Can Inclusion of Regular Students in Special Education Classrooms be Beneficial for Everyone?

The book has talked a ton about inclusion of students with disabilities being included into regular classrooms. From experience, I believe that everyone benefits from regular students being in classrooms with students with disabilities. I worked with children like this for a long time and you can see a change in a student who has come from a classroom, where they have never had a "mentor", to having a "mentor". Not only do the students with disabilities benefit but every "mentor" that has came in closed minded or uneducated come out a new person.
Not only are both parties learning but at my school where each child had a "mentor" to help them got one on one time. We had class time with the teacher and as we worked on assignments, the children had someone right there to help them all the way. They progressed so quickly. One student, from one of my first years in the program, came to our school not speaking a word of English. This student has down-syndrome and was not taught any English, ever. After a year of being in the program, she now speaks English like she has been doing it forever and also continues to speak Spanish which was her native language. I feel so privileged to know this student and to say that I have helped her accomplish getting over a language barrier.
This program of inclusion also makes students aware, understanding, and educated about any type of student with any type of disability. The other benefit is that being able to know children with disabilities is the most rewarding and life-changing of anything I have ever done in my life. No matter what my mood, it was never down around them.
So YES, inclusion of regular students in special education classrooms is beneficial for everyone.

Why might some people oppose bilingual education while others advocate its use?

In the United States today, we have a fast growing, diverse population. A study shows that in three states bilingual education has been taken away in schools in those states. This same study shows that "the three states that passed anti-bilingual education initiatives enroll 43% of the English language learners in the United States." (http://sdkrashen.com/articles/tell_the_truth/all.html) When more than half of a schools enrollment does not speak English, bilingual classes SHOULD and MUST be offered in my opinion. In high schools, it is mandatory that you learn a second language and in most cases you must take at least three years of that language. So, if it is mandatory that English speaking students must learn a second language, why are some school systems making it impossible for students who do not speak English to learn a second language as well?
According to the article, there are two reasons why "we" or the states lost bilingual education; anti-immigrant attitudes and plain ignorance. Many people are ignorant to other cultures and do not understand their lives. At one time bilingual education was acceptable and positive in school environments, that unfortunately, decreased throughout the years. People have mixed feelings about immigrants however I truly believe that most of the people that are negative about bilingual education are depriving children of a better life because they do not like or appreciate these children's parents. School systems are trying to make a better life for the children and the many generations to come after. Being unacceptable to bilingual education also involves being racist. Our country is better than that and I truly believe eyes need to be opened and people should not be ignorant and stubborn. They should also understand that if this were their children they would be very hurt that they had their education being taken away from them.

Should birth control be discussed and provided to students at schools?

One of the biggest controversies that is disputed is whether or not birth control should be distributed to students who ask for it. "Sixty-seven percent support giving contraceptives to students, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies." (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/health/main3439598.shtml) I agree that birth control should be provided to students who want it. I also think that the student should have to have at least a discussion with their parents about what they are considering; somewhat of a mandatory meeting with someone in the school system, the parent, and student. Whether or not the parent agrees, their child is going to do what they want regardless and I can almost say 100% that the parent would rather their child be protected doing something they do not approve of then having sex unprotected. "Parents should be in on it," said Jennifer Johnson, 29, of Excel, Alabama, a homemaker and mother of a school-age child. "Birth control is not saying you can have sex, it's protecting them if they decide to." (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/01/health/main3439598.shtml) This statement is true and very smart. Just because contraceptives are provided at will does not mean "Go and have sex." It is simply giving the student a decision to be smart. It is showing them that abstinence (which seems unrealistic to most students) is not the one and only choice you have to make. It is proven that teen pregnancies have decreased since "those saying sex education and birth control were better for reducing teen pregnancies outnumber people preferring morality and abstinence by a slim 51 percent to 46 percent." I believe that students should have the option to access birth control through their schools because it is only protecting them. By explaining to them the correct ways to use birth control, it will not be taken advantage of but it will definitely help them.

Why Teach?

Why do people choose to teach? Everybody is different and have different motives behind their reasons for teaching. I feel as if each reason strongly depends on your experiences and who you are as a person. As I grew up I discovered more and more that I had a love for children with disabilities. Being able to change someone's life in such a large way is just an incredible feeling.

"I want to teach because students deserve a teacher who really cares about them and wants them to do their best. A lot of people want to teach because of the intrinsic rewards that come with teaching. I want to teach because I love working with students and being a part of their lives. I care about the youth of the world, and I want to help them learn and prosper in any way I can. I also want to teach because I honestly can't see myself doing anything else with my life than teaching." (http://www.helium.com/items/754635-why-do-teachers-want-to-teach)

"7. Autonomy in the Classroom
Once a teacher closes that door each day and begins teaching, they really are the ones who decide what's going to happen. Not many jobs provide an individual with so much room to be creative and autonomous each day. 8. Conducive to Family Life
If you have children, the school calendar will typically allow you to have the same days off as your kids. Further, while you might bring work home with you to grade, you will probably be getting home close to the same time as your children."
(http://712educators.about.com/od/teacherresources/tp/teachergood.htm)

As I researched, I discovered that some people teach to make a difference in the future, touch lives forever, and many teachers teach because they want to be that teacher that really cares. Another article I researched, it was said that most people enjoy being their own boss. Although teachers have people who are above them, they are more or less the boss of their classroom. It is also common that most people become teachers because it works well and makes it possible to become a parent. All of these reasons are valid and logical. One reason I researched was a very important one to me. I love kids and want to have a family of my own and having a job where you have the same days off and the same schedule as your children is extremely lucky.

The picture that I chose is of me and two students in my special needs class. Becoming a teacher and coming in to see these faces everyday just kept me motivated. Whether my day started off on the wrong foot or I was just being a complete grouch, it didn't matter because they made everything better. I was always happier seeing those kids. I have to admit that I would get notes to get out of my classes in high school and go down to that classroom just to get a break from my day (every period :)