Dear Class:
Please copy/paste [YOU MAY HAVE TO POST SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THIS DONE, BUT IT'S OK TO DO THAT] your Special Educator Interview for this posting. Feel free to offer comments to your peers if you so wish. I look forward to reading about your experiences with interviewing an educator who is out in the trenches 'doing this stuff ' everyday, regardless of what we have to say about it. Don't forget to email a copy to jherr3@uis.edu as well.
For those of you that need to, please click on the following link to see the interviewiing instructions emailed to you earlier in the semester: http://specialeducatorinterviewblog.blogspot.com/ .
We can talk/read/post/write about how to teach all day long, but there is nothing to suffice for being the one in the trenches: always remember and respect that: respect that of any teacher and that respect will come back to you when you're the one in the classroom.
I have enjoyed reading your postings on fleshing through the ins and outs of special education. Hopefully, you will walk away with the knowledge that we are all human beings with feelings, emotions and mental faculties; that students are human beings that will be entrusted to your classrooms, and when the Almighty Door is shut to your classroom, what will you really do? Will you afford all students that chance at humanity regardless of what you think, what you believe and what you've been told? I hope and pray so. Good luck to you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Herring
Part 1 of 3
ReplyDeleteI interviewed Michael Edwards, a Special Education Teacher, at Dubois Elementary School in Springfield, Illinois. Below are the questions I asked Mr. Edwards with his responses.
1. How does a teacher become a special educator? Michael got his bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management. He worked at the Crowne Plaza for nine years and then hit burn out. He quit his job, began subbing in District 186. A vacancy came open for a permanent substitute in a special education classroom and he got the job. He did this for three years. While working as a permanent substitute he decided to get his teaching certificate with a special education certification from McMurray College. It took him two years and he had to take the following certification tests: Basic Skills, LBS-1, Spec Ed and APT.
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building? The goal in Mr. Edwards classroom is for the student’s to behave well enough to eventually integrate back into a general education classroom. The classroom functions on a reward system which is level based. It is very restrictive. For example, Michael explained, at the 1st level students do not get to pick what they want to eat for lunch and they eat lunch at their desk. They get to draw or read at their desk for recess. Level 2 allows them to choose their meal, eat at their desk then go do an activity in the classroom for recess. Level 3 allows them to choose their meal, eat in the cafeteria, and go to the gym or outside for recess. These children have severe behavior issues and a few do have other disabilities but over all they are smart students.
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ReplyDeletePart 2 of 3
ReplyDelete3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom? Mr. Edwards thought about this question for a moment and said, “This is a tough question because my kids are so different.” He went on to explain he uses role playing in the classroom to improve social skills. The students will be given a situation to act out and then they will discuss how they reacted and if this was the best choice to make or if they should have done something else and why. I did notice when I first arrived he told each student as they were leaving, “Make good choices in art today.” He also said he tries to tie in real life situations to their behavior and to explain to them why they must behave a certain way.
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning? Mr. Edwards feels all children can make something of themselves and they just need a stable person in their life to be supportive, provide guidance, and encourage them. He thinks people look at students with bad behavior and emotional issues as a lost cause. He doesn’t want these children to get forgotten or lost in the shuffle. He wants to make a difference in their life so they can be functional productive adults.
5. What are your own learning styles? Mr. Edwards stays current on behavior disorders, teaching methods, and special education laws and changes. He reads articles, newspapers, journals, books and is a member of various councils regarding special education issues. He also visits other special education and general education classrooms to incorporate other teaching techniques.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom? Guided reading is the most popular teaching method used in his classroom. It builds the students confidence when they can read a book. Once they master a book they get to read it to the class on Fridays.
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)? Teachers refer a student for Response to Intervention (RTI) based on test scores and academic performance in the classroom.
Part 3 of 3
ReplyDelete8. What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)? Students are referred to a problem solving team, and the RTI process. The student then goes through a series of testing including a psychological test, behavioral test, and Intelligence Quotient test (IQ). Then a plan is made to accommodate the student’s needs, change the teaching instruction and monitor the student’s progress. Not all parents like RTI because they feel it delays or stops their child from getting into the special education program when needed. Mr. Edwards explained that RTI meeting are sensitive anyway but parents can often get heated.
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process? Mr. Edwards does get to sit in on RTI meetings and give his opinions but basically the students have been selected by the time he gets them in his program.
10. How does your school (district) handle identification/selection of the “hidden” gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities? Teachers make recommendations for gifted students to attend Lincoln Magnet School and students are chosen to attend the school based on a lottery system.
11. How many students do you have in your classroom? Mr. Edwards has 8 students in his class at a time, 1 teacher and 2 attendants. He said this number works and is needed due to behavior/discipline issues. Basically, at least one student is acting up at all times. He said when a student misbehaves an attendant usually ends up putting them in the “safe zone” which is a small area blocked off by a book case and hanging blankets. He said the first thing you must do is take away the students shoes otherwise you will get them thrown at you. You talk to the child to calm them down. Once you can talk to them you review what happened and what they should have done. Then you give the child a respect paper which they have to fill out to earn their way back into the class.
12. How do you feel about your job, like it, love it or just a pay check? Mr. Edwards loves his job and says every day is different and challenging!
I am getting my elementary teaching certificate and I have been considering getting my masters in special education so I found this interview to be interesting and educational.
The educator I interviewed, Ms. Johnson, has been a special education teacher for 34 years. She has been at Pittsfield High School her entire career. This high school is in Pikeland Unit #10. I interviewed her during parent teacher conferences, which is during their Easter break on April 20, 2011. This interview was very informative. I did not realize how hard a special education teacher’s job truly is today. After conducting the interview I am going work with special education teachers to modify my lessons so students with special needs receive a proper education.
ReplyDeleteMs. Johnson was a triple major in MacMurray College, and did three different semesters of student teaching before she became a certified educator. She took the typical collegiate requirements along with the education program classes. This is the typical process for special education teachers. It must be noted that Ms. Johnson’s path was more rigorous than others due to her triple major.
When I asked how her classroom was conducted differently from others she gave a very interesting answer. Her class centers on life skills training, home management, community service, and content courses. Her student’s instructional levels ranged from kindergarten to fourth grade. An example of home management was one-day students were to learn how to clean windows and keyboards. For community service her classes were in charge of a school luncheon for the teachers. Her class cooked everything and catered to everyone. She teaches a science (life and physical), American history, and math class. There are five different math groups, which focus on real life situations. They were working on math they would encounter at the drive-through at fast food restaurants. Ms. Johnson also commented that they always focus on manners. Essentially her classroom differed from others because her students were receiving life skills lessons.
ReplyDeleteThe main teaching strategy she frequently uses is repetition with everything. She stated that repetition is crucial so students retain what they learn in her class. There are students in her class who struggled with washing windows and needed to practice at it. This carries over to her philosophy about teaching special education students. She feels that everyone is capable of learning, and a teacher needs to find the style. A multisensory approach is used in the classroom. Ms. Johnson is an individual who mainly learns from auditory instruction, but there are instances where she prefers visual instruction. The teaching methods most used are cooperative small groups. This is great because everyone is at different learning levels. Higher functioning students help lower functioning students and they learn from each other.
Identification and selection for the special education program are interrelated to each other. Teachers must document every reason for referrals in the domain meeting. They must make note where students struggle and whether the problems are behavioral or academic. The referrals are examined at the domain meeting. At the meeting there is a team that decides if the student will be apart of the program. The team is composed of the regular and special education teacher, principal, psychologist, nurse, social worker, parents, and maybe the student. The meeting talks about the student’s characteristics: vision, health, hearing, and progress. She informed me that the special education teacher has a small role in the decision-making process and can make recommendations along with provide class explanations to parents. Essentially she is there as a figurehead. There is only one student of color in the entire school and her case was handled in the same manner as any student. She struggles with English and is in a special reading class, which I have substituted in.
ReplyDeleteThe last question I asked was what she feels is needed for her students to be more successful in school. She said, there needs to be more cooperative teachers and hands on vocational training without reading. The teachers who have been at the school for a long time were the ones who do not alter their lesson plans for special education students.
This was an extremely informative interview. I found it interesting that individuals who have been teaching for a long time were the ones to be the inflexible. I would have thought they would see the importance of modifying lessons so special education students could function in their classroom.
Mrs. Laura Welch is currently employed by the Sangamon Area Special Education District (SASED), serving Williamsville/Sherman Community Unit School District #15 at Williamsville High School in Williamsville, Illinois as a community based education (CBE) teacher. I, personally, have had the opportunity of substituting for Mrs. Welch’s classes a number of times over the past five years, and I have a great appreciation and admiration for her dedication to students with physical and developmental disabilities. Below is a transcript of an interview that was conducted partially in-person and via e-mail on February 18, 2011.
ReplyDeleteQ: What has been your experience as a special educator (education, certification, teaching experience, etc.)?
I have a standard teaching certificate with endorsements in social/emotional learning disabilities, mental retardation, and physically handicapped. I have taught for 34 years in various positions. I started out teaching high school SRC/SRS math and resource at Orion High School and later at Rock Island High School. I went to a severe and profound classroom, then to elementary special ed resource, then back to the severe and profound classroom through Williamson County special ed in southern Illinois. Then we moved to the Springfield area and I started working for SASED. I taught a severe and profound classroom on the high school level at Lee School. They moved me to Rochester Elementary to start a CBE program (community based education), and later to Sherman Elementary School with the same class. I was an itinerant CBE teacher for five years and traveled in several smaller districts for SASED. Finally, SASED moved me back to the Williamsville school district where I have been the CBE teacher for seven years.
Q: How does a teacher become a special educator (what does the process involve)?
It has been over 34 years since I went through the process and I know there have been changes. Basically, it requires a college degree in the field you are interested in, student teaching, and proficiency tests.
Q: Approximately how many children do you have in class per day and what are their disabilities?
The most students I have in a class at one time this year is four. Both the disabilities and the number of students vary from year to year. This year I have a student with down syndrome, a student with muscular dystrophy, a couple of high-level functioning autistic students, a student with a traumatic brain injury, and one with emotional/behavioral issues.
Q: How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
My students work on individualized work at their desks. I rarely stand up in front of the class and teach because each of my students is on a different level academically. One of the nice things about my program is the ability to teach the student on his level and work with him at his speed. No one is trying to keep up with each other or trying to get a paper done before someone else. This allows them to feel proud of their own accomplishments.
Q: What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteI tend to structure my classroom on an individual basis. I usually make each student a folder or a binder full of work that they can work on independently during class. If they are following TEACHH programming, they may have tubs with their individual work in it. Otherwise, the students keep their folders under their desks or next to their desk on a shelf. Even if I have students working on the same goal, at the same level, they each have their own expectations. Using tubs for work, like the TEACHH program, allows the student to see how much work he needs to do and when he will be finished. The number of tubs and the amount in each tub is a promise to the student. You do not add more tubs or items to existing tubs once you have placed them there. The student has the responsibility to finish all the work in the tubs that are in line before he is finished. If the student refuses to do work, the work stays there until he is ready to work. It is not taken away just because he refuses to do it. Several items can be put into one tub when packing it though. You have to ascertain the amount of work to fit the needs and abilities of each child.
Q: What is the TEACHH program?
TEACHH uses picture schedules with Velcro, and I use it for some students. They have proved very helpful in getting the students to successfully move throughout their day, even with non-autistic students. These schedules can be on the desk, on a wall, on a divider, or near the door. What works, works. I have used many of the ideas that I have learned through the various autism trainings that I have attended. I would recommend that all special education teachers try to go to such training and to visit a program that uses the TEACHH system and the communication boards even if they don’t have autistic students. The structure that this program provides can be helpful for all lower-level students.
Q: It sounds like your classroom is very individualized. How often do you work individually with your students?
I work with all of my students every day, even the students with individual aides. I find a time where the aide can help me with something else in the room, make copies, run errands, or just sit there and watch me. This is an excellent opportunity for the aide to get more materials for their student, fix schedules, or get the tubs ready for the next activity. How much time you spend depends on your class.
Q: What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
One of my philosophies through the years has been that unless you can get a student to sit and work at his desk, it will be hard to teach him. So I usually develop an objective for each student, whether they are 6 or 16. I lower the level of the goals and my expectations until I find something that they can do without much help, and hopefully independently. Independence is a big word in my classroom. I strive for it no matter what level the student is functioning at and no matter what the goals are. Granted, not everything has to be at this level. I work on non-independent goals as well, but I try to find sometime during the day that the student is required to do while sitting and working on his own. Another philosophy is that I look at where a particular student should be in their twenties and then do what I can to start them on that path. In my mind, I try to think of the realistic lifetime goals for each student, such as: what skills they should be able to accomplish; what skills they should try to improve upon, but maybe not master; and what skills are beyond their abilities and should be left off the table. These goals can evolve through the years as the student progresses, or not.
Q: What are your own learning styles?
I, personally, am a visual learner. I learn best by watching.
Q: What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteWith such a wide range of students, it is hard to do a group lesson. When I have students that can work on the same skills, they enjoy working as a group. They generally like to work with or help their peers, but it is not always possible. Another reason it is hard to do group work is that each student is working on his/her own IEP goals. It’s very individualized. So, not only is it hard to find the right combination of student levels, but you have to think about what goals they need to be working on.
Q: How do you determine those goals?
I have used the state standards to give me direction as to what goals to write. Most of them can be broken down low enough for my students’ needs. I try to keep the goals and objectives to a manageable number, especially at the high school level. I don’t usually load up the goals and objectives unless the parents want specific ones added. If the students are working on jobs and are in other classes, this limits the amount of time available to work on objectives in the CBE room. Plus, personally, I feel that by the time CBE students reach the later years of high school, their focus needs to change significantly to vocational and job skills. I concentrate on what will make them a good and dependable employee. At the lower levels, you have more time with the students and can write more goals, but it’s important to be realistic as to what the student can accomplish in a year. If I have involved parents, especially at the lower levels, I send home a copy of the goals and objectives before the IEP meeting. That way the parents can look them over in a non-stressful environment. They can feel like they are part of the process and give you feedback as to what they want to change or add. IEP meetings can be intimidating for all parents.
Q: Do you use technology in your classroom?
I have said for several years that computers are an essential tool for students in CBE. I believe the more familiar that all students can get with the computer, the better off they will be. In my class, lower-level students may work on cause and effect computer programs with a switch, or they may be listening to stories via the computer while practicing, using headphones. Other students practice typing personal information correctly or copying from something given to them. Using a mouse and the keyboard takes practice for my students. We are often still working on both skills at the high school level. Marvis Beacon is a word processing program that I use. If a student can navigate with both a mouse and the keyboard successfully, more refined typing can be tried. If students need more practice on the computer than typing, I have them look up information, like weather. I then develop a worksheet that the student can fill out from the information on a weather website. He can then post that worksheet on the board so that we all know what to expect from the weather that week.
Q: How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
The process is started with a referral packet. This usually starts with a parent, a regular education teacher, or a special education teacher. The packet gets filled out and sent to a CRT (or Case Review Team) meeting where the referral is put before the committee to decide what needs to be done first, and by whom. This team is made up of the area administrators, the school psychologist, the school social worker, and special education teachers in the building. The majority of CBE students are usually identified well before they reach kindergarten. They are usually placed in early childhood programs and go right in to a CBE program from there. Very rarely are CBE students identified down the road; but if that happens, it is because they are in SRC or SRS programs and they can’t keep up with that modified work. These would be the higher level functioning CBE kids that are on the fence between the two programs.
Q: What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
ReplyDeleteOnce the referral packet gets turned over to the CRT team, they take action on testing or whatever is decided needs to be done. They bring the results back to the CRT team and the team looks at all of the gathered information, and decides where to go from there. There is a timeline that needs to be adhered to in terms of how long from the date of receiving the referral packet to when the team has to making a decision.
Q: How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
Students who are put in CBE are usually students who fall below 70 on IQ tests. I don’t have much of a role in determining CBE students because they either are already in a CBE program before they come my way, or the IQ scores they have transferring in determine that they belong in my room.
Q: How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
I do not participate in this identification process. Unfortunately, the students that come to me have severe impairments.
Q: How would you describe the greatest challenges you face as a special educator?
Right now, the biggest challenges facing most special ed teachers are morale and paperwork. It seems like everyone is more concerned about documentation, being sued, or testing than they are about us actually working with the students. My personal challenge in a given year is programming for each student which meets their needs, and yet challenges them to improve as best they can. Then, there are also always the behavior issues that can be a constant part of a CBE program.
Q: What are your thoughts about the importance of collaboration and interpersonal communication?
I think that collaboration and communication is very, and I mean very important with all teachers. In my classroom, however, I feel it is even more important. Regular education teachers don't always know what to expect with my students, either academically or behaviorally, and it is important to check in with them on a regular basis to make sure that we are both on the same page. Sometimes they let my students get away with more than they should simply because they are unsure of how to handle situations. The most important communication I have, though, is with my students’ parents. I like to stay in continual communication with them. I often use a traveling notebook that we can use for notes going home and back. This year my students are using their high school agenda books or I will e-mail or call parents. I feel it is important to stay in contact with parents on both good and bad issues so they don’t always dread my calls.
Q: Is there an area of special education that you would like see improvement? If so, how do think it could be made possible?
I am sure there are several areas that can be improved. I have seen lots of changes over the years, some good and some bad. There has been lots of news about inadequate teachers and lacking education systems lately. I don’t think it is a fair assessment. I don’t like the No Child Left Behind act, and I don’t like the thought of merit pay coming our way. I also feel like the yearly teacher evaluations that are done are not accurate. I wish there could be another way to evaluate teachers, but I don’t feel like leaving the decision to an administrator, and his evaluation as to who to fire, is always the best idea either. In regard to improvements I would like to see, I feel like we should pump as much money and resources into programs at the elementary or preschool levels as possible. I believe taking away preschool programs is not helping. If younger students get an early and good start with needed help, it might make a huge difference in their needs down the road.
Q: Do you care to share any other information or comments about your role as a special educator?
ReplyDeleteI have loved teaching and enjoy being with my students. I have had many teaching experiences over the years and I believe most of them have been good. I feel like the best thing I can do for my students is to prepare them for the future as best I can, especially at the high school level.
I believe Mrs. Welch summarized this interview perfectly; regardless of what level we consider teaching, the best thing we can do for our students is to prepare them for the future as best as we can. As part of the CBE program, Mrs. Welch also finds opportunities with businesses within the local community which allow her students to develop job skills, and which help prepare her students to become well-functioning and contributing members of society.
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ReplyDeleteSpecial Educator Interview
ReplyDeleteI work at a head start, with 5 kids in the classroom having IEP’s. Since I work with these kids everyday, I was especially interested in finding out the process behind IEP’s and how to work with these students in a structured classroom. I was not able to talk to the special education contact person at my school, but I was able to talk over e-mail with a previous college professor, Jill Wright, who is currently a high school special education teacher in Litchfield School District. The interview took place on Febuary 4, 2011. She was able to provide me with a lot of information about working with these students day to day in the classroom and also helped me to better understand the process for identifying and selecting students for the special education program in her school district.
1. How does a teacher become a special educator?
In IL if a regular ed teacher takes an additional 9 or 12 hours they can become certified to be a special ed teacher with a limited certificate. Now when I did my undergrad work, my major was in learning disabilites and then I had to certify additionally in mentally handicaps and behavior disorders. When I came to IL because I already had those certs I was automatically granted the LBS1 (learning behavior specialist) once I completed the tests.
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
My classroom of students is quite different b/c you have to remember I have these students for 4 or 5 years and several times a day. It becomes their "safe place." My classroom is hopefully always filled with respect and my students are aware that they can come down at any time to have tests read to them or seek additional assistance if we are staffed at that time.
3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
ReplyDeleteStructure/routine are the most important. My students do not handle change well. For example, I usually always tell my kids when I am going to be gone as they have to syke themselves up for a sub or a lot of times, they simply skip school on that day. Then as far as curriculum goes, I use a lot of graphic organizers and prompting.
4. What is your philsory about teaching and learning?
My philosopy is different for every student, just like their IEP. These kids have such different skills and abilties I cannot ask them all to do the same, but I expect everyone to try and at least make an effort.
5. What are your own learning styles?
Never stop learning! I love writing, and for me writing I believe allows for reflection of the day, mistakes I made, and ways to brainstorm on doing better.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Bell ringers, current event discussions, and talk time. If someone is upset about something, I might as well let them talk it out and we discuss it maturly or I would never get anything out of the student or the others around.
7 & 8. How do you idenifty students for the specical education program in your school (district)? What is the selecition process for special education in your school (district)?
ReplyDeleteStudents are identified at a much earlier age than when I get them, however, the process is first a classroom teacher recommendation, then a team meets to discuss alternative intervention strategies (which is not tier 1 of RTI) and if a student continues to not make the expected process at they progress towards tier 3 a recommendation for testing is made with the parents permission. At that time an IQ test and achievement test are both given by the psychologist. The psyc person looks at the IQ score and achievement scores and if their is a large discrepancy between the scores, the student will then be identified accordingly. Also during this process, their is a health/motor screening, family history and home visit by a social worker then all this info is compiled and presented to the IEP team.
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
My role as the special education teacher is very important as I work with the physc person to determine the students present level of learning and achievement levels. Once that is determined, and IEP is written for the student.
10. How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the ‘hidden’ gifted such as students of color and students with disabilities?
Due to budget cuts we no longer have a gifted program in the elementary however, in the middle school and high school these students have the chance to take AP courses, duel credit from LLCC, and many times they are members of the Eco-teams, brain bowls, scholastic bowls.
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ReplyDeleteAn interview was with D’Ann Urish who is a special education teacher at Franklin Middle School in Springfield, Illinois. This is an interview about D’Ann’s career in special education.
School & district that you teach?
Franklin Middle School, Springfield Public Schools 186
How long have you been teaching?
27 years
What grade level do you teach?
Middle School (6, 7, 8)
What specific subject do you teach or do you teach general education?
Math mostly with two sections of history
How does a teacher become a special educator?
Not sure exactly now.... I actually became a special educator through a program at WIU called corrections and alternative education (I don't believe it exists any longer). I planned to teach in a youth corrections facility. It required us to student teach (this was senior year after doing a one semester internship in a youth therapeutical facility junior year) in a public school behavior disorders classroom (both elem and high). I did so in Springfield, had a successful experience and was offered a job to begin the day I finished student teaching. The money was way better than the Dept of Corrections and my parents highly recommended I go the public school special ed route.
How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
The number one difference is probably the size of the classroom.... also the small number of students and pace of instruction.
What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
Overhead for lessons so the kids can see as well as hear what they should do, reduced assignments, pace instruction towards level of understanding, differentiate accordingly....
What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
My number one philosophy has to do actually with finding something to like about your students, connecting with them on a positive relationship basis and not lowering your expectations of them. I work with some very limited students who live with adults at home but not in the way that you and I lived with adults growing up. I have evolved in my philosophy over the years in that it has become much more of a relationship and expectation philosophy than an education philosophy. I feel that kids will learn from what I teach if they have a relationship with me and I strive to gain that first. The kids I teach fail to produce withe people they don't know, don't have a relationship with and don't respect.
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ReplyDeleteWhat are your own learning styles?
I'm definitely a visual and tactile learner
What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
I feel that this is ever evolving, but include:
•Modify expectations based on students needs.
•Break assignments into segments of shorter tasks.
•Give alternative assignments rather than long written assignments.
•Provide a model of end product.
•Provide written and verbal direction with visuals if possible.
•Break long assignments into small sequential steps, monitoring each step.
•Highlight to alert student attention to key points within the written direction of the assignment.
•Check that all homework assignments are written correctly in some kind of an agenda/homework book. Sign it and have parents sign it as well.
•Number and sequence steps in a task.
•Provide outlines, study guides, copies of overhead notes.
•Explain learning expectations to the student before beginning a lesson.
•Make sure you have the student’s attention before beginning a lesson.
•Allow for student to use tape recorders, computers, calculators and dictation to obtain and retain assignment success.
•Allow oral administration of test.
•Limit the number of concepts presented at one time.
•Provide incentives for beginning and completing material.
How do you identify students for the special education program in your school? District?
No answer.
What is the selection process for special education in your school? District?
No answer.
How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
I teach departmentalized special ed which means that the students I works with are already identified and have been filtered to me and the other departmentalized subject teachers.
How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the “hidden” gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
No idea really. I have forwarded this question to my dept chair so that you can have the most updated information for our district. She will reply to me and I will forward the answers on to you when I get them. Hope that's okay.
D’Ann is a veteran when it comes to teaching, she has been teaching for 27 years as a special education teacher. Her schooling was completed at WIU (Western Illinois University) in Macomb. Upon completing her student teaching D’Ann was offered a job right away and took it on the advice of her parents.
D’Ann classroom is smaller and the rate of instruction is a big difference between her class and a regular education class in the school. D’Ann has what is considered departmentalized subject classroom, she teaches math mainly, but also history. In regards to D’Ann’s teaching philosophy she believes it has changed or adapted over the years. Ultimately she has now realized in order to get through to the special education students you must befriend them first, like something that they like, in order to truly get through to them.
Teaching students with learning disabilities on a broad range means that you have to be able to teach in many different ways. D’Ann has many different methods of teaching her lessons and she states that “I feel that this (teaching methods) is ever evolving.” The students that D’Ann teaches have already been assessed and given their IEP (Independent Educational Plan) and it not aware of the process within the school or district in regards to the process.
Interviewee: Sherie Escobar
ReplyDeleteEmployed at: Polaris Charter Academy, Chicago Public Schools
Interview conducted on: 1/27/11
Introduction:
Sherie Escobar is a special education teacher at Polaris Charter Academy in Humboldt Park neighborhood on Chicago’s Westside. Polaris is an Expeditionary Learning school.
Expeditionary learning is a model for learning that submerses kids in a project based, hands on experience and research of a compelling topic. This setting provides challenges for Sheri (the sole teacher in the special education department) as much of the literacy is integrated with the content area expedition work. Polaris is a newly opened charter school, in its 4th year. In it’s first year it started with K-2 students, each year a new Kindergarten class is enrolled, until reaching capacity at K-8th grade. Being a new school also creates challenges for the special education department. As the school grows, the amount of children with IEPs increases. Sherie single handedly meets with all the children with IEPs at this time. Polaris is lucky to have the support of Americorp educators along with other support staff to offer early interventions for students on the path to being evaluated for special services. Sherie’s experiences shed light on how difficult special education situations can be, but also how joyful when the right attitude is held.
(Responses to questions are direct quotations from Sheri- the special educator.)
ReplyDelete1. How does a teacher become a special education teacher?
Some teachers go to school specifically for special education certification. This means that their entire program is based on special education, and their practice teaching experiences are based in special education. However, I got my certification through the META master’s program at Roosevelt. My degree and certification are in regular education, and then I took additional courses in special education to get my endorsement in special education. I also had to pass the LBSI test.
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in
the building?
I don’t have a self-contained classroom at this time, but I used to have an autism classroom. It was very different, in that I had 7-8 kids ranging from 5-10 years old. Some were non-verbal, some were bilingual, some were runners (as in, they would run away if not contained), one climbed and wore a helmet, one was deaf and bilingual, some were toilet training, etc. Because of the various extreme needs, the room was run very differently, with very small segments of the day that were highly structured. There were three adults. Most of what we did was extremely functional.
At Polaris, I do a mix of push-in and pull-out activities. In my room (which is shared with our social worker), I get to work in smaller groups, and have the freedom to individualize beyond the general education curriculum. I guess a big way that my “classroom” is conducted differently is that almost all day I am teaching reading and math. I am also running around a lot. I have three reading groups in the morning, and have a 2nd grader that takes a recess break, so I drop him off and pick him up from a different room between groups. Then I do 3rd and 4th grade math at the same time, which is tricky. Then I go into a 5th grade math room for inclusion. This is currently going into part of my lunch. After lunch, I work with a kindergartener, which is cutting into some of my prep time, and then do math all over again with 2nd graders. The first half of that is in a general ed classroom for inclusion, and the second half is pull out in my room. I am adding 1st graders to this soon. Then, it’s some more reading with 2nd/K, and writing with 4th graders. I’m constantly running around grabbing different kids, and though I try to keep the schedule as consistent as possible, I often carry it around with me anyway, just so I know I don’t miss anyone.
3. What are the most frequent used teaching/learning strategies you
employ in the classroom?
I try to use multi-sensory strategies for teaching reading, because I have kids that have such a hard time. My reading groups are based on the SLANT system for language training, which is a multi-sensory way of teaching reading and writing/spelling in a structured, sequential way. Because the school started K-2 and has been growing, much of the reading needs have been basic decoding and fluency. As the kids get older and begin to build their skills, the focus becomes more on reading and comprehension. I pretty much try to tailor the pieces of Slant that make the most sense for each child and each group.
I was not a big fan of direct instruction when I was learning about teaching, but after working with students with disabilities, I realized that these guys really need to be directly and specifically taught. Often, they really need a lot of time and practice to pick up skills, even though they’ve had great teaching in their regular classroom. They forget what we did the day before. I don’t know if repetition is considered a “strategy”, but it’s one I find I have to use a lot.
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
ReplyDeleteMy philosophy about teaching and learning is that in general, kids want to learn. I truly believe that no matter what the problem or disability, it’s up to me as the teacher to figure out how to get the kid to understand and learn. Of course, kids need to come and be engaged and work hard, but I think if I am teaching them in a way that is meeting their needs, they naturally do that. I also realize that for some kids, learning is really easy, and for others, it’s really, REALLY hard. You have to have tons of patience as a special ed teacher. It’s often more frustrating for the kids than it is for the teacher when they are having a hard time. This goes back to the need to figure out what works. When kids see that they are making progress, they are willing to keep working, even when it’s really hard.
I heard a parent speak one time about her autistic child, and her hopes and dreams for her child’s education. Her child was non-verbal. This lady said, “I wish I could put a sign on his back that says, ‘Don’t waste my time.’” I think of that a lot. I try to see the kids as if they were my own, and really value their time and use it wisely.
5. What are your own learning styles?
Learning has always been easy for me, and I think that might be why I find kids with learning problems to be so fascinating. I actually feel like it’s not fair that I had such an easy time figuring out how to read, and some kids work and work and work and it takes them forever to figure out the “code” of reading. I like using my strengths to help break reading down into manageable chunks that make sense to kids and make it seem “easy” to them, too.
I am very visual myself, and need to see something to understand it best. I also like things to be logical. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to show students steps and visual demonstrations to figure things out, especially in math.
I also get bored kind of easily and so I think that helps me try to switch things up and at least be sort of active in my teaching and the kids’ learning. Using different materials like white boards and sand and chalk and manipulatives makes it more interesting and effective.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Again, I use a lot of direct instruction. In reading groups, we drill letter sound cards, read lots of words, spell lots of words, practice writing with automaticity for each sound. We do sentence dictation. In writing, I try to balance making writing fun with going back to edit and organize and correct. In math, mostly it’s direct instruction, demonstration, and small group work.
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in
your school?
Students are identified for special education when they have undergone a full and individual evaluation. When they have an IEP, I serve them.
8. What is the selection process for special education in your
ReplyDeleteschool?
Students are referred for special education through a parent or a teacher making a written referral. The process seems to change based on CPS guidelines, but basically, we meet about students that teachers are concerned about. We try to identify concerns and figure out things that are being done in the classroom that can help, and additional strategies that can be started to try to help. Intervention within the general education classroom have to be proven before the special education team will take a referral to another level. At Polaris, we have four people that are providing reading intervention for students identified as significantly below grade level. Between the teacher or another person providing intervention, they need to document what extra help the student is getting, as well as chart progress. Basically, when enough data has been collected, the team takes a look at it. If significant progress has occurred, interventions may stay in place or even be discontinued if the child is at the level they need to be. If progress is inconsistent, or seems especially slow despite the extra help, it is brought before the team. The team looks at the data and decides whether there seems to be a case for possible special education. If the team agrees to move forward, each member of the team decides whether their area of specialty is relevant to the evaluation. They plan their assessments, and parents sign consent. This begins the timeline for completing the full evaluation. Once the evaluations have been completed, the team comes together to determine eligibility. The psychologist holds much of the weight of deciding eligibility and the label, although the team tries to come to an agreement. If a student is found eligible (and after this whole process, they usually are), an IEP is written up based on the findings and the team’s agreement as to what the student needs.
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
When I was providing interventions, I think my role was pretty critical in the process. I could use pre and post test data to show how consistently or inconsistently students made progress. Having complete data could help move a child through a sometimes seemingly never ending process. Now, because I have so many kids on my caseload, I am not providing interventions. However, I believe my role is still pretty critical, because my familiarity with our ever-changing team helps me figure out how to present data in a way that will quickly and easily “make the case” to the team. I think it’s important to advocate for kids that need evaluations, and I can try to stress to the team the needs and concerns that seem relevant.
10. How does your school handle the identification/selection of the
'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
We don’t have an identified gifted program. However, in the general education curriculum, students have the opportunity to move at an accelerated pace if they are ready. Because teachers do guided reading, students can move up in reading levels as they are ready. In math, there are extra activities in Everyday Math that teachers can have kids do if they need the extra challenge. With Expeditionary Learning in general, kids are engaged in active, hands-on learning that ties into real-life issues and problems, which creates meaning and challenge even for the most gifted and talented students.
Interviewer: Sheri Wingo
ReplyDeleteInterviewee: Becky Roach Special Educator at Port Junior High School
Interview Setting: Her classroom
Interview Date: April 26
Start of Interview
Interviewer: How does a teacher become a special educator?
Interviewee: You have to go beyond the general education courses. I had to take classes specific to special education and also take the certification tests. You also have to be ‘highly qualified’ in whatever subject you are going to teach. I also take yearly continuing education on types of disabilities and go to seminars on teaching methods.
Interviewer: How long have you been a special educator?
Interviewee: 13 years
Interviewer: What positions have you held and what are your options as a special educator?
Interviewee: I have taught early childhood through high school. I am certified for k-12. I have a guidance degree as well as my administrative degree. I have done resource and guidance as well as teaching in the classroom. However, I can’t teach in a general education classroom with my degree. But a teacher with a general education degree can teach special ed. That’s just the way it is since there are so few special educators.
Interviewer: How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the school?
Interviewee: I have the same students all day. It is a CBE room. I teach them everything, all their academics as well as vocational skills. They actually do jobs around the school. I take them on community trips once a month. The only time these kids are in the general school population is for PE, Lunch, and electives like art. Also for the autistic children we have a picture system. They get a schedule with pictures of the activities on them and then if they go to another classroom they just match the picture to one hanging on the door so they know where to go.
Interviewer: What age level do you currently have in your classroom?
Interviewee: Currently my students are 7th and 8th graders between the ages of 14 and 15.
Interviewer: What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
Interviewee: Mostly I use peer modeling and small group work. I use a lot of proximity, visual, and tactile learning. Though one of my kids reads at a high level, the others learn better if they can touch and experience something. I use the Smartboard a lot to show them things.
Interviewer: What strategies work for you to discipline children (token system? Time outs?)?
Interviewee: I have had to use more extreme methods in other classes, but this group of kids is generally really good. In general I just use verbal redirection to refocus them. I only have four kids right now so there are very few behavior issues. I do have a stop sign system. They all have yellow and red pieces of paper with their names on them in pouches on the board. If they misbehave they get a warning, a yellow light. After that if they don’t stop they get a red light. This is their last warning. The next time they act up they lose a privilege, usually recess.
Interviewer: What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
ReplyDeleteInterviewee: I believe the teacher is the facilitator no matter what level the students are at. My role is to encourage students to discover their own strengths and weaknesses. I firmly believe that all students have learning potential and teachers need to help them realize it.
Interviewer: What is your own learning style?
Interviewee: I am a visual and tactile learning. I learn best by observing and doing. By listening, not so much.
Interviewer: How do you identify students for the special education program in your school and district?
Interviewee: At the younger levels we do baseline probes and curriculum based measurements.
Interviewer: What is the selection process for special education in your school and district?
Interviewee: We use RTI, or Response to Intervention. If they are judged as needing extra help we made accommodations in the classroom. If the teachers believe they need more than this, they go for review with our SAP team, and then if beyond SAP there is a referral taken to CRT. If the CRT believes it is a justifiable case they will do an evaluation.
Interviewer: How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
Interviewee: I’m not involved in the SAP team or testing, though some teachers are on SAP team. In general if a student is referred to the program the teacher does the testing.
Interviewer: How does your school handle the identification/selection of the ‘hidden’ gifted such as students of color or students with disabilities?
Interviewee: We do not have a program at the junior and high school level, instead it is handled within the classroom. We try to accommodate as much as possible. We do, however, let students who are ‘gifted’ take upper level classes.
Conclusion
I was really happy to get to interview Miss Roach. I was a little early so I got to meet her students and was amazed at how advanced they are. These kids can do things on the computer that I could not do at their age. They are also very friendly, and the way Miss Roach interacts with them is with an easy confidence and it was easy to see the kids love her. During the interview, she was still wearing her gym clothes from special Olympics training, which she leads, which I thought was really cool. I think I gained a lot of insight into special education and it was really interesting to get to see a little bit of how she ran her class.
Post 1 of 4
ReplyDeleteFor my special educator interview, I selected Mrs. Donna Walz who currently works at Gregory Middle School in Naperville, Illinois. The interview was conducted via-email. I purposely selected Donna as she is retiring from special education and teaching at the end of this current school year. Thus, I felt that not only would she have veteran insights and thoughts about certain issues in special education, but that she also would have been around to experience some of the major changes in special education philosophy over time.
I first asked Donna how many years has she taught special education and what schools she had worked for. Donna stated that after spending a year at Neuqua Valley High School, she then took came to here current location at Gregory Middle School (within the same district). At the end of this year, Donna will have been at Gregory for 12 years. I then asked Donna how a person can become a special educator. Donna replied that a person needs to graduate with a degree from a four year college or university as well as earn a Learning Behavioral Specialist (LBS) 1 certification. Specifically, Donna stated that she had an elementary education degree with an LBS 1 certification.
Next, I asked Donna how her classroom was conducted differently from other teachers in the building. She stated that she taught a small group Language Arts Block in which all of the students have Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) with goals specific to reading or writing. Most of these students are at least 2 to 3 years below grade level. Specifically, Donna works with these students on the 6th grade curriculum and reading intervention programs. I then asked Donna, what were the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies she employed in her classroom. Donna said that she most often used small groups, one-on-one instruction, and re-teaching methods. Following up, I asked Donna what specific teaching methods she used most in her classroom, she stated individual instruction, modified novel studies, SRA reading intervention programs, and the Kansas writing intervention.
Donna’s philosophy about teaching and learning encompassed two central tenets. First, she said that we can all learn something new everyday. Second, she stated that students learn in different ways and that no single mold fits all students. Related to this question, I asked Donna what learning style best described her. She stated that primarily she was a visual learner.
Post 2 of 4
ReplyDeleteDonna stated that Gregory Middle School identifies students for the special education program through response to intervention (RTI) and problem solving. Her specific role in the process is an equal partner. However, Donna said she works with numerous students in the classroom through problem solving. When I asked Donna how her school identified and selected students who are perhaps represent the “hidden” gifted students of color and students with disabilities, Donna stated that the students are generally identified through ISAT scores, poor grades, and teacher recommendations. In these cases, all of the students would then go through the problem solving process. I also asked Donna if she believed intellectually gifted students are being left behind. She agreed that they were and stated that many intellectually gifted kids have social and emotional problems. Donna believes that the intellectually gifted should also have IEP’s as a way to monitor and address their specialized needs.
I then decided to delve a little bit deeper into some of Donna’s personal viewpoints on special education. I first asked Donna why she decided to go the special education route, as opposed to general education. She stated simply it was the kids. Donna felt that she would do more of a service to kids in special education than in general education. She said that she sees so much potential in kids with special needs, but that they need a little extra love and care. Donna also stated that so much of her love of special education students was due to her own love of being a mother.
I then asked Donna what three traits she deemed most essential for a special education teacher to possess. Donna replied that the three most important traits were patience, flexibility, and a desire for all students to have the opportunity to learn and be respected.
Next, I asked Donna what were her true feelings in regard to inclusion, especially considering her level of experience, having instructed prior to inclusion being as commonplace as it is today. Donna stated that inclusion is not for every student. She did state however that with the right planning and a good co-operative team, inclusion can be very successful. However, Donna also stated that there are some students that would benefit from more intense and specific programming that cannot be accommodated through inclusion.
Post 3 of 4
ReplyDeleteAlong those lines, I asked Donna if she believed that for most exceptional students the least restrictive environment is truly the classroom. Donna agreed and said that with the proper programming, a child can grow in an atmosphere that is least restrictive. Donna added that schools need to give a child the opportunity to grow, advocate for themselves, see hat they can learn, and be the best they can be. This enables them to move forward in a positive manner like their peers.
I asked Donna if she had ever been in a co-teaching environment in an inclusive classroom, and if she had done so, what tips she had for general education teachers to maximize the experience. Donna stated that she had previously taught in an inclusive co-teaching environment. Donna stated that although the inclusion teacher is supposed to be responsible to assist with the students with IEP’s, all the kids in the classroom are really the responsibility of both teachers and that each teacher needs to understand each individual student’s needs, whether an IEP or not. She also said that a general education teacher should use the support staff for the good of the students, rather than for their own benefit.
I then questioned Donna if she truly believed that RTI is successful. Donna stated that she believes in RTI and that RTI gives special educators the opportunity to collect data, provide interventions, and make better informed decisions. She added that not all students with difficulties need IEP’s many times, but that they just need a little boost. In addition, interventions can be put into place to help with that little extra boost that they need. Donna believes that RTI can narrow down the issues so that special educators can be more effective.
I asked Donna what technology tool is indispensible in her day-to-day activities. Donna simply stated that her computer was her most important tool for communication, paperwork, curriculum, resources, and interventions. I also asked Donna what were five useful adaptations that any general education teacher can implement. Donna stated that the best five adaptations were study guides, concrete examples, graphic organizers, word banks, and re-teaching of concepts.
Post 4 of 4
ReplyDeleteI then asked Donna in what ways or areas has special education improved the most since she started teaching. Donna said that now there is better identification of students and their programming needs. Conversely, I asked Donna what ways or areas have special education gone in the wrong direction since she began teaching. Donna replied that the greatest area of decline in special education is related to less student support which is related to larger case loads and shrinking budgets.
Lastly, I asked Donna if she though that general education teachers are getting enough training in dealing with exceptional children, especially considering the inclusion trend. Donna said no and that their school has very little in-service opportunities in special education for the general education teaches. Donna believes that all general education teachers should have to teach in a special education atmosphere as part of the student teaching requirement. Donna believes that this would promote a better understanding of IEP students and their needs in addition to understanding the true role of a support teacher.
Perhaps the two most interesting aspects of the interview were Donna’s thoughts on the intellectually gifted and the training of general education teachers to work with exceptional children. In regard to the former, I had never considered having IEP’s for the intellectually gifted, but in reflection, I now question “why not?” The intellectually gifted have special needs as well, and an IEP would appear to be a sound solution to assure they get the enrichment they deserve. In regard to the latter, it generally worries me that at a time where general education teachers are being asked to do more with special education students that a professional feels that the general education teacher is not prepared to do so. While it definitely is a concern, it is refreshing to know that classes like these, and the other classes at UIS, tend to highly emphasize reaching out to diverse learners.
TEP 224B
ReplyDeleteSpecial Educator Interview
Ken Pease
Introduction
Elizabeth Bailey has been an Art Teacher in the Springfield, Illinois School District 186 for five years. She specializes in Special Education, and teaches students at both Owen Marsh Elementary School and at Harvard Park Elementary School. She is a very passionate advocate for arts education, and is working hard to make sure her students see art as an important part of their lives.
I chose to interview Mrs. Bailey not only because she specialized in teaching special needs students, but also because she was an art teacher. In addition to the typical classroom experiences, I thought that her insight as a special subject teacher would be valuable.
Interview Transcript
How does a teacher become a special education teacher? What additional training did you get (other than general education)?
Elizabeth Bailey has a degree in Art Education from Illinois State University, and feels that her education prepared her well for teaching art to special needs students. She attends professional development classes to keep her current on new information.
How is your classroom conducted differently than other teachers in the building? Do you have a classroom, or do you teach on a cart?
Because she teaches a special subject matter (art, music), the students often come into her class rather than being taught in their regular classroom. Art teachers (and other specialists) are often asked to teach their subject matter at more than one school in the district. This presents unique challenges that a classroom teacher does not face. She currently teaches in an art classroom, but she has taught on a cart. The cart presents a whole new set of a problems for an art teacher including limited supplies, and having to adapt instruction to a variety of learning environments.
What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom. Are those strategies different for special education students? What adaptations have you made?
Mrs. Bailey is an active and “very visual” learner. She carries this style out in her classroom instruction. She lets the students gather around the table when she demonstrates a new technique, and frequently changes classroom arrangement
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ReplyDeletebased on the lesson. She does, however, keep a consistent routine to the presentation, completion, and summary of each lesson. Students start by learning vocabulary, watching a demonstration, working on the project, and finish with a review of vocabulary and techniques. While creativity and freedom are important to art, routine is an important need for many special needs students. She has made minor modifications to her teaching and learning strategies for her special needs students, but believes that her strategies are pretty universal.
What is your philosophy about teaching and learning? How has that changed since you have started teaching special education students?
Elizabeth Bailey is very convicted to her art philosophy. She aims to make sure that every one of her students leaves the classroom with an appreciation of art.
She wants students to see that art is everywhere, and to see that being able to create will help them in their other subjects. She also tries hard to make her students know that her classroom is a safe place where they are free to express their feelings. This is important not only because expression is so vital to art, but also because some of the students she teaches are from homes where they do not feel safe to express themselves. Her art classes are quite different than the regular classroom. The students are free to move around and talk to each other while working on projects. She feels that this lack of restriction does not cause disorder in the classroom, rather it promotes creativity and expression. It is strange for many of the students to adjust to this much freedom in the classroom. Her philosophy has evolved to meet the needs (academic and emotional) of her students.
What are your own learning styles?
Mrs. Bailey is an active and “very visual” learner.
What teaching methods do you use most in your classroom?
See teaching/learning strategies.
How do you identify students for the special education program in your school?
Most of the students that enter Mrs. Bailey’s art classes have already been identified as a special needs student.
What is the selection process for special education in your school?
The selection process has been made through the district and by the school administration before the student is placed in her classroom.
How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
The art teacher has little, or no role in identifying special needs students.
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ReplyDeleteHow does your school handle the identification/ selection of the ‘hidden’ gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities? .
The district does not discriminate, and race does not play a role in the selection process. In her schools, there is no gifted program. There are however, many opportunities for students that complete their work to continue working on a specific subject. Artwork is shown in different areas of the school. Often, artwork created by special needs students can be found hanging with the artwork by students from all classes. This is often great inspiration for the special needs students, and shows other students and teachers in the school what they are capable of creating.
Additional Questions
How long have you been teaching? How long at these two schools?
Elizabeth Bailey has been an Art Teacher in Springfield, Illinois School District 186 for five years. She specializes in Special Education, and teaches students at both Owen Marsh Elementary School and at Harvard Park Elementary School.
What is your schedule? How many times per week do you visit each classroom? School?
Mrs. Bailey teaches Monday through Wednesday at Owen Marsh Elementary School, and Thursday and Friday at Harvard Park Elementary School.
Do you have special education students integrated into each class, or do you have specific classrooms with special education students?
Her students are all special needs students with a variety of diagnosis including cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, mild autism, and behavioral problems.
Do you get to review the IEP for each of your special education students?
According to Mrs. Bailey, District 186 does not allow Art Teachers (or anyone not involved in writing the IEP for a particular student) to see or have any input in the IEP. This makes teaching special needs students effectively nearly impossible. She gave an example of a student whom she had taught for over a year before being told that he needs to use a marker to write with. Because of his particular vision disability, he is unable to see pencil marks on paper. As an art teacher (or any teacher working with this student), this breakdown in communication seriously compromised the opportunity to effectively teach this student. Not only does this policy compromise education, it may compromise the safety of the students or
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ReplyDeleteothers by withholding details about the individual. Mrs. Bailey hopes to have more involvement in the planning and review of IEP’s in the future.
Are you involved in any of the planning of the IEP? Does the committee ask for your input on each student? .
Mrs. Bailey does communicate with parents and with student’s classroom teachers about the progress and behavior of her students. She does not have any input in the IEP planning for any of her students.
Do you co-teach any of your lessons? Is the classroom teacher or a special education teacher in the classroom while you are teaching your art lesson?
Although Mrs. Bailey does not co-teach, many of her students have a professional working as an attendant that accompanies them throughout the school day. This means that the teacher must teach the attendants about expectations and classroom procedures. The attendants help with the student’s basic needs and facilitate hand over hand instruction.
How do you adapt your lessons for the special education students? Do you have adaptive supplies or technology?
She is able to cater instruction to her special needs students, and adapt presentation, classroom arrangement and assessment to suit them. Given the right instruction, she does not see any limits or restrictions that make teaching her special needs students any different than teaching art to other students in the school. The grade ranges of her students vary in her class because of scheduling requirements, so she does have to create lessons that all of her students can do successfully. She also has to change her lessons from year to year since many of the students will be in her art classes for several years in a row. This helps keep her returning students interested in the lesson, and on task.
Are the special education students intimidated when they compare their projects to projects completed by the other students? How do you address that?
Because her students are all students with special needs, this does not really apply to her classrooms. Artwork from all students hangs in different areas of the school. This seems to be a positive experience for her students, and they like to see their artwork displayed with all of the student work.
If there are different performance standards in your class (as stated in a student’s IEP), how does the rest of the class handle being held to a higher standard?
She does not have the opportunity to see the IEP for her students. Since all of her students have special needs, she holds all students to a high standard, and assesses their performance on a more individual basis.
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ReplyDeleteDo you feel that any of the special education students you teach fit into an art class (based on work and performance) more than they do in their academic courses? Creatively? How does their work compare?
The art classroom is certainly a different type of learning environment than most of the students are used to. The students are free to move around and talk to each other while working on projects. She feels that this lack of restriction does not cause disorder in the classroom, rather it promotes creativity and expression. It is a strange adjusting to this much freedom for many of the students.
She has a number of students who produce very creative artwork, although there are few opportunities to compare their achievement in her art classes to their work in academic areas.
What changes would you make in how special education students are taught in your classrooms/ schools?
More IEP access, input and communication for all teachers.
Do you feel that special education students have more success in an art classroom with a variety of students, or would they do better with only special education students?
She believes that the inclusion model does not necessarily promote success in learning. Having her classrooms composed of all special needs students in small groups allows her to adapt her instruction to fit their learning styles.
Do you feel you have the support of families? General education teachers? administration? in making the art program successful (specifically for special education students)?
She does have the support of several of the teachers and administrators in her school, as well as parents and community members. An important part of Elizabeth Bailey’s art philosophy is showing that art is important. Proving this to students is only part of the problem. Showing other educators, administration, and parents that art is an important part of the curriculum and a crucial part of every student’s education is a continuing challenge.
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ReplyDeleteDo you feel that any of the special education students you teach fit into an art class (based on work and performance) more than they do in their academic courses? Creatively? How does their work compare?
The art classroom is certainly a different type of learning environment than most of the students are used to. The students are free to move around and talk to each other while working on projects. She feels that this lack of restriction does not cause disorder in the classroom, rather it promotes creativity and expression. It is a strange adjusting to this much freedom for many of the students.
She has a number of students who produce very creative artwork, although there are few opportunities to compare their achievement in her art classes to their work in academic areas.
What changes would you make in how special education students are taught in your classrooms/ schools?
More IEP access, input and communication for all teachers.
Do you feel that special education students have more success in an art classroom with a variety of students, or would they do better with only special education students?
She believes that the inclusion model does not necessarily promote success in learning. Having her classrooms composed of all special needs students in small groups allows her to adapt her instruction to fit their learning styles.
Do you feel you have the support of families? General education teachers? administration? in making the art program successful (specifically for special education students)?
She does have the support of several of the teachers and administrators in her school, as well as parents and community members. An important part of Elizabeth Bailey’s art philosophy is showing that art is important. Proving this to students is only part of the problem. Showing other educators, administration, and parents that art is an important part of the curriculum and a crucial part of every student’s education is a continuing challenge.
I interviewed Mrs. Capati, an 8th grade special education teacher, from Glenwood Middle School.
ReplyDelete1. How does a teacher become a special educator?
I went through school initially to become a special educator so I followed the requirements for graduation for the special education major. As far as if you already are a certified teacher, I know that you can go back to get your masters in special education.
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
I co-teach 4 classes of the day and have 1 special education study hall and 1 special education math class. My co-taught classes are general ed classes with a number of students who have IEPs in the class. My co-teacher and I alternate instruction time and trade off giving the main instruction versus extra help and modifications. I always provide accommodated materials (as needed) to my students with IEPs in the class.
My special education study hall is different in that there are only 8 students (these 8 students make up my caseload--I write all of their IEPs and am responsible for monitoring them throughout the year) and I have an aide as well. It is not a "typical" study hall. I monitor my students' grades and IEP goals, help with organization, read tests/assignments aloud, etc.
My special education math class is 8 students also. I have 2 aides in that classroom (one is a one-on-one aide for a student who is blind). I modify materials and content to fit my students' needs. We have worked on the general 8th grade math curriculum as well as functional math (time, money, reading graphs, charts, maps, etc). We often are able to break up into different groups because I have aides who are able to assist. My class also moves at a slower pace because of the lower level of the students. Many of my students in math are working at a 5th grade math level.
3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
Active participation is used frequently. I am constantly engaging every student. This is a benefit to having small classes. I also use repetition very often. I probably repeat key topics/phrases/ideas at least 7 times a class (whether I restate it myself or have another student explain it to their peers).
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
I believe it is important to let the students drive everything you do as an educator. There have been times that I expected a topic to be easy for them and go fairly quickly but learned VERY fast that it was not and we ended up spending multiple days on it. I also feel that it is incredibly important to build a relationship with the students. This is something I spend time doing every day because if they feel they have a relationship with me, they are much more likely to get something out of my instruction.
5. What are your own learning styles?
ReplyDeleteI personally learn best when actually experiencing the content being taught to me. Whether it is doing a math problem, seeing a language arts lesson performed, or practicing the science topics through experiments I learn best this way.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
I use a gradual release of responsibility method. In this, I model the problem, I model the problem with student input, I allow the students to try the problem with a partner, I have the students try the problem individually with assistance from me as needed, and finally they complete homework with limited assistance. I also practice repetition frequently.
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
All grade level teachers are broken up into teams. We meet multiple times a week to discuss students who we are concerned about either academically or behaviorally. We currently are putting an RTI (response to intervention) process into place and this is how students are identified for special education.
8. What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
The RTI process is how students enter special education at this time.
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
The special education teachers are heavily relied upon, as well as the school psychologist, to ensure the research based interventions are used throughout the 3 tiers of RTI. We also assist in progress monitoring throughout the tiers.
10. How does your school (district) handle identification/selection of the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
Along with our weekly team meetings (at grade level) for academic/behavioral concerns, we identify "Good Kids" for the week. This takes into account all students and we recognize them as a team, letting them know they are appreciated/recognized.
11. How many students do you have in your classroom?
In my co-taught classes the range is between 25-30 students with 6 or 7 students with IEPs in the class. My study hall has 8 (my caseload) with 1 aide and my special education math class has 8 with 2 aides.
12. Why did you want to be a teacher?
I had a teacher who showed genuine care for me when I was in 3rd grade. She took the time to get to know me and reached out to me. Then in 4th grade I had a classmate with Downs Syndrome. Our class got to get sign language instruction in order to communicate with him better (he was partially deaf) and this is what lead me to special education.
13. Any other comments or helpful hints to future educators?
If you can be CPI (crisis prevention intervention) trained, do get that training. There have been times this year that I have been prepared to restrain students if needed (luckily I have not had to) but my co-teachers are not certified and therefore can not do this. It provides me a sense of relief knowing that I could help contain an issue in this way.
There will be times where you seriously doubt your knowledge, ability, and impact as a teacher. Do not let this keep you down or steer away from the profession! It is an incredibly stressful, mentally and physically exhausting, heartbreaking job but the most rewarding one you could possibly ask for.
Matt Gomez
ReplyDeleteTEP224
For my special educator interview I chose to interview Kim Bart. Kim is employed at Pershing Early Learning Center in Decatur, IL. Kim is 35 years old and has been employed at Pershing for the last 14 years. I met Kim through my sister who worked with Kim after graduating from Millikin University with a degree in Early Childhood. Kim received her Early Childhood Education Degree with Special Ed Endorsement from Illinois State University and has a Masters Degree from Eastern Illinois University.
Pershing is considered to be an “at-risk” school. It only houses pre-school for 3 and 4 year olds. Students are assessed prior to admittance to the program. Students are considered “at-risk” based on several criteria including: low-income, single-parent families, English as a second language, diagnosed physical or mental difficulties, poorly educated parents, family violence including parent incarceration, to name a few.
The following are the questions I asked Kim and her responses.
1. How does a teacher become a special educator?
A teacher needs to have classes in special education to become a special education teacher. I am not sure of the number of classes for special education versus regular education courses. In my case I was required to take 2 special education classes in college to get my special education endorsement. I am also required to attend annual workshops and conferences to maintain my certificate. I do know that many university programs now require all education students to take special education courses as a requirement for graduation. I think that this is a great addition to education programs since the incidence of learning disabilities and special needs students is growing at an alarming rate. Also this knowledge will help regardless of the grade level you teach at since many students are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed as late as high school age.
Part 2
ReplyDelete2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
Pershing has a few different classrooms. We have regular education classrooms which can have students with IEP’s. That is what I teach. Then we have regular special education classrooms. Finally we have blended classrooms which have both special education and regular education students.
3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
I employ a lot of hands on learning in my classroom through play, observation, team work and social opportunities. You may not believe it but a lot can be learned by watching how students interact with each other. Their socialization is an important indicator of other problems. Also by using various instruction methods I am able to ensure that each student’s learning styles are met.
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
The teacher should teach for each child and not the class as a whole. Each child learns at different speeds and has different ways of learning. Teachers need to know their students very well to find the best way to teach each child. This is particularly important with younger students. I teach a combined classroom of 3 and 4 year old. For many this is their first experience being away from home as well as their first organized experience with task learning. I also feel a responsibility to teach the students positive interaction methods. At this age children are much more excepting of the differences in others and I work with this by not allowing any form of bullying or segregation. These negative actions are brought from home and taught by older sibling or other relatives.
Part 3
ReplyDelete5. What are your own learning styles?
My learning styles is very much hands-on and through observing others.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
I teach through play, observation, team work and social opportunities for the students.
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
All students are screened prior to enrollment and the scores can usually indicate if the child needs additional testing for the special education program. Also at Pershing we have the advantage of having special education classrooms and instructors with students of varying special needs so that further assessment and re-evaluation can be done with the students throughout the school year when particular deficiencies or behaviors are noticed.
8. What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
Referrals can be made and then from there you have EDC’s (Eligibility determining conference).
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
It can be very important if I have a student in my classroom that is struggling, and I identify that student for needing further services. I would speak with our speech therapist first for further help and a possible referral can then be made after the RTI process.
10. How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the
“hidden” gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
Sorry. I don’t understand this one…Color makes no difference as to services provided nor does disabilities.
Part 4
ReplyDeleteI conducted this interview by phone and email, though I had previously visited Kim’s classroom for observation. I was very impressed with the organization within the class. Activities were varied and of a shorter duration than I had expected. Class size was also smaller with only 12-15 students per class. Kim managed to move throughout the students for each activity. There was an aide in the class to help in setting up activities so that time was not lost. The students were very respectful and focused.
Kim made it appear that each student was receiving individualized instruction and always seemed to know what each child was doing regardless of her placement in the classroom. I was impressed with the respect the students showed for each other especially considering their age. The few students with physical disabilities were not treated differently by the others. If help was needed students pitched in without needing to be asked or causing any disruption to the class.
Kim also stressed that for her age group one of the most important parts of her job is working with both the students and parents to ensure that the student’s first experience away from home was good. She said that a positive experience for both student and parent would ensure a better learning experience. She said it was also important to build a relationship of trust with the parents to ensure instruction did not stop at the end of the school day.
I asked Kim about how she dealt with special need students with regard to the other students. I thought her response was interesting in that she said she treats all of her students with the same respect and that she demands the same of all of her students. Kim said that she believes that this is particularly important because at this age kids are more accepting of their differences. Bullying and/or teasing were not accepted and the students knew and accepted this. She further said that her hope was that if started at an early age this type of acceptance would be the norm and not the oddity.
I believe that this is a lesson all teachers should make use of in their classrooms.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteOn April 14th, 2011, I met with Ms. Jean Rosinski. Jean has worked for the last seven years at the Hillside Academy in Hillside, Illinois which is an approved nonpublic special education program for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. She described most of her students as having had long suspensions or expulsions from their “regular” school but, because these students have IEPs, the law requires schools to place those students (i.e. the schools can’t simply expel them and be done with it). Most of the students have some form of behavioral or emotional disorder which are, in many cases, extreme in nature. These are students that public schools have deemed to be so difficult to work with and/or so distracting to other students, that they have decided to ship these students (at substantial cost) to Hillside Academy. In hearing Jean talk about her students, one senses that these children aren’t simply burdened by these behavioral and emotional disorders but are also suffering through the experience of rejection and neglect by their schools, teachers and often family members. By going to Hillside Academy, their previous schools have signaled to them that they simply cannot deal with them anymore and would rather spend significant amounts of money than continue to work with them. This is something that Jean says she unfortunately sees as frequently being mirrored by their parents and communities. She lamented in our interview that she frequently has students commit acts of fairly significant violence against other students, has students who openly say “they don’t care about school” and tell her to “go to hell” when asked to engage in basic school tasks. Despite these challenges and many other opportunities to work as a special educator in another school or district, Ms. Rosinski clearly feels passionately about working with these students despite the unique challenges.
Matt Wirig: Jean, we’ve talked before this interview a little about your position as a special educator and how you got into special education but can you tell me a little bit about the process about becoming a special educator?
Jean Rosinski: First, if you’re becoming a teacher today, you’re a special educator. You may not have the certifications and you may not be the one primarily charged with drafting IEPs, but you WILL deal with students with IEPs and you WILL be responsible for participating in that process. Furthermore, every student that you teach is going to have special emotional, behavioral and/or educational needs in the classroom. So, while I am classified as a special educator, we’re all special educators. I think what you’re really asking, though is how do you become a certified “special educator” teacher. Basically, it requires a special certification. I am certified as a special education teacher across K-12 which means a whole additional set of coursework as well as a series of examinations. When you’re a special education teacher you need to have a handle not only on the unique pedagogical aspects but also the unique psychological and legal aspects. Bottom line: you need to be patient and prepared for some difficult experiences and conversations with students, parents, administrators and other teachers.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteMatt Wirig: How is your classroom conducted differently from teachers in “regular classrooms”? From talking to you before my understanding is that all of the classrooms in your school are special education classroom?
Jean Rosinski: Yes, I work at an approved nonpublic special education program. So all of the classrooms in my school are special education classrooms and all of the students at my school have IEPs. These are all kids that started at a “regular” school. I just want to clarify that I use the term “regular” only to distinguish that all of the kids at my school are classified as being “special education students”. I don’t think that there are really any regular students. My students just have generally run into a few additional problems and some have a few additional behavioral and learning challenges.
Matt Wirig: So, with a classroom of special education students, what types of strategies do you find yourself implementing?
Jean Rosinski: I wouldn’t say that there are a lot of things I do BECAUSE I teach a special education classroom. My students have some unique challenges and some unique obstacles to overcome, but I think it all comes down to a few basic principles. First, I need to plan, plan, plan. I need every one of my days to be one or two days overplanned. I think this is the case for all classrooms but for my students it is particularly important. If the class is structured and there are a series of activities and we keep moving—my students can be really exceptional. If I’m not ready and they’re left to do whatever they want to, things frequently digress. The other thing that is important is to listen and respect the students. I need to respond to what they’re struggling with. I need to show them that I care and respect them or they won’t respect my classroom. I need to adapt the lessons as things change for them. Also, because many of my students struggle with certain emotional and behavioral issues, I need to be very attentive to what’s going on with them.
Matt Wirig: How many students do you usually have in your classroom?
Jean Rosinski: about 20
Matt Wirig: What level of differentiation in instruction do you plan for? Do you find yourself planning unique lessons for each of your students?
Jean Rosinski: I wouldn’t say that I plan a different lesson for each student but I definitely engage in differentiation instruction. I think every good teacher does. But if you try to plan a different lesson for each student you’ll be working 30 hour days—so, basically it will be impossible. From my perspective, what is important is again that you engage in effective planning. If you have three students that are visual learners you need to make sure that the instruction of each concept has a visual component. If you know that two students are very accelerated learners relative to the rest of the students, you need to make sure you have activities that they can break off and work on—or plans to engage them to help their classmates. The worst thing you can do is not have anything ready or those students will finish early and then start bothering other students. To say “we all need to move at the same pace” is a completely teacher-centered approach. Each student needs to be helped to move forward in their progress as much as possible. I think group work (as strange as it sounds) can be great for differentiation strategies because you can have multiple students taking on different tasks towards a similar goal and gaining a variety of positive experiences from the lesson.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteMatt Wirig: Can you describe your own philosophy about teaching and learning?
Jean Rosinski: I would definitely self describe as having a progressive educational philosophy and will honestly take on any new approach if it proves effective with my students. All approaches are just a vehicle for getting my students the necessary knowledge—which is often dictated by the curriculum—and the necessary critical thinking and analysis skills. The main thing is that I believe every student can learn—which is something I see every day. Sometimes you feel like you’re going months and months and not breaking through with a student. Then one day out of nowhere you find out that something you talked about two months ago really did sink in. That is really rewarding. I also have a very strong belief in treating students with respect. My students have often been kicked around the system and disrespected by a lot of the people in their lives. They really respond to anyone that will listen to them and respect them. Although, sometimes its tough to convince them that they’re worthy of the respect.
Matt Wirig: What are your own learning styles?
Jean Rosinski: What do you mean?
Matt Wirig: I mean, when you are taking on new material or taking a course yourself, how do you learn?
Jean Rosinski: I spend so much time thinking about how my students learn and thinking about new ways to deliver information to different kinds of learners I guess I haven’t thought about it in a while. I’m definitely a visual learner and I like to read the material and see visual representations wherever possible. I’m also definitely a hands-on learner. That doesn’t mean I need a three dimensional representation to touch but I like examples.
Matt Wirig: Does that play into your teaching style?
Jean Rosinski: That’s actually a good question. I think its something you have to be careful with particularly with special education students. While the general principles are the same its important to remember that all of your students are going to learn in different ways. I hate talking to teachers who take the “Well, that’s how I learned it—so that should work for them too” approach. Again, that’s a totally teacher-centered viewpoint. We need to challenge ourselves to think like and empathize with our students.
Matt Wirig: How are students in your school and the districts you work with identified for the special education program?
Jean Rosinski: So, like we’ve talked about—all of my students are in a special education program because we are a special education school. Now, at their own schools, the students can be selected for the educational program and have an IEP developed in a number of ways. It usually starts with a teacher or parent or sometimes even some sort of testing identifying a possible need for special attention. Then you’ll usually have a series of meetings with all of the major players: teacher, parents, administrator, special educator, and sometimes even school counselors or psychologists. You work to develop individualized educational plans for the students with methodologies and goals for a particular student. Sometimes a student will move out of the program for a short period of time but it becomes an ongoing review, collaboration and developmental process.
Part 4
ReplyDeleteMatt Wirig: How critical is your role in the process of identifying students for continued inclusion/removal from the special education program and/or your school specifically?
Jean Rosinski: I don’t play much of a role in the process of identifying students to be included in the special education program. We do constantly collaborate with other teachers, administrators, etc. in our IEP meeting to discuss what students’ IEPs should look like going forward and to what extent they should be transitioned out of receiving special education services.
Matt Wirig: How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
Jean Rosinski: We’re constantly on the lookout in our school for students who are in the special education program who are gifted and need additional special services to assist them in receiving accelerated education. The reality is all of my students are here because they have some sort of history of behavioral issues but that doesn’t mean that they have cognitive impairments. We constantly battle with the students’ and others’ perception that because they’re in a special education program that they’re not smart and that they can’t learn. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of my students are extremely bright and they are all capable of learning. I’m always very conscious of giving the proper level of support and accelerated material to those students. I’m always also very conscious of preparing them as they near the high school years for a possible acceleration to the “main” school where they can take part in honors and other accelerated courses.
Matt Wirig: Do you see yourself staying in special education?
Jean Rosinski: I’ll always work with students classified as being part of a special education program and I actually love working in a school with students classified as having behavioral disorders. Ultimately, I can’t imagine working in any other kind of educational setting. Working with adolescents affords me the opportunity to work with these kids at a very pivotal time in their life. I has some students that were seventh graders when I started who wouldn’t have had a chance to graduate from high school who are now headed off to college. I have other students that I have seen head off to juvenile detention centers and later prison. I have seen students drop out. At the end of the day though, teaching these students allows me the opportunity to frequently be someone to lean on or someone to talk to in the lives of adolescents without anyone to talk to. All it takes is having one student come up to me and letting me know how important I am to them and knows that I couldn’t possibly leave them. In talking about healthcare reform lately we hear politicians talk about how we will be judged based on how we teach our poorest people. Well, I think as educators and as a society, we should be judged based on the educational opportunities that we provide to our most at-risk and challenged students. All of these kids deserve a chance.
Part 5
ReplyDeleteSummary: In talking to Jean, I took away a number of things that I think will help me towards being a better teacher. First, earning adolescents respect is not a given and is something that is done over time and can easily be lost if one is not careful. Accordingly, it is important to find opportunities to engage students and relate to students through a relationship based on mutual respect. Second, one must have an appreciation not just for what a student is facing in their school day but also for what they might be facing at home, in their community, as victims of poverty, etc. In doing so, as a teacher I might have a better idea of how to best help a student and make necessary resources available to that student. Finally, treating each student as being worth investing in is the only way to approach each new class. Jean’s experience with students who had been passed over or pushed from school to school only later to find tremendous success when they had teachers willing to invest in them serves as a warning as to how young lives can be lost through neglect. While not every student will necessarily respond the same way or even experience success, every student is worth investing in and may yield unexpected results. While it is important to be aware of emotional, cognitive and behavioral disorders, that knowledge should be used to help better engage those students and not to weed those students out.
Part four:
ReplyDeleteGrafton: That is a lot of time.
Foiles: And then any notes that were made at the meetings, I have to go back in and add them to their IEP online.
Grafton: Let’s change gears just a little bit. The ideal of mainstreaming special education students and least restrictive environment are now the standards. Do you think that these students sometimes face discrimination from general education teachers?
Foiles: You know that I have never… (Foiles stops midsentence.) We have a teacher in here, yes, that discriminates big time. I am not going to say who, but yes. If they (the student) have a problem, she is very quick to mark them down for it. They are refused entry into certain classes. It used to be that our kids could not take Spanish if they were in special education. They made criteria stating that they had to be in general education: so some of our kids who would have done well, were not allowed the opportunity.
Foiles: From the kids, I don’t see that from the kids. I do not see kids getting single out because they are special ed. I know they do in other schools, I heard it from other schools. The kids really put down the special ed. kids. It could be because we don’t have any severe disabilities. All our severe disabilities are sent to Taylorville. So that could be why we are not seeing a lot of that discrimination against our kids: most of them where raised here, so they are friends with everybody.
Grafton: I think that could make a difference.
Grafton: We were talking about how some of the kids do real well in Spanish, so are you kind of going on Howard Gardner’s theories of multiple intelligences?
Foiles: Most of our kids it seems like if they struggle with the reading math concepts they do very well with art, the music, and hands on.
Grafton: So since you have several kids in the classroom and each one may have a different learning strategy, how does that affect your lessons plan and how you teach?
Foiles: I try to use different things, in each lesson. You know I might do lecture, I might do hands on, I might do worksheets. Hopefully that will connect with each one of them, where there at.
Grafton: Do you use much differentiated lessons?
Foiles: You know you try, but you have seen the behavior in here sometimes. Sometimes you struggle to get through a lesson.
Grafton: The one thing with special education that I wonder about is, how much do you think that poverty affects not just the learning disabilities, but the ability to deal with the problems?
Foiles: It affects probably ninety percent of my students. The one that is EMH that I am thinking of, she is not at poverty level, but I am thinking she is not specific learning. She has a brain problem, she is mentally retarded. I have a couple who did not suffer from poor social-economic, but for the most part yes.
Foiles: They did a study and they said that professional people, when they take their children to the store and they want something, they don’t just give it to them and say “here shut up!” It is more like, “You want a banana?” “Look this is a banana!” “Look it is yellow and it comes from…” The children who have parents who are professional hear like thousands of words more than kids that come from a poor background.
Part five
ReplyDeleteGrafton: So let me ask you, what is your basic philosophy of education?
Foiles: My basic philosophy is that every one of these kids can succeed and do whatever they want to do with the right plan.
Grafton: Earlier we were talking a little about the school system. What things do you think the system has right?
Foiles: I think that our kids should be in with the regular ed. kids as much as possible. The push is to just pull them out for math and English. And I agree with that, because you know, they have to be able to read. They have to be able to do some basic math, or they can’t do the other. I think that any of the specialty classes such as science, they are going to get more from science, setting in that class than me trying to teach a subject I know nothing about. Government, History, all of them, I think our kids need to be in there. I think that in this school, for the most part, our kids are treated fairly.
Grafton: And what do you think, what is not right with the system that you would improve or change?
Foiles: What needs to be changed in the system is how we deal with BD. I am not sure how we would change it. I mean I don’t know what can be improved, but I know we don’t handle it very well. When you discipline a child for acting up, by giving them a day out of school that’s a reward. It’s not a punishment for kids that don’t want to be here.
Grafton: What is the most rewarding thing you find about your job?
Foiles: Seeing them graduate and being successful. I have had several students that I had years ago come up to me and it is like, “I am working, got a family, making a living.” And you know when I had them in fifth-grade I thought they never get there.
Grafton: What is the most disheartening thing?
Foiles: When you work with a child and work with a child and they just don’t care. You put your heart in trying to improve their life and they don’t care. They don’t put any effort into it.
Grafton: How much of that do you think is from their home environment?
Foiles: I think a lot of it is from home. Let me rephrase, a lot of it is from home environment and a lot of it is from being unsuccessful. They have been so unsuccessful for so long that when they get in here they are use to failing and they no longer want to make an effort. And there is no push from home to help.
Grafton: If you had the capability of going back in a time machine to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Foiles: I would be giving myself the advice: if you want money, go somewhere else. But I think my hardest thing is that I am so happy to see them when school starts that I am more laid back and I let them get away with stuff. Then as the year goes on and this behavior escalates, it’s so hard to go back and get the control that you didn’t take at the beginning. So if I were to go back to the beginning of my career I would say, “Be hard on them at the beginning, and once you got them under control then you can loosen up.”
And I would also say go into reading, because I am firmly persuaded that if you get more reading classes, because if these kids ever got, if the key ever turned in their lock that they could read it, understand, they could accomplish anything.
Part Six
ReplyDeleteGrafton: While there are programs in place for kids with learning disabilities, do you think there are enough in place for the kids performing at the high end?
Foiles: No, no. We do not encourage, because the money has to go, the money has to go to the ones who are special. I mean they have to be remediated. We have programs for the regular, but there is nothing for the gifted. I mean it is because we are such a small district; we don’t have extra money. We do, do the science and literature workshops, I think it’s in the summer. We use to do that. The teachers would nominate students that were exceptional, and they would go to that for a week, and the school paid for it. I don’t think we do that anymore. There is nothing for high school, I am mean there are grants they can try to get, but to encourage that creativity that intelligence, I don’t think we have anything in our school. National Honor Society but it is real limited in what it does.
Grafton: When we look at testing, such as the PSAE and ACT, and see the testing scores, do you feel that special education kids often make more progress than general education students?
Foiles: Yes, because they are getting their needs met. They are getting one on one. They are getting more individualized instruction. Are they where they should be? No! I don’t think our regular ed. kids try. I think they don’t care. And I think sometimes you can get that spark in here and sometimes they do care. Especially when they see they can make their way out of here. I have had two this year that have made their way out.
Grafton: What is one question that you wish I would ask you?
Foiles: Hmm! I think you covered it. Hmm! I don’t like co-ops. You could ask about that. Co-ops I think that they are spread so thin that the individual student doesn’t get the attention they need.
Grafton: So the smaller school compared to the bigger school, you think that is a better value?
Foiles: I think that Taylorville gets more of Mid-State’s attention, time, and money then we do.
Grafton: I have one more question while we still have a little time. What is the ratio of student to teacher that you can have in a special education class?
Foiles: Ok. A special education teacher can have eight students in her class, thirteen with an aide. It doesn’t matter how many aides. It does not matter if I have three aides in here.
Grafton: How many can an aide have at a time?
Foiles: I think it is like five. I think that aides are not supposed to be unsupervised.
A few seconds later the bell rang, ending my interview with Mrs. Foiles.
The interview with Mrs. Foiles gives us a brief insight into what it is like to work as a special education teacher. Teachers like Mrs. Foiles have to deal with a mountain of paperwork. They have to keep up with the latest state standards and guidelines. They often have limited resources to work with. These teachers have to stay on top of the newest findings about various disabilities and learning impairments. However there is one thing that Mrs. Foiles often stated during the interview: they are her kids, our kids. She stakes her claim to them and advocates for them on a daily basis. I myself think that this is something that all teachers should do. I truly believe that anyone can present a lesson to a student, however not everyone can teach. A teacher takes time to learn about his/her students. However, as Mrs. Foiles pointed out sometimes it is a struggle just to present the lesson.
Jason Warren
ReplyDeleteSpecial Educator Interview
I Interviewed Erin Douglas Who is a special educator at Joliet Central High School in Joliet, IL. Erin obtained a degree in fine arts at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 2004. She began working for a small business doing its design work shortly after and decided to go back to school to get her teaching certification. After receiving her teaching certification in Special education, Erin was hired by the JTHS in 2009 and has been teaching there since. The interview was conducted over the phone on April 30th 2011.
Q: When you decided to go back to school and become a teacher, why did you choose special education?
A: When I was working on my certification I was helping in a special education classroom and I immediately knew that was where I wanted to teach. So while I received my certification, I also took additional courses and received an endorsement in special education. It was almost more like I was supposed to be there than a choice…I just knew and I wouldn’t trade a second of the time I get to spend with my students.”
Q: What is your philosophy on teaching and learning?
A: My philosophy would simply be that everyone has the right to learn, and be taught in a way that helps each individual excel. Any student can learn in an environment where close attention is paid to the necessary modifications and accommodations needed to help make that student successful.
Q: Ok, So to go along with your philosophy on teaching and learning, what is your own learning style?
A: “I would have to say that I am a visual and auditory learner. I learn best when I can see what is going on and here the process. I’ve never really been a very physical learner.”
Q: How would you say your classroom is conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
A: “I would have to say that the biggest difference in my classroom and other co-taught and college prep classes is the class size. I have on average 10-13 students per semester in my instructional classes (self-contained). The timeline in my classroom also varies from others. I create a schedule to ensure all curriculum material is covered, but often there are times my scheduling needs to be adjusted to ensure the material is being learned at a pace that is appropriate for my students.”
Q: What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteA: “I implement a variety of teaching strategies in my classroom. The main ones include: Cooperative learning, active learning, lecture, technology integrated, and differentiated instruction.”
Q: How do you identify students for the special education program in your school/ district?
A: “Students are identified for special education after they go through the RTI process. Once that has been done they will be tested and questioned by our school psychologist who, along with the student, teachers in the students team and myself or another special education teacher will determine the goals to set and develop the IEP.”
Q: What is the selection process for special education in your school/ district?
A: “Students are not “selected” for special education. If a student is continually struggling in his or her classes at the high school level they will be recommended for RTI services. Each teacher will document what extra steps they are implementing to help the student. If this doesn’t work then the student is looked at as possibly needing additional special education services. If this is decided, surveys are filled out by all the student’s teachers, as well as the parents to gain a background of information. Then the school psychologist will go through a battery of tests with the student to determine where they stand functionally.”
Q: How critical is your role in this identification process?
A: At the high school level, teachers are the first people who usually have the opportunity to step forward with any concerns, so I would say my role is a Crucial part of the process. If we can identify students that need extra attention at an early stage, then we can provide the help they need to succeed.”
The teacher I interviewed is a special education teacher who works in Southeast High School located in District 186. The teacher’s name is Miss Lewis. I know her from working with her at the school’s 21st Century after school program. I conducted this interview on May 2nd, 2011. The following are her answers to the 10 questions required plus two additional questions I made.
ReplyDelete1.How does a teacher become a special educator?
Focus on getting a special education degree in college. Since a special education degree allows you to teach any grade level, decide what grade you want to teach.
2.How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
I have to base my teaching on the student’s academic level. I could have a class of 30 students with 30 completely different ability levels. I have situations where I have to adapt junior level text to a middle school level. In the end, everybody is taught the same material even though it has been modified.
3.What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
I use KWL charts, selective highlighting, comprehension and vocab. Repetition is key for these students to learn.
4.What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
No matter how high or low a student’s ability level, everyone is capable of learning something. If you provide the students with motivations and incentives to learn, then they will feel excited about learning.
5.What are your own learning styles?
I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. I need to see something and then do it. I cannot just see it nor can I just do it. I need to do both to truly learn.
6.What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
I use a lot of the methods from number three. I also use repetition, application, and demonstration. I expect my students to be able to apply what I taught in the classroom before they left.
7.How do you identify students for the special education program in you school (district)?
We identify students for the special education program based on their IEPs (Individualized Education Plan). If they have IEPs, then we can place them based on those. If they do not have IEPs and it is thought that they need them, then there is documentation that needs to be provided. It is a long process to obtain an IEP for a student.
8.What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
Pretty much the same is number 7. It is based on an IEP and teacher or parent recommendation.
9.How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
I have a lot of say in the identification process. Since we have direct contact with the students, we can suggest that a student obtains an IEP. We can also recommend the student to go to SLA (Springfield Learning Academy). However, parents have the final say in the process. They can approve or decline any request for an IEP.
10.How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the “hidden” gifted such as students of color, student with disabilities?
The resource teachers can help with identification. They can help those with an IEP who also have gifts.
11.Do you feel that the fact that kids are labeled as “special” hinders their ability to get accepted into colleges/universities?
It hinders some kids because they are not use to the rigorous schedule they will face in college. It is not as much of a struggle for children in inclusion classrooms though because they are use to a more rigorous schedule.
12.Why did you decide to teach special
education?
I have always been drawn to people with disabilities. I was always the one who defended them when I was in high school. I’ve just always wanted to teach special education.
Special Education Teacher Interview
ReplyDeleteJason Finch, Illini West High School, Special Education Teacher
Phone Interview
1. What inspired you to become a Special Education Teacher?
Jason was inspired to become a Special Education Teacher because he grew up with a relative who had special needs, and his compassion to help students with disabilities carried over when he went to college to become a teacher of the special needs. He feels that he has a lot to offer students with special needs and believes he can make a strong impact on their lives in helping them become significant suppliers to society!
2. What types of Special Needs students do you have in your classroom?
His classrooms hold many different forms of special needs from Down Syndrome students, to students with muscular dystrophy, Autistic studens, high needs ADD and moderate ADD needs kids.
3. Do any or all of your students have IEP’s or Student Aids?
He says that most students with a mental or physical disability each have their own Aids that help in assisting with work and everyday life struggles for the students. In which each of these students have their own specialized IEP for level of cognitive disability. Also students with ADD and autism have IEP’s placed for them in which they spend a portion of their day with in the normal classroom setting and portions of their day within the Special needs classroom, working of areas of content that they struggle with.
4. What is one of the hardest things about being a special needs teacher?
Jason says one of the hardest things about being a special needs teacher is developing a sense of understanding with each student so that he and the students can be on the same page each and everyday to help push them forward. He also says that regression of the students on a day to day basis is a tough mental aspect of teaching special needs because there are some days he feels he can’t do anything right.
5. What are some changes you would like to be made in your districts special needs classrooms? Jason feels that he would like to see more technology placed within the classrooms that can be tailored for the needs of every student in his classroom. Unlike a normal classroom, most students are on the same page when it comes to knowledge and understanding. In a special needs classroom, teaching and understanding is a barrier that lack of technology in the classroom puts a strong damper on!
6. What is one piece of advice you would give to an incoming Special needs teacher?
One piece of advice Jason can give to a newcomer within a Special needs classroom is that they need to for the first year take everyday on as its own, looking to far ahead can unfortunately leave a teacher distraught thinking that the students are so far behind of what they have planned for. Also keeping a strong will with the students generates respect from students and a good hold on control of the classroom!
Introduction
ReplyDeleteMrs. Olson has been a special educator for 34 years at Monroe School (K-3) in Quincy, Illinois. I interviewed her in her classroom on May 4, 2011.
Question: How does a teacher become a special educator?
Special educators must obtain a different certificate and complete different course work from other teacher candidates. Mrs. Olson completed her Masters and also Reading Recovery training to better serve her students.
Question: What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
I believe that teachers need to be flexible. All children can learn—the trick is finding the right method and making it work at their level. And also make it fun!
Question: How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
She does not have her own class. She works with students in reading and math through “pull out” and “push in” programs. A “pull out” program is where students are pulled out of a regular classroom, usually for a 30 minute session. These sessions may be working with an individual student or small groups coming from multiple classrooms.
A “push in” program is where a special educator goes into a regular classroom to do a session with all students (usually in heterogeneous small groups). These programs were developed under the Regular Education Initiative (REI) program. These lessons are co-taught with the regular classroom teacher and are planned with him or her.
Question: What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom? What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Usually instruction is individual or in small groups. Some common strategies include:
Reading: Reading recovery strategies, word work
Writing: teaching students to say words slowly so they can figure out how to write the word, proper use of capital letters and periods
Math strategies: count-ons, add-ons, skip counting
Question: What are your own learning styles?
ReplyDeleteUsually visual and auditory—I need to see something and hear it to understand it.
Question: How do you identify students for the special education program in your school?
Students are initially referred by the classroom teacher, parents, or school psychologist.
Question: What is the selection process for special education in your school?
Before students can be eligible for special education, they must complete two tiers of Response to Intervention (RTI). Next, the school psychologist evaluates the student and provides a report to the selection team.
Question: How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
The special educator has a vote in the team meeting regarding the selection process. The special educator does not evaluate the student personally before this decision. Once a student is selected for special education services, the special educator drafts the individual educational plan (IEP). Parents, teachers, the psychologist, and other team members can suggest modifications. An IEP is good for one academic year, but it can be amended at any time throughout that year. Progress reports for each student are prepared quarterly. Near the end of the year, the team convenes for the annual review meeting to develop a new IEP for the following year.
Question: How does your school handle the identification/selection of the ‘hidden’ gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
There is no gifted program for the K-3 grades. Students that are gifted are identified by individual classroom teachers and given additional opportunities through differentiated instruction.
Question: What do you do when you can’t seem to find a strategy that works for a particular student?
There are a number of recommended strategies that generally she should try first. However, she is always reading new books and research. She has a quite a large collection of literature in her classroom!
Observation
ReplyDeleteMrs. Olson graciously permitted me to watch some of her sessions with students. I observed three different groups: a group of 4 autistic children for reading, a group of 4 students for 3rd grade reading, and a group of 8 students for 3rd grade math.
Autistic group: These students were finishing their writing. When they finished, she asked them to illustrate their work. Some students did not want to do this and she allowed them to get a book and read quietly instead (offering choice). Next she did an activity where each student had several sentences placed before them on strips of paper. One student would have the starting strip and ask if someone had a word that rhymed with “cat,” for example. The student with the corresponding strip would then read theirs, “I have bat. Who has a word that rhymes with …” I thought this was an interesting activity since it required the children to not only understand rhyming and be able to read their words, but to listen and understand cues as to when it was their time to read. Mrs. Olson also did a similar activity for counting by fives.
3rd grade reading: These students were receiving reading intervention services because they were low; 3 were regular students and one had an IEP. She told me that they were all reading right at grade level at this time. They wrote about a response to the story they finished reading the day before. Afterwards, they did an activity where they would spell several different words out letter tiles.
3rd grade math: This group was actually part of the “push in” program (even though the students were “pulled out” of the classroom that day). She took a third of a 3rd grade class at a time to do a 20 minute math lesson. For this particular lesson, she presented it and then the classroom teacher was to do the application portion afterwards. Student learned to do multiplication of larger numbers (4 x 26, 3 x 22) using blocks (tens and ones) and a grid. Next they would do this graphically in their workbooks, coloring the 10 blocks in red and the ones in blue.
Summary
I found that my vision of special education was very far off! I imagined a self-contained classroom where the students are segregated from the rest of the school. I believe this existed back when I attended this school many, many years ago (and Mrs. Olson is one of the few remaining teachers from that time until she retires next year). Today this school has no BD program; students that have severe behavioral problems are sent to a specific school in the district. However, this school does have a semi-contained autism classroom for the more severe students. Most autistic students are kept in general education classrooms with one-on-one aides, but at times they will go to the autism classroom or to Mrs. Olson for additional services. There are about four students that are in the autism classroom exclusively.
In observing Mrs. Olson, I was astounded by how many activities she must plan. Compared to the kindergarten class I’ve been observing, I think it would be a lot harder to plan activities for so many diverse groups of students. While she doesn’t think that she does more planning than a general classroom teacher, I think it would be very difficult for me to keep track of so many students when you have so little time with them each day. It’s an amazing job for an educator to be a special educator and I think it takes a special person to do it as well as she has for so many years.
Introduction
ReplyDeleteThe teacher that I interviewed is named Nancy Freels. She has been a special education teacher at Centralia High School (District 200) for 34 years and she will be retiring this year. Currently she holds the title of Special Education Department Coordinator. She teaches cross category English and skills reinforcement within the special education department. The interview was given on April 19, 2011. It was conducted as follows:
Q: How does a teacher become a special educator?
In my case, when I was a teenager, I worked with disabled people, mostly developmentally disabled, and I loved the work. Going into college I wanted to be a physical therapist. I soon found that I hated the amount of science courses that were required and decided to get out of the physical therapy program. Since I wanted to continue with a path that allowed me to work with special needs, special education seemed to be the right fit.
Q: How many special education teachers within the department?
Currently we have 12 teachers within the department and that makes us the largest department in the school. We have a lot within our department because twenty percent of the students at CHS have IEPs.
Q: I know there have been many changes since NCLB, which has increased the need for special ed. teachers. So I’m wondering how many special ed. teachers were here when you started.
There were two of us, or maybe three.
Q: Twenty percent is higher than I expected. Is that unusual for a school?
Yes, we have a high number of students with IEPs, currently there are between 160 and 170 students. It is a number that is decreasing and we are trying to reduce it through strict evaluation. Recently, the state came in to audit our compliance with NCLB, which we did well on. However, one of the issues they flagged was the number of students that we have with IEPs. I feel that the reason it is so high is due to socioeconomic make-up of the area. There is a large population of low-income families in the Centralia area.
Keep in mind that there is also the Centralia High School Annex which has all of the students with extreme behavioral issues. They also handle the students who are classified as severe and severe and profound. There are eight students who are considered severe and fifteen who are sever and profound.
Q: What are some of the more common disabilities or diagnoses you see with students?
ReplyDeleteWell, it used to be that we saw more of the students with ADHD or OHI (Other Health Impairments), but the last three or fours years it is by far more of the ED (Emotionally Disturbed) students.
Q: What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
Teacher led instruction followed by discussion and activities pertaining to the assignment are done together in class. Many of my students perform better or learn the material more in a setting where there is group work or open discussion. The homework is assigned, and for the most part, completed in class so assistance can be given.
Q: What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
I strive to provide an atmosphere in which all students are respected and feel accepted. It is important for some of the students in my special education courses to feel safe and like they belong somewhere. I feel that all students are worthwhile and should be encouraged to reach the maximum levels of their ability and potential.
Q: What are your own learning styles?
I consider myself a visual and hands-on learner. I absorb the material much better if I get to work through what I’m learning or I can work with it with it in my hands. Also, I do not consider myself a good test taker.
Q: What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Teacher guided instruction and discussion. I use several examples and try to relate things to everyday living. I try to make the learning relevant to their interests. I also use peer groups.
Q: How do you identify students for the special education program in your school?
ReplyDeleteIn most cases, students enter the high school with IEP’s that they received in the grade school or middle school. However, for students that have not yet been given an IEP, they are usually brought to our attention by other teachers, family members, or through test scores.
Q: What is the selection process for special education in your school?
Once someone has been brought to our attention, a multi-tiered response to intervention approach is put into action that lasts several months. It used to be that the process only lasted several weeks. Things have changed and now we try many different approaches to help a student to learn before they are given an IEP. We will try one approach and give it sufficient time to work, at which time we will meet with the student, teachers, administrators, and family members. If an approach does not work, we start the process again with a new approach, until we’ve reached a point where we have exhausted all options for keeping the student completely mainstreamed.
Q: How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
Well, I’m involved in every part of the process due to being the Special Ed Department Coordinator. I’m involved with the evaluation and RTI process of virtually every student who is being considered for an IEP. I assist the school administrators in making the final decision on a student’s admission into the Special Ed program.
Q: Where do you see special ed. Going in the future?
Right now we are departmentalized which means many of the students with IEPs are taught within the Special Ed Department. We have started to switch to a system relying more on co-teaching. It just makes more sense to do it that way. Instead of special ed. teachers having to be “highly qualified” in special ed. and a content area, we can let a special ed. teacher focus on the special ed. part of the education process and let the content area teacher do what they do best.
Q: Does your school (district) try to identify/select the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities? If so, how?
No, they do not. However, we have had students with IEP's in some gifted classes.
Summary
In general, the interview was extremely informative. We discussed some of he negative things she sees such as parents who insist on the children being in the special ed program because it sometimes means they receive more government assistance. She said it can be heartbreaking to see students who can’t read or have a terrible view of the world because their home life is so bad that they do know any different. She stressed that despite these few down sides she feels that the job is wonderful and extremely rewarding.
We went on to discuss how things would be like for me as a student, considering I’m physically disabled. Since I had my injury after leaving the public school system and NCLB, I had a curiosity about what it might be like to currently be attending school as a quadriplegic. She was very helpful in explaining what that might be like for me and what services they might offer me.
I think what I really gained from this experience was the large impact that a community with a low socioeconomic status has on the education system and population of students. Coming from a suburb of Chicago where the percentage of students who were low income is very low, it is eye opening to realize the county I moved to a little over a year ago has a severe impairment due to poverty. One that is generational and becoming more extreme.
Interviewee: Mr. Ben Skoda
ReplyDeleteSchool: St. Andrew School - Chicago, IL
Interview Date: May 4, 2011
I have spent time at St. Andrew School over the past few years as an observer, afterschool tutor, and basketball coach. I met Mr. Skoda there as some of his special needs students were a part of the afterschool tutoring program. Through my contact with these students I came to understand that Mr. Skoda was highly regarded by them as well as by the faculty and parents. This Special Educator Interview was the perfect opportunity for me to speak with Mr. Skoda about his teaching and educational philosophies. The questions I asked and my summary of his answers is below.
I am wondering whether I will end up teaching in a public school or private school. How did you end up at St. Andrew? Was it a conscious choice?
Mr. Skoda said that as much as he loves it at St. Andrew his teaching there was mostly by chance. He used to teach in a suburban school but years ago decided that he wanted to move back into the city after moving to the suburbs for his first teaching job. St. Andrew was just one of the schools that had an opening and wanted to hire him. He took the job and has been at St. Andrew for 9 years now.
How does a teacher become a special educator?
In Mr. Skoda’s case he was asked to become the Special Education Coordinator at St. Andrew after the previous one left the school. He had shown a proclivity for working with special needs children in the social studies class that he taught the previous years at St. Andrew. Since St. Andrew is a private school Mr. Skoda was able to begin working as a special needs teacher before he was certified by the state of Illinois. In order to get his special education endorsement Mr. Skoda took the necessary classes and passed the certification exam.
How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
ReplyDeleteMr. Skoda’s classroom has fewer students than the other classrooms. Because of this he said that he is able to run the classroom with more flexibility than he would otherwise be able to. St. Andrew is a relatively small school with many students that start there in kindergarten. Therefore Mr. Skoda has a lot of experience with almost all of the students in his special needs classes. This allows him to work very efficiently with each student because he feels like he has a good understanding of how to best help them learn and succeed. As opposed to the other teachers in the building Mr. Skoda’s classroom is more geared toward individual instruction with group instruction mixed in less often.
What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
Mr. Skoda said that he focuses on “high engagement” in his classroom. Because he has a manageable amount of students and very high parental involvement he finds that engaging his special needs students is easier than engaging his past regular classroom students. Mr. Skoda is a huge proponent of hands on and tactile learning and uses kinetic and physical activates as much as possible. Another strategy he uses is pear learning. He has found that certain students work really good together and he thinks that because of their separation from the other classroom his students share a lot of respect for one another and genuinely want to help each other.
What are your own learning styles?
When I asked this question Mr. Skoda was a little taken aback because he was so focused on talking about his students and their learning styles. He told me that he is a global learner and really needs to understand why he is learning something before he starts taking in information. This is beneficial for his teaching because he thinks that many students, special needs or not, are the same way. Thus the question that teachers get asked constantly, “Why do we need to know this?” To him, facts and insights are more meaningful and easier to retain when he understands how that information fits into the bigger picture.
What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Mr. Skoda is a big user of technology in his classroom. He told me that he loves to show videos to help keep students engaged. The videos he uses are usually not educational videos but real life scenes that help him make a point or convey a concept. I asked for an example and he told me that he recently was doing a lesson on empathy and used a real-life video of a women’s softball team that actually carried an opponent around the bases who had just hit a home run but injured herself in the process to the extent that she couldn’t run or walk the bases. He said that this 5 minute video illustrated empathy better than he could with words. Mr. Skoda also lets his students dictate much of the teaching methods he uses. He tries to treat his students as much like adults as possible and he feels that letting them determine the teaching methods that will work best greatly enhances their engagement with the subject matter.
How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
ReplyDeleteAt St. Andrew students are identified for the special needs program in two ways. The first and most common way is that parents will alert the school that their child has been determined to have some sort of disability. The other and less common way is for teachers and/or school staff to identify possible disabilities within the student population and to consult with the parents.
What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
Mr. Skoda said that the selection process for special education at his school is very lenient. Because St. Andrew is a private school and the population of special needs students is relatively low there is rarely a need to turn a student away from getting the extra attention that a special needs student deserves. However, with this being said, Mr. Skoda said that there have been instances where a parent’s request to have their child placed in a special education classroom was denied because the staff at St. Andrew determined that the child was better served in the regular classroom.
How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
Mr. Skoda is the main point person at St. Andrew for all things having to do with special needs students. He does not necessarily have the final word in the identification process but is the biggest contributor to the process. The principal relies heavily on Mr. Skoda to manage the identification process and will ultimately ask for his recommendation before making the final judgment.
How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
Mr. Skoda said that there really was not a process in place to handle the identification of ‘hidden’ gifted students at St. Andrew because they are rarely hidden. Because of the small size of the school and the high parent involvement gifted students are always known about. In fact, Mr. Skoda has had numerous gifted students in his special needs class over the past few years. One student had a hearing disability, another was dyslexic, and another had problems with reading comprehension but was ahead of most other students in math.
For my special educator interview, I spoke with Mrs. Carrie Smithpeters from Harrisburg Middle School in Harrisburg, IL. Harrisburg Middle School is part of Harrisburg Community Unit School District #3. This face-to-face interview took place on Monday, April 25, 2011. I chose Mrs. Smithpeters and Harrisburg Middle School for my special educator interview because I have personally been attending classes at this school as part of my pre-clinical work for the University of Illinois Springfield. Therefore, I was somewhat familiar with the school and many of its students before the interview.
ReplyDeleteI began by thanking Mrs. Smithpeters for her time and cooperation with this interview. The first question I asked her was, “How does a teacher become a special educator?” She said, “I would say a teacher becomes a special educator from experience. You really don’t know what being a special education teacher is like until you have your own classroom. I still feel that I am constantly learning because there are so many different facets to being a special education teacher.”
I then asked Mrs. Smithpeters, “How is your classroom conducted differently from other classrooms in this school?” She replied, “Special education classrooms are so different in many ways than regular education classrooms. You’re not just teaching one lesson to an entire classroom. When I am in my classroom of 8th grade math students, I could be teaching three different levels of math in one class period. Students in my classroom need much more support and more time spent with one-on-one teaching along with behavior support and modifications. I also feel I need a very structured system. Another difference is the classroom atmosphere because there are sometimes two or three extra adult teachers in the room at one time.”
Having understood that differentiation and cooperation with other teachers is a must in teaching special education students, I asked her, “What teaching and/or learning strategies do you use most frequently in your classroom?” She answered, “The most frequently used teaching/learning strategies I employ are lessons using smaller amounts of data so you are not presenting as much material. Mnemonic devices are used frequently in my classroom. Tests and quizzes might be shortened. I use behavioral charts and a lot of structure as far as homework. I always make sure they are keeping track of their homework folder and making sure they stay organized. I present the material numerous times during one lesson. It can take three or more times teaching a lesson before they understand it.”
ReplyDeleteMy next question was, “What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?” She replied, “My philosophy is to never give up! Some people say that my students will never get this lesson or material, but over time you will see changes. You have to make learning relevant to the kids. If you are not attaching information to something they already know or make it functional for them, then they won’t get it. You have to attach meaning to it so they care and will learn.” After hearing Mrs. Smithpeters’ answer, I could not help but think that teaching special education students is a lot like coaching sports. It is very difficult sometimes to motivate children to do things that they do not want to do or things that are difficult for them to do. In sports, running and lifting weights can be difficult for some children. But, as coach, if I can show them how doing these difficult things is relevant to them, they are likely to do the work. I understand that special education and coaching are not the same, but I find it interesting that they both have this little similarity.
My next question for Mrs. Smithpeters was, “What are your own learning styles?” She replied, "I’m an auditory learner so I find myself teaching that way a lot. As a teacher, I have to remember to add visual and tactile elements to my lessons.” I then asked her, “What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?” She answered, “The teaching methods I use most in my classroom would be lecturing with lots of questions to check for understanding. We also do lots of small group activities and tutoring one-on-one.”
Moving on, I asked Mrs. Smithpeters, “How do you identify students for the special education program in this school?” She answered, “We identify students for the special education program at this school through AIMSweb testing. Teachers and administrators can refer students for testing when all avenues have been exhausted.” I then asked her, “What is the selection process for special education in this school?” She replied, “Many times selection of students is up to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, but generally students who fall two deviations below the mean on a standardized test are appropriate candidates for special education services.” I then followed up with, “How critical is your role in this identification and selection process?” She answered, “I am part of the IEP team and I do the testing that determines a student’s eligibility.”
ReplyDeleteMy final formal question for Mrs. Smithpeters was, “How does this school handle the identification and selection of the “hidden” gifted such as students of color or students with disabilities?” She answered, “I have never heard of “hidden” gifted. The students in our district that are in special education have IEP’s. These plans fit the individual student, taking into account their strengths and weaknesses. I clarified my question, stating that my interpretation of “hidden” gifted was students of color, students of various ethnicities, students with disabilities, etc… Mrs. Smithpeters stated that, as far as she knew, this school did not have any special accommodations for these students.
To wrap up my question and answer session with Mrs. Smithpeters, I asked her why she chose to become a special education teacher. She said the obvious answer is that the field is in great demand and that getting a job in special education is much easier than in other fields. But, the main reason she became a special education teacher was her love for children, especially those who have a difficult time with school. She said she enjoys the challenge of keeping them in line and attempting to get through to them. When she does eventually get through to them, it is a very satisfying feeling. She said her job makes getting up every morning worthwhile. Knowing that she can help a child who has, for the most part, been ridden off by others makes her job quite enjoyable and satisfying.
I, again, thanked Mrs. Smithpeters for allowing me the opportunity to speak with her about her job. I told her that the course I am currently taking, along with this interview has really peaked my interest in the special education field. In particular, I told her about a student I observed in one of the classes in her school. He was a special education student and was constantly getting reprimanded for talking, not paying attention, leaving his book in his locker, etc… I told her that I got the opportunity to teach that class one day and I made a point to try to incorporate this student into the discussion, without making it obvious to everyone. To my amazement, the wild, lazy, disobedient child I had observed over the past few weeks began to look like a totally different student. I simply spoke to him respectfully, answered any questions (silly or not) he asked, and did not ignore him or talk down to him in front of his classmates. By the end of the class, this special education student looked nothing like a child in need of extra help. In fact, if I were grading him on classroom participation and accuracy, he would have been the top student in the class that day. My point to this story is that, sometimes, all a child needs is someone who will listen to them. My opinion is that this child is not a special education student, but rather a student who needs a new teaching approach levied at him. It made me wonder, “How many other children who are assigned to special education classes are similar to this student?”
ReplyDeleteIn summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! It really opened my eyes to the world of special education and has definitely garnered my interest in the field. I know there are many children who truly need special education classes but I believe there are also some children who might possibly be mislabeled. Being a special education teacher is not a job for everyone. I believe you must have a desire to help children and ensure they are learning. I am definitely the type of person who wants to ensure my students learn and it does bother me when some of them do not. By taking this course, visiting this school, and conducting this interview, I may have stumbled upon a career I never even gave thought to a few months ago.
I have been trying to upload this since yesterday. I hope it works!
ReplyDeleteTeacher Interview
Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Angela Cooper
School Name: Southeast High School
Grade Level: Differs due to teaching Special Needs (9-12)
Subject Area: Math, English
1. How does a teacher become a special educator?
I attended ISU and went through the teaching program there. I knew I wanted to work in special education, because the chances of finding a job were better and I honestly enjoy helping the students that struggle the most. So I knew to take the extra courses that were aimed toward special education teachers. I had to take the tests to become certified like you are going to have to do, but I had to take one to certify me in teaching special education on top of the others. Basically, you have to prove that you can handle the more needy of learners and apply teaching strategies that help them work through learning disabilities and difficulties.
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
Being in a Special Ed room, it differs greatly on most occasions. I have a smaller number of students and terrible attendance rate. It makes doing any kind of group impossible. There is not enough space in the building so I have to travel to every class I teach.
3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
I like to do a lot of independent work, so I can evaluate the progress of each learner. The work comes from the lesson and makes the student apply what he or she has learned. It is a basic form of teaching, but it is consistent.
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
Every child can learn as long as they are willing to help themselves and learn. In my field again, I see a lot of "learned helplessness". It's very hard to break my students from asking a question as soon as they get stuck on an issue. They do not have the confidence or it has been done so many times in the past that they expect me to give them the answer. I am willing to help students that want to help themselves. Also, being Special Education, I have a real issue with not accepting late work. My students have cognitive delays, physical disabilities and a multitude of other issues, they were put in spec. ed. for a reason. Of course, I tell them no late work but with absences it's hard to keep track of anyway.
5. What are your own learning styles?
ReplyDeleteI am a very visual learner, so I like to do a lot of examples. I vocally walk through everything we work on too, though. And I believe hands on learning is something that everyone can learn from. It is easier to pick something up after you have practiced it over and over. My classroom runs on repetition and structured problems.
6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
Since I teach math, I use the gradual release model. Teach, model, guided practice, independent work.
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
The goal is to identify the students that need my type of help as soon as possible. Screening starts off around kindergarten and progress checks on work ensue from there. In high school level, you pretty much already know who needs to be in the program.
8. What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
Student work plays a major role in determining where he or she is placed. We monitor how well students perform in their classes and if they are not achieving as they should be, then the teacher may refer the student to the program.
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
I am more of a post decision worker. The student has already been recommended by the time they get to me, so at that point it is my job to take over on teaching.
10. How does your school (district) handle the identification/selection of the 'hidden' gifted such as students of color, students with disabilities?
We have higher track classes for gifted learners. If the students are performing exceptionally in classes, then they will be recommended by their teachers to move into the higher level courses.
11. How do you decide what technology should be used in your classroom?
We have a collaboration period at Springfield that allows us time with a person in the district that has a job description of instructional technology leader. She comes in every other week to teach teachers how to use new technology. She is wonderful at giving ideas.
12. What technology do you find most useful?
We have MOBI which for lack of a better explanation is a portable bluetooth mouse. I love it, when it works right. I can use a projector and walk around the room to assist and lecture.
13. What advice would you offer to me, as a future teacher?
Before taking a job, look into the technology the district provides. This computer is the district’s computer.
For the Special Educator Interview I had the pleasure of interviewing Tianna Durr from Springfield District 186 on April 27th 2011 . Tianna was an exceptional help with this interview and provided insightful and helpful answers to the questions I provided. This was definitely a learning experience for me and gave me a better look into the life and career of a special educator.
ReplyDeleteThe following is a typed out version of the interview I conducted with Tianna Durr. A PDF copy of the handwritten interview is attached.
1. How does one become a special educator?
“College with Special Education Certificate
2. How is your classroom conducted differently from other teachers in the building?
“More breaks, more hands on activities.”
3. What are the most frequently used teaching/learning strategies you employ in the classroom?
“Hands on activities, centers”
4. What is your philosophy about teaching and learning?
“MOVEMENT and leaning should be fun!”
5. What are your own learning styles?
15. What would you say is the most difficult part of your profession?
ReplyDelete“Keeping patience with students who have little/no parental help.”
16. Why did you want to become a special educator?
“These are the students who teach you the most about yourself.”
17. Do you have any literary recommendations, or words of advice, for individuals interested in entering the special education field?
“Have a sense of humor!”
“Develop a lot of patience”
“Find a “happy place” for those tough times
“Develop a solid behavior management plan and have an exit plan for your other students”
The number one thing that I took away from this interview was that parental involvement is always necessary and patience is key. This can be a difficult field to work in and is meant for the strong of heart; not everyone is cut out for this career. This interview assignment was an excellent experience and definitely showed a side of the profession that a textbook cannot.
“Kinesthetic and visual”
ReplyDelete6. What teaching methods do you use the most in your classroom?
“Kinesthetic and visual”
7. How do you identify students for the special education program in your school (district)?
“Teacher in regular education classroom bring a no successful student to a problem solving team.”
8. What is the selection process for special education in your school (district)?
It goes in the order of “Problem Solving Team, Student Intervention, Re-meet/Re-evaluate, Testing, Re-evaluate, and finally Go Into Special Education Program.”
9. How critical is your role in this identification/selection process?
“As a special education teacher I’m not critical until the student is identified and placed with me.”