This week, we had another guest speaker. Tracy Humphreys came to speak with our class. Before class, she had us watch a video and read the information with it. I found this so interesting to watch and learn about. Seeing a student with autism, who struggles with communicating verbally, communicate his ideas in a different way using technology is amazing. I love that there are now ways for everyone to communicate, even when they cannot do so verbally. This use of technology is incredible and beneficial for so many people. I really liked how the teacher that was working with the boy in the video was very supportive. She encouraged him the whole time while he worked on his typing/speaking.

I also really liked how we talked a lot about how building connections is one of the most important things you can do as a teacher. This idea is something we have discussed quite a bit in our Learners and Learning Environments class. Building connections with your students makes them more comfortable and helps them learn better because they know you are there to support them and want the best for them.

Something else from another course that reminded me of this lesson was in a math class when we were talking about communication. My breakout room was talking about how it is important to teach students about all forms of communication, but if there is one in particular, such as written communication, that a student prefers and is comfortable with, they should be allowed to use it. One of my group members then brought up how this reminded them of something Tracy said about her son. If a student, like her son, finds something that works well for them, what is wrong with them using that all the time instead of being required to try something else? This is something I will keep in mind when I am a teacher because I want my students to be comfortable and feel that their needs are being considered and they are cared for.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash