Practice makes pefect!

        This week in our class we did a mock hearing for the Cedar Rapids case and a mock IEP meeting. Being a part of both of these activities has really caused me to think about my role as an educator and an advocate for my students. I realized that I have so much more to learn and that I really need to dedicate myself to the knowledge that I am learning in this class. The knowledge that I learn here on campus will help me when I go out in the real world as an educator. It will help me know what is best for my students, what I can do to help them, and how I can advocate for them.
     
        The Cedar Rapids case was a big eye opener for me. I was the lawyer for the school side. First off, I don't ever want to be a lawyer. This role however, helped me to realize that I do not have enough knowledge on the education laws. As the lawyer I had to use law to make arguments and I struggled to do this. This made me want to be more dedicated to what we are learning about the law and in general the things that we are learning about in class. It also helped me to understand why teachers need to know the law as well and what we can do as teachers if we know the law and what is appropriate.

        The mock IEP put me in different shoes. I was the Speech Pathologist which is not the profession that I am going into. I realized that all of these different professions are all so important and that if they work as a team great things can come from it. I also realized how involved I need to allow the parents to be in all processes. They need to know that they are valued. Also, I think that it is so important for us to not build walls between professionals and the parents. I would say that I would be quite intimidated if I was a parent put in a room of professionals and not given any recognition for my ideas or even my presence. It is so important to make parents feel valued and important to the decisions made on their child's behalf. If they come then it is most likely that they do really care about their child and have important insights.

        I need to remember to always do my part in keeping up on my profession. Education changes frequently and I need to stay up on these changes so that I can best help my students. I also need to appreciate and use other professionals as resources when I have a child that has special needs. Parents need to be involved!