Recently I began working at a children's psychiatric hospital on the developmental disabilities unit as a milieu therapist. All of the children on this unit have a developmental delay, ranging from mild to severe mental retardation and autism. These children are admitted because of their psychiatric and behavioral disabilities. The main goal of a milieu therapist is to keep each child safe in an extremely structured environment and to teach each child behavioral skills. Understanding and following each child's behavioral plan, treatment plan and Individualized Education Plan are key factors in improving each child's way of life. The skills and dispositions that each therapist possesses greatly reflects upon the success and treatment of each patient. I've learned that some of the most important qualities to have in this field are patience, security and stability, a positive attitude and the urge to want to teach good behavior and advance each child's knowledge. All of these above qualities are also characteristics that fit in the profile of what the true portrait of a teacher is. Any environment where something is being taught whether it be behavioral or educational skills, is a place of learning where the stimulation of critical thinking and inquiry are vitally important and the ability to achieve these takes a teacher that possesses the skills and dispositions necessary.
With the area in which I would like to teach being special education, I envision a creative classroom environment where each child is getting the assistance and support they need to educationally further themselves. In promoting this standard in my discipline in order to stimulate critical thinking and inquiry I would create a classroom atmosphere where students feel free to express themselves without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. Critical thinking requires asking questions that can't be answered with simple yes or no answers, but by asking questions for which there are multiple answers of for which there is no known answer.