I am passionate about the special education profession because these are the students who need the most support and the best instructional practices. Students who qualify for services bring so much light and joy into a classroom, and just because they do not meet the traditional benchmarks of standards set in a classroom does not mean that they should not be getting the highest quality education available. I want to be the instructor that is showing students what they can do, rather than focusing on what they can't. Harold Bloom's statement is about a self-actualization process. This happens when a student can understand their own ability, track their own growth, is learning in their Zone of Proximal Development, and is being taught through a "whole child" approach. All of these different systems allow for a student to approach subjects that may be difficult or intimidating, but take them on with an open mind and with grit - all while learning about themselves as a learned and a person along the way. This is what Bloom is talking about when he says "bring the student to his or her sense of his or her own presence." Education is more than just teaching a novel to students or explaining Algebra. It is about educating a student with critical thinking skills, teaching them life lessons that go beyond the traditional school curriculum, and passing on grit and determination to students for when things get difficult. The role of the teacher can and should expand beyond the traditional curriculum. For many students, a teacher might be one of the few stable adults that they have in their life, and making sure that we are doing as much as we can within the professional standards of our job is very important to building the success of the student. This means supporting the student no matter what, providing a safe and stable environment for them to function in, and allowing them to find themselves in our classroom as well. As a special education teacher, my mission in accomplishing the task of students finding a "sense of their own presence" would be to craft my curriculum around the students, rather than visa versa. It is so important to meet students where they are at and to build intentional systems to assist students. This is true for students who qualify for services, but also for all students in general! Building in scaffolding, differentiation, time to reteach or revise assignments, student-centered grading practices, and time for one on one instruction are all important aspects of crafting the curriculum to meet the needs of all students. I have seen how this can impact the learning of a classroom, and I cannot wait to see how it will impact my future students as well as I continue to learn and grow as an educator! Thank you!