Role of teachers towards children with special needs
In this article, I am mentioning the type of role the teachers should play towards special needs' children. They should be especially tolerant towards special needs children and help them to mould their personality. They should not constantly engage in assessing children but should focus more on their development.
The teacher has to deal with various students in the class. Some students are noisy, whereas some are quiet. A teacher should know the attributes of every student, but should not differentiate between them. The teachers should also deal with special needs children in school and they should be willing to accept the challenge. Special needs students usually have disabilities or behavioural issues. But, in most of the schools in India, teachers are not aware of such students. But, they should be made aware of these issues because the students are unnecessarily pressurized and sometimes lose their sense of confidence. How should the teachers identify the special needs students
Children with problems such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc are known as special needs children. Some children with severe intellectual disorders are not permitted in normal schools, but children who are ADHD, autistic, etc. are allowed to study in normal schools. The teacher should not forget their duty towards such children. Some teachers are of the opinion that they cannot pay personal attention to such students. In such cases, the school management should see that the teachers do not neglect such students. If neglected, these students often get frustrated and are not willing to attend school. The teachers should accept their duty towards such children and should uplift them. The word 'teacher' has a deeper meaning and he/she is considered sacred even according to the holy scriptures. A teacher is always a second mother to the students. When the children grow into adults, they remember their teachers who supported them in every part of their life.
The teacher should be able to identify a dyslexic student. A dyslexic student cannot identify the letters and numbers properly. They write letters or numbers in a reverse way because they cannot effectively process the visual information. Some teachers indiscriminately punish the students if they cannot write letters properly. If you watch the movie 'Taare Zameen Par', you have seen that the boy suffering from dyslexia was literally tortured by his tutors. So, the teachers should identify the problem and report it to the parents. The parents and teachers can discuss the problems with each other and effectively resolve them. The teachers should also identify autistic children in the class. These children are bright but cannot effectively interact with everyone. If a child has difficulty interacting with anyone in the class, then, perhaps, he or she may be autistic. The teacher should support the child at every stage. The child usually needs support to follow the curriculum of the class. Some of the students have physical disabilities or problems with hearing. So, they should always support such children. I have experienced such things myself. When I was a student, some teachers used to ridicule students with poor pronunciation. The teachers should focus more on teaching and student development rather than continuously accessing the students.How should teachers play an effective role towards special needs children
It has been often seen that although there a few teachers who are dedicated and want to work for the welfare of every student, some are not that much duty-oriented. Their reasoning is that they cannot work beyond their regular routine. Although it is not possible for teachers to pay personal attention to every student every time, they should have the right attitude to work for the welfare of every child. The teacher can find some ways to give attention to the child. They can conduct PT meetings and provide effective study tips to the parents. They can conduct camps or workshops to improve their skills in various activities. The teachers and students should develop a warm rapport so that they can discuss problems freely. Some teachers simply conclude that a student is special because they do not listen to the instructions of the teacher or principal. Some students are moody and hence are not willing to write or study in the classroom. Some students are immature too and hence they do not obey the orders. But, these students need not be special students. If the teachers are able to guide them properly, then they develop willingness. The teacher and principal should respect every student and should strive for their development.
Teachers have a big role in bringing up the children. We often want our children to be the best and put full pressure on the school whereas the school puts pressure on their teachers to get good result for the school. In both the cases, the teachers have to slog and be under pressure from both end. It is not only the role of teachers but also of the parents and guidance to understand and support their children and find time to communicate with their ward teachers to get updates about their progress.
As mentioned in the article that teachers need to give special attention to children with problems such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, backward class, etc so that they get boosted and encouraged to try their best everytime as showed in movies like "Black", "Taare Zameen Par", "Hichki", etc. Teachers are not only their second mother but also second father who dedicate their life for the welfare and good upbringing of their children without showing it on their face.