Farnan co-authors textbook to help future teachers meet student needs

Dr. Shantel Farnan, an associate professor of professional education at Northwest Missouri State University, has co-authored her first textbook, “Special Education in Today’s Diverse Classroom: Meeting the Needs of Students with Exceptionalities.”

With the goal of preparing future educators to foster trust and promote equity in their classrooms, the textbook provides additional resources for instructors such as realistic examples, lecture notes, case studies and class activities. The book is published by Plural Publishing Inc.

“No matter what type of teacher someone is going to be, they’re going to have diverse learners,” Farnan said. “They’re going to have students with disabilities in their classrooms. We really wanted to make sure that they were well equipped.”

Dr. Shantel Farnan is pictured at a recent event to promote the textbook she co-authored. (Submitted photo)

To cement common teaching methods, the introductory-level textbook includes high-leverage practices and evidence-based practices.

Farnan collaborated on the textbook with Dr. Ruby Owiny, an associate professor in the College of Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, due to their shared passion for special education. The pair swapped ideas for writing a potential textbook while meeting during a Teacher Education Division conference, where they had been members of the Small Special Education Programs Caucus for more than a decade.

“We knew that this is ultimately what we wanted to get out into the world — to ultimately affect those pre-K through 12 students in schools by getting this to future teachers through their universities,” Farnan said. “We wanted something that was focused on student needs, the diversity of those needs and practical strategies that could be used to meet their needs.”

The all-encompassing textbook discusses the entire spectrum of diagnosed disabilities from gifts and talents to those twice exceptional, which refers to individuals who are considered gifted and have a disability.

“We don’t want to just look at the students’ disabilities,” Farnan said. “We want to look at all the things that make them who they are and make them exceptional in every way.”

The authors also focused on implementing real-life vignettes to bring authentic voices to all children and students. Through far-reaching marketing, they want any university to be able to use the textbook without having to plan additional lessons.

“Real students and real families are really important to drive the strategies because these situations have happened and show how can we provide what these students need in our schools,” Farnan said.

Farnan joined the Northwest faculty in 2011 after serving as special education director in the Maryville R-II School District and teaching special education at Eugene Field Elementary School in Maryville and the Northeast Nodaway R-V School District in Ravenwood. In addition to teaching coursework related to special education, her research and scholarly interests are focused on collaboration, high-leverage practices, profession-based learning, collaborative scholarship and diverse field experiences.

Farnan is a Northwest alumna with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and special education, a master’s degree in educational leadership with an elementary education emphasis and an education specialist degree with an emphasis in superintendency. She earned her doctorate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in educational leadership and policy analysis.