Doctor Clare

It is my philosophy that all students are capable of learning and experiencing success in the classroom. In special education, I have seen a lot of value placed on getting students to perform at the level of their
non-disabled peers. While I am in agreement that we should hold high standards and provide rigorous teaching to all students, I also feel that this goal needs work. Instead of taking diverse students and making them achieve the same standards, we have an equal if not greater obligation to value the perspectives and abilities that our students already bring to the learning environment. It is the responsibility of the teacher to know their students individually, to evaluate their strengths as well as needs, and, of course, to make sure that learning is taking place.

I came to this philosophy in my work as a classroom teacher. I was initially hired as a full-time classroom aide at a non-public school for students with the need for behavior support, but by the end of the school year I was leading instruction in elective courses in the high school. Due to my background in psychology, I also took over duties as the behavioral specialist, responding to students in crisis and implementing positive behavior supports. I was teaching the elementary class by my second year, and stayed with those students into middle school, and then for three more years. Since completing my PhD in Special Education, I have been teaching at the university level in the special education credentialing program, the Master’s program, and with a teacher residency program. My work has included teaching courses in behavior, social skills, research, assessment, and Autism, sharing the concepts of differentiation, inclusion, and high expectations for students with disabilities to people from all different departments and career goals.