Mission: Excellence in Education

By Ana Paula Fiechter

   As teachers, we should know the importance of knowing our students well enough to understand their behaviors and learning process in class. Teachers are in constant training, updating courses, learning different ways of teaching and how to recognize the real difficulties of a student. However, most schools keep proudly the title of having a traditional educational system. Most of the time, this title forbids the appliance of some helpful techniques learned but as considered as modern methods, they cannot be used in a traditional school. How many children could be studying in a pleasant way, without fighting against their own obstacles if only a teacher would campaign for the right of using unconventional resources?

   In Europe, for example, a child with hyperactivity can have a teddy bear on his lap during class because it has been shown that it helps to calm the child. To sit on a Pilates ball can help a child to focus during learning and even listening to music while working elevates the level of concentration of a person. These are only some examples of simple solutions that can be easily used to help children to soften whatever condition they might have. It is quite sad to see that despite all knowledge acquired by some teachers, and school directors, the job done in the every day routine is still the one that feels more comfortable for the teacher. It is necessary to change this, to get out of the comfort zone, to try out new things. And all this starts by the teacher. It is the teacher who has the most contact to the students and should know their needs and so, it is the teacher who can in first place bring to the higher authorities the positive results conquered by a new experience.

   The principles of integration in an ordinary system of education have brought the thought about the need of a psycho-pedagogical intervention in class. Teachers need to revise the new proposals and make a different process of integration, the adaptation of specialized human resources and materials that may contribute to a new model of special education allowing teaching with quality.

Rafael Bautista Jimenez in his article “Special Education and Education Reform” (2002-Bautista Rafael; Necesidades Educativas Especiales) mentions that the concept of learning with difficulties has changed. In the past, the child was the only guilty, “it was inside him”. Nowadays, it is considered that the school, which doesn't do the needed adaptations, has a big responsibility in the final learning process results.

   Special needs is an issue that can bring up so many topics. Here the aim is just to remember the role and importance of the teacher in this process of transformation inside and outside the classroom, how children are different and how the process of learning can vary greatly from child to child.

   Children need to be respected and receive from school the necessary support to overcome the difficulties and reach the desired level of learning to live well and understand some important basics concepts for their lives and surroundings. 

Best regards, Ana