Himanshu Shekhar

I agree with John Dewey that the sole goal of education is growth (Gutek, 2004, p. 76). When the students grow it allows them to more easily solve their own problems and help them to maintain social relationships. The skills I teach can be as basic as enabling one student be able to count money or understand why rules of society are in place and how to function within them. But, learning these skills will allow the student to do things, such as hold a job, communicate with others and live as independently as possible. There is not one philosophy of education that I find myself agreeing with on all points. There are ideas from several different theories that I gravitate towards; namely, post-modernism, existentialism and pragmatism. To me, a studentâ??s background should not determine his destiny. Special needs students are marginalized in our schools by being excluded from regular education classrooms. I believe that including them through the use of co-teaching is much better for the students. Students are more engaged when the subject is one that they are interested in. Treating the students as if they are lesser by excluding them does not help them to achieve educational goals. I