Wrap Up

The day before my final service learning at DEA, I had the privilege to observe a third grade class of gifted students at another school in the Salt Lake Valley. The differences between the children and their level of education was astonishing. The children at DEA were in sixth and seventh grade and had problem areas in reading and math. The third graders, all had higher reading levels and could perform more complicated math problems than the children at DEA. I found it very interesting and beneficial to have experienced both ends of the Special Education spectrum. If I were to work at the elementary level, I would like to seek certification in gifted special education.

Now that I have finished my service leaning at DEA, I have decided to seek a secondary education licenses through the MAT program. Although I really enjoyed working with younger students, I found that I have more to offer to high school students. If it works out, I hope to receive a special education license in the MAT program as well. I learned a great deal from working with the kids and special education teachers. Through my observations I have started to develop my own methods of teaching to implement in the class room. I hope to work with these students in the future but at a higher level in their academic carrier.