
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one."
Mark Twain
"Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another."
GK Chesterton
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
Albert Eistein
Hello! Thanks for reading this blog. You might be wondering why I have a picture of a normal looking class above. It is because I want you to look for and find the special education students. Found any yet? No? The same would occur at Maricopa Christian Academy if you were to come visit and observe our students during a typical day. You would not be able to single out the special education students. Why?
All our students are each working on their own individual goals based on their successes and failures from the day before. During a math class you will see a fifth grade student working on eighth grade goals and a sixth grade student working on third grade goals.
Some of the students you are observing may be challenged with completing double the expected amount of work while others my only have half an assignment as their goal. Their will be students you observe who only see the teacher three or four times during the math class. And some students who spend the whole class sitting next to the teacher receiving continuous support.
A big reason you will have trouble finding our special education students is because not one of them is labeled as such. We don't need to. The label will not change the educational approach individualized for them already for their particular needs, the same as the rest of the class. The school receives no extra money for labeling.
There is no segregation or pulling students from the rest of the class for extra help. Our small class sizes and individualized goals and instruction by experienced and trained instructors means there is no need for removing the child from class.
Our multi-garde and individualized approach has so many seen and unseen advantages for all our students, including those that would be labeled special education in other schools.
One advantage is the student being successful at his level and being a part of a group of students who are also being successful at their individual levels. At first, when a student arrives into this new and different learning environment, they will notice students their age and younger are working on more difficult material. Then, after a short while, the student will begin seeing their own success and progress. The student will see the same opportunities for growth.
I included the Mark Twain quote because it sort of describes how we approach instruction for all of of our students, special education or not. Each student's individual tasks or goals are uniquely broken down to best instruct and challenge him. One student may need manipulatives and other student may have a double assignment.
The Chesterton quote is reflective of a Christian community, ours in particular. Maricopa Christian Academy is here to support our parents in the training of their children. Praying for our God to pass his love to them.
And Einstein's quote, because it is so stupid. A great education is something that is rarely offered in our culture anymore. And if you have never experienced a great or even a good education, then you have no idea how much it benefits you and your life, like Einstein.
As always, if you would like to know more, please contact me, Tim Ihms.
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