Planning for a special education 2nd- 3rd grade class is one of my major struggles in teaching. Due to the nature of my students disability I find it hard to take into account what that day will bring. Also a struggle is accommodating every student on their academic level while also providing them classroom accommodations and curriculum modifications. In my class I have four students who have trouble consistently recognizing their letters and numbers, and I have two students who function on a first grade level, and one third grader who test on a 4th grade level cognitively functions on a 2nd grade level. When I plan, I plan for three reading groups, three math groups, and two writing groups. On our perfect day, only one student is not
“From a holistic constructivist perspective all children simply engage in a process of learning as they can in a particular subject area; how much and exactly what they learn will depend upon their background, interest, and disabilities” (Stainback and Stainback, 1992, pg.72). Inclusion and Full Inclusion you’re getting the best of both worlds. With two teachers who collaborate. Which means” to work together with another person or group in order to achieve or do something”www.merriamwebster.com. Using teachers that are well qualified, understand the students, and meeting the needs of every student. Working together as one, to achieve and meet their goals and objectives. Romans 8:28 says” And we know that all things work for the good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”wwwbiblegateway.com. We as educators are called for a high level of accountability to teach everyone. Whether its inclusion or full inclusion, giving them the right tools to succeed in life. By getting knowledge which is power to achieve and be successful to make it this life. As an instructional assistant in the public school system, working with students who have disabilities. We have days that are more trying and challenging than
English 101 is one of the most common college courses in the world. When I enrolled in the class, I was bothered that I would have spend forty hours in a freshman writing class; along with at least another forty hours throughout the semester writing for the class. What surprised me, was that when I began writing my essays I was not annoyed or bothered; I actually enjoyed the assignments. Most importantly, throughout the course of the semester, I have become a better writer and have ultimately met the course goals of English 101.
What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.
In my classroom I will make sure that the children with special needs are benefiting from instruction. I will pair this student up with someone who is capable of helping. The student will be getting my instruction as well as help from one of their peers. I will be aware that this student is a learner with special needs and I will teach this student at a level in which he/she is comfortable. I will make sure I am aware of everything that I can about this student?s special needs. I will be in a tight contact with the student and his/her parent/guardian so I can be aware that they are working with him/her at home. If this isn?t the case then I will pair this student up with another student after school, with myself, or with someone else that would be willing to give this student extra time.
There are many requirements in special education that requires a special education instructor to be adjustable and understanding in every situation. Teaching special education to students with disabilities means being creative and diverse in your approach on how to present a lesson plan that will contribute to the student’s strengths in everyday activities. An instructor should be open minded to utilize assistive device within the classroom setting to help the student reach a clear understanding in the assignment. For this assignment I have learned that there is a lot of work toward creating a lesson plan that will help to making learning enjoyable for every type of learner. It is not just making a lesson plan that you want to fit, but what you know will work for the students in your classroom.
As you know, more students with disabilities have been entering general education classrooms due to changes in legislation. I have had many students with different disabilities in my classroom. I have had students with autism, communication disorders, and down syndrome, just to name a few. I have, of course, had plenty of typically developing students as well. .
Student tables: I want all the chairs facing the smart board so that all the students in my classroom will be able to see the board effectively. The two desk on the ends will be for the student who are having trouble sitting so close to someone else even if they're just being a little disruptive in the classroom.That give that student space of their own, but also makes it to where they're not far from everyone else. If a student is still struggling sitting close by I can move them to a round table or at the kidney table. This goes for the students who have behavioral problems.
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
The movie The First Grader is based on a true story of an inspirational older man named Kimant Ng’ang’a Maruge who perspired to learn how to read. He became a great inspiration to a new generation to get educated and an example for younger generations to appreciate and embrace education. Maruge advised the children from his school to pursue education because one who doesn’t know how to read is “useless.” Moreover, he lived up to his advice and learned how to read, becoming an example of someone who never gives up and an emblem for the idea of loving learning until the very end.
The special education teacher should take on the role of helping plan the lesson for the classroom. She will take into consideration her special education students’ IEPs. She will plan accordingly to help accommodate and modify information to held her students be successful. She may even help adapt the lesson to better meet the needs of her students. Sometimes the special education teacher may seek assistance with these tasks by her para educator.
When teaching students with disabilities it is important to know and understand the needs of all the students in the classroom. Ultimately, the goal for any educator is to educate all of the students in the classroom and ensure that appropriate accommodations are being made for students with disabilities. By utilizing these skills in reading, writing, and classroom management, an educator will be able to help all students be successful.
A wise man by the name of Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”. Planning is essential because it one of many characteristics of becoming an effective teacher. It involves thinking, organizing, and creating prior to teaching a lesson to students. Planning allows the teacher to create lessons that adhere to each of her student’s individual needs (i.e. kinesthetic/tactile, auditory and visual learners), to group students based on their learning needs and assists (i.e. partners should complement one another; a high enrichment student should not be paired with a low scoring remedial student) and to develop a well thought out lesson that has all of the kinks worked out before hand, so the lesson can flow smoothly when it is
The independent work that I would give them would be modified for the special education students and I’ll have them do half of the worksheet instead of the whole thing to see their progress. Whenever I can, I will give them the easier problems with the same concept. For the students that are learning the lessons quick I will give them harder problems of the same lesson. I will make sure for the students that don’t understand the lesson do not feel rushed and give the other students more work so they can spend more time on the lesson. This helps to make sure the whole class is on the same level and no student is falling behind. It is always helpful to focus on every type learner in the classroom and not only help the students who are
There is so much to know about special education that is separate from teaching in a traditional classroom. One thing that has really stood out to me is how many acronyms and terminology these teachers need to know. IEP, LRE, IDEA, FAPE, IFSP, and that is just to name a few (DREDF, 2017). Special education teachers, really need to be knowledgeable about a ton of things. Not only all of the terminology associated with special education, but about disabilities and the best way to go about educating a child with disabilities. When working with children in special education, there will be students of all ages with all kinds of disabilities and different ability levels that you are teaching. It is important to know about each child’s disabilities, what they should be learning and how they should be learning it. There may be times that are challenging education students with disabilities, but when a teacher properly educates themselves on all the aspects of special education and the resources out there for them, it may help make your classroom run more smoothly and easier to
For my observation experience I went to Southern High School in Harwood, MD. Southern High School has a special education department for the students with disabilities. The teacher that I met with for this classroom observation was Ms. West. In the classroom there were at least four assistant teachers that helped Ms. West throughout the school day. The assistant teachers helped Ms. West co- teach the class and were there to help the students if they needed extra help. The school also has a couple of student aides that come in to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. There were at least twelve students in the classroom. The students in the class had many different exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome,