy in special education is one that is often met with discouragement, unease, and
resistance. However, Whitby, et. al. convey the urgent need for advocacy in special education,
saying that what a child with a disability truly needs is a teacher who will fight for and demand
access to a fair and appropriate education (2013). As a special educator, my vision is to create a
collaborative environment among my colleagues that tolerates, even celebrates the quest for
quality education for all students. In doing so, special educators and general educators can work
together with enthusiasm to help find solutions and make plans for our students to be successful
no matter the challenges that lie before them. In order to ensure this, teachers must put the needs
of the child first, be knowledgeable of the special education law, and be dedicated to working
with other individuals at their school sites in a professional and respectful manner, to create
diplomacy that allows the team of specialists to appropriately equip their students for success
(Whitby, et. al., 2013).
This process of planning and advocating for the needs of students with disabilities may
require more effort and more individualized attention, but all students will benefit from the
dedication and planning of teachers to create more positive and inclusive environments that
celebrate diversity. Furthermore, all students will benefit from having teachers who are dedicated
to implementing an education plan that is tailored to meet the needs of individuals. For this is
truly the quintessential spirit of education: to create opportunities for our youth to become
productive, well-rounded, knowledgeable, confident, tolerant, and responsible citizens that work
together to solve problems, and create new possibilities in the world.

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References
Whitby, P., Marx, T., McIntire, J., & Wienke, W. (2013). Advocating for students with
disabilities at the school level: Tips for special educators. Teaching Exceptional Children,
45(5), 32-39. Retrieved September 7, 2014.

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EDSP 480 Personal Philosophy of Education Assignment Scoring

Rubric
Student: ________________________________________
Total Points:

/ 40

Evaluation: Ex = Exceeds criteria; M= Meets Criteria; B = Below Criteria; O =

Off topic, missing, or unacceptable
Criteria
Demonstrates a clear vision that
will guide future practice, (not a
description of current practices
and/or experiences in special
education) (3 points)
Demonstrates reflection on the
relationship between general and
special education in diverse,
urban schools where students
who are second language
learners will be served. (10
points)
Demonstrates a comprehensive
reflection on ones own legal,
ethical or professional values of
educating students with
disabilities who are a language
minority. Relating ONE program
theme area of Individualized
Education, Collaboration, Cultural
Responsiveness, Evidence-Based
Practices, or Advocacy &
Leadership.
(15 points)
Demonstrates an understanding
of the current literature in the
field of special education. Uses
appropriate citations and
references per APA format.
Minimum 1 citation provide
reference (10 points)

Ex

Comments

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATNESS

Demonstrates effective writing skills

including
grammar, spelling, and use of peoplefirst language.
Adherence to 3 pages max. (2 points)