In high school my cousin and I were lucky to go to the same school. Some may see Michael have a difficult time speaking and other times they might see him get extremely upset if he could not find the words to say what he was attempting to communicate. Fortunately I got to see Micheal in a different light. I saw that he expresses his emotions more through art project. One afternoon, he painted this beautiful picture of an ocean. His eyes sparkled as he welcomed the waves, and for the first time, he spoke—not in words, but in color and brush. That moment transformed me. It taught me that anyone, however disabled, has their own way of shining. It is this knowledge that makes me want to be a special education teacher. Instructor Harold Bloom once stated, "The purpose of teaching is to bring the student to his or her sense of his or her own presence." To me, that is to enlighten students to their worth, their potential, and their role in this world. When one thinks or hears Special education people tend to put kids in a certain stereotype. Some may think they are unworthy, others may think “those” students are hard or difficult to deal to teach with. With that being said studying inclusive education and being a student teacher in an inclusive classroom as an educator, I notice it is critical to provide an arena where they can feel powerful, appreciated, and confident enough to express his or her mind. I strongly believe that every student, regardless of his or her disability, is entitled to find his or her voice and feel confident of what he or she can accomplish. I will teach to the students' strengths, using experiential learning, visualizations, and interactive narration to ground learning in tangible, real-world experience. I will use a range of multimodal instructional strategies, such as the integration of movement, music, and sensory exploration, to address diverse learning styles. With individualized learning plans, I will teach every student to find his or her own learning path about the world. Most importantly, I will teach self-advocacy. Special education students struggle with communication both verbally and nonverbally and perhaps are not even able to communicate their needs, feelings, or concerns to us. I want to turn them into self-advocates by developing an independence and sense of self. I will challenge students to identify their strengths, create personal goals, and learn to communicate and express themselves and their feelings effectively. Through the development of a classroom culture of growth and expression, I will empower my students with the ability to understand that their voice counts. Beyond the classroom, I will also continue to enhance inclusivity and awareness throughout the school community. Special education students should not be stigmatized and isolated as being different from all others. I will collaborate with general education teachers so that we create a learning environment where students learn to embrace differences among them and the beauty of diversity. Either through inclusive practice, peer buddy systems, or whole school commitment embracing diverse capacities, I will be open and understanding. Every child needs to be heard, seen, and appreciated. I am committed as a special education teacher to assisting every one of my students in finding their strengths, their voice, and the inner strength that they have. I feel that with support, patience, and encouragement, every student can achieve.