1.6 Professional Development
Being an ECCE Teacher would have meant that some training was done in special Education. My training was done at UWI and the courses that were geared towards inclusion was very instrumental in trying to assist each child in reaching their fullest potential. The courses were designed to help us identify red flags associated with disabilities and to formulate effective strategies to be implemented in order to overcome these barriers and help disabled children to reach their fullest potential. We gained knowledge in terms of developmental milestones and different learning/teaching styles to cater for their individual needs. Prior to these courses, teachers felt a sense of discomfort and experienced a sense of incompetence when it pertained to interacting with disabled children. The attitudes of the teacher were that of unwillingness and being doubtful about their competence. The courses have equipped us with the type of training and knowledge that we needed in order for us to help these children to do their best. We were sensitized to various skills to empower us, skills such as teaching/learning skills, classroom management skills, time management skills and social skills as we interacted with each child. These skills helped us to develop a positive attitude towards inclusion. We also learned about resources and support systems which we can access to help us develop the disabled child overall performance and equip them as well for our society. We were also taught that sometimes we as teachers need to go beyond our call of duty in the classroom and this effort goes a long way to improving the lives of all children in our care.
That is so true, we sometimes need to go beyond the call of duty if we are to improve the lives of all children in our care. However, the attitudes of teachers towards working with children with special needs are changing. It is changing slowly but once we work together collaboratively, it gets better and easier. the teachers become more relaxed and feel much more capable in handling the situations as they arise.
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