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The teacher I chose to interview is my mother, Alycia Wiley. She home-schooled us for our entire educational career, and she is what inspired me to be a teacher. She is currently in the education program at Newman University, and I have continually found her insights into this field to be filled with wisdom.

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The teacher I chose to interview is my mother, Alycia Wiley. She home-schooled us for our entire educational career, and she is what inspired me to be a teacher. She is currently in the education program at Newman University, and I have continually found her insights into this field to be filled with wisdom.

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She taught me, who was one grade ahead most of the time... And my brother, who was diagnosed with: Sensory processing disorder, Autism spectrum disorder, Auditory Processing disorder, and Visual Processing Disorder.

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She taught me, who was one grade ahead most of the time... And my brother, who was diagnosed with: Sensory processing disorder, Autism spectrum disorder, Auditory Processing disorder, and Visual Processing Disorder.

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School was a difficult thing for him to grasp, and each milestone was hard won. She persevered, and aided my brother in learning to read, write, and perform math.

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School was a difficult thing for him to grasp, and each milestone was hard won. She persevered, and aided my brother in learning to read, write, and perform math.

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1. How long have you been teaching special needs children? 

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1. How long have you been teaching special needs children? 

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For 13 years.

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Question 2: What made you choose the teaching profession, and in particular, teaching special needs children?

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Question 2: What made you choose the teaching profession, and in particular, teaching special needs children?

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Well, when we first got started homeschooling, my desire was to spend as much time with you as possible, not miss any of the milestones, and to teach you our faith in the context of the academic subjects.
I became a special ed teacher, specifically, when Isaiah started school and began exhibiting some delays and just some problems with learning, understanding letters, sounds... everything. so that was kind of my initiation into special ed.

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Question 3.A: How have your ideas toward teaching changed with each passing year of experience?

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Question 3.A: How have your ideas toward teaching changed with each passing year of experience?

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That special needs kids are usually capable of more than we give them credit for.

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Question 3.B: Can you recall your ideas about teaching now that you are a teacher education student? What were they before? What are they now?

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Question 3.B: Can you recall your ideas about teaching now that you are a teacher education student? What were they before? What are they now?

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Well my teacher education, I think because it comes after being a homeschooler... its nothing like homeschooling at all, so... I find myself frustrated because of all the paperwork and beuracracy that goes on. Although i will say that there are things I am learning in classes now that I wish I had known 10 years ago, so that I could have helped Isaiah in that manner back then...

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Question 4: How does teaching children with special needs differ from teaching other children? What are some challenges you face in teaching special needs children? What are some rewards in teaching special needs children?

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Question 4: How does teaching children with special needs differ from teaching other children? What are some challenges you face in teaching special needs children? What are some rewards in teaching special needs children?

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It differs because the learning process takes so much longer. There are some days when, if I can get six math problems done, then we’ve done a good days work. So it just takes a very long time just to get across ideas and concepts. Especially math and reading. Those were very tedious. Teaching other children that don’t have those issues flows a little easier. It’s more straightforward.

Challenges that I face are: always reinventing the wheel. I find something that works, and then after a while it doesn’t work anymore, so I’ve always got to be on the lookout for new strategies that will connect.

Rewards? My special needs student is very grateful for the energy it takes to do what we do together. And there is something when he gets a concept… it’s like “YES! WE DID IT!”

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Question 5: What advice can you give me for teaching children with special needs in the regular education classroom?

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Question 5: What advice can you give me for teaching children with special needs in the regular education classroom?

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1.       Patience, patience, patience.

2.       Have a good sense of humor.

3.       Don’t take anything personally.

4.       Usually, I find that it isn’t a disobedience issue, it’s a misunderstanding issue. So look at those things before you automatically go to consequences for the child.

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6. What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system with regard to special needs children? Consider such aspects as inclusion, funding, state assessments, etc.…

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6. What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system with regard to special needs children? Consider such aspects as inclusion, funding, state assessments, etc.…

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I would say that parents need to be more involved than they are now. I think that’s one of the reasons why Isaiah does so well now. I’ve been there every step of the way. We work together. It’s just a parent’s responsibility to know these things about their kid.

I still think the same about state testing as I always have. I think it is abused and that we end up teaching not for the joy of learning but so we can pass a test.

Sometimes, I see the benefit of inclusion of children with special needs in regular ED classes, it can help foster a sense of compassion among other children who don’t have to experience those things but also can raise the level of the abilities of the SPED student. But there is a fine line on what behaviors, disabilities, distractions, etc. that will be allowed in the regular ED class so that it wouldn’t end up being negative.

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7. If you could choose another career field, would you? Please explain your answer in detail.

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7. If you could choose another career field, would you? Please explain your answer in detail.

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No. I wouldn’t give up any of my time homeschooling my sons. Regular ED… well, no, Gideon was on the other end of the spectrum of giftedness. And that posed its own interesting obstacles, because trying to keep up with his reading appetite was very challenging for me. And then as his brain matured, and he began to ask lots of questions that I don’t really think about. I knew in high school that he had surpassed me in those ways, and definitely needed some input other than my own. So I have two kids with exceptionalities.

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 8. Are there any comments you wish to add to close this interview?

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 8. Are there any comments you wish to add to close this interview?

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I would say that the younger the child you are teaching, the less they can verbalize. So if they are struggling with concepts or behaviors are off, I think you just need to go into problem solving mode. I mean, you have to maintain boundaries, I am not saying you have to give those up, but try and think about what it is they might be unable to do. As they get older and understand their own disabilities, they can begin to advocate for themselves.