STEP BY STEP - WORKING IN AN INCLUSION CLASSROOM Chances are that in the field of special education...
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STEP BY STEP - WORKING STEP BY STEP - WORKING IN AN INCLUSION IN AN INCLUSION CLASSROOM CLASSROOM Chances are that in the field of Chances are that in the field of special education you will special education you will probably be hired as a teacher in probably be hired as a teacher in one of three possible settings: one of three possible settings: resource room, self contained resource room, self contained special class or an inclusion special class or an inclusion setting. setting.
STEP BY STEP - WORKING IN AN INCLUSION CLASSROOM Chances are that in the field of special education you will probably be hired as a teacher in one of three
STEP BY STEP - WORKING IN AN INCLUSION CLASSROOM Chances are
that in the field of special education you will probably be hired
as a teacher in one of three possible settings: resource room, self
contained special class or an inclusion setting.
Slide 2
INCLUSION Step I-learn as much about the students as possible
before school begins The very first step in setting up the room
involves your potential students. What we want to do is find out as
much information about each student as possible. Schools have a
wealth of available materials on each child if you know where to
look. When dealing with students with disabilities, information on
the child can be found in the following possible places:
Slide 3
INCLUSION Permanent record folder: this folder which contains
all the basic information on the child is usually stored in the
main office. Past teachers reports: these items may be among those
found in the permanent record folder or may be part of the childs
report card forms. Past report cards: these items will offer a
pattern of performance including strength and weakness areas. These
should also be contained in the permanent record folder.
Slide 4
INCLUSION Group achievement scores: These materials, if
accurate, can also provide a pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
However, be very careful about drawing any conclusions from low
scores unless other information backs up your impressions i.e.
classroom performance, teachers reports. Sometimes children who are
experiencing academic problems may not try as hard as possible for
fear of failure. Consequently, the resulting scores may not reflect
true achievement levels.
Slide 5
INCLUSION Number and types of schools attended: you should be
able to ascertain this information by the school names on the
report cards found in the permanent folder. For some children with
disabilities this may be their first year in a mainstreamed school.
They may require added attention and support in the
transition.
Slide 6
INCLUSION Medical records: this information can be gathered
from the school nurses office. Pay close attention to vision and
hearing levels, medications, allergies, and any other medical
issues that might need attention in the classroom.
Slide 7
INCLUSION IEP: a very crucial piece of information is the
childs most recent Individual Educational Plan. This piece of
information is usually not found in the permanent record folder. It
can be obtained from several sources including: a-the office of
Pupil Personnel Services b-the psychologists file on the child
c-the special education folder on the child. This file is normally
passed from teacher to teacher. However this folder may be in a
main file in the office of the special education coordinator for
your building.
Slide 8
INCLUSION Health alerts: this piece of medical information may
be found on the front page of the childs IEP. If something is noted
then find out as much as possible on that condition. You want to
sound knowledgeable when speaking with parents about their childs
special health issues.
Slide 9
INCLUSION Classification: find out as much as possible about
the childs specific disability classification as you can. You may
already be knowledgeable about the disability but it never hurts to
learn more. This knowledge base can only gain you respect from
staff and parents. A very good source for learning about all kinds
of classification disabilities is NICHCY.org.
Slide 10
INCLUSION Modifications: look for the classroom and test
modifications that the child is entitled to have. These are listed
somewhere in the IEP. Investigate each modification thoroughly and
fully understand what is involved and the possible reasons as to
why the child was granted this in the first place. You will need to
fully understand these modifications since you will be
communicating and explaining them to all the childs teachers.
Slide 11
INCLUSION Accommodations: there may be times when a child is
entitled to some classroom accommodation. Examples of these might
be special furniture, filters for lighting, acoustic enhancements
etc. Again investigate and become knowledgeable of each
accommodation.
Slide 12
INCLUSION Related services: the IEP will also contain a section
on the related services that the child is entitled to have while in
school.
Slide 13
INCLUSION Assistive technology: some children may be entitled
to assistive technology i.e. word processor. This should appear on
the childs IEP. If there is some required technology find out
everything you can. There are numerous sites that you can visit on
the Internet.
http://www.atto.buffalo.eduhttp://www.atto.buffalo.edu.
http://www.atto.buffalo.edu
Slide 14
INCLUSION Ability levels: It is important to determine, if
possible, the childs ability levels. These levels which are
measured by many sources can usually be found in several areas:
a-the permanent record folder: look for a group IQ test, or a test
that offers a score labeled School Abilities Index. These group
measures may offer some insight. Again, be careful of using low
scores to determine ability for the same reasons as mentioned
previously. b-the psychologists office: look up the last triennial
report which should have some measure of ability noted. c-The
childs IEP: the IEP may contain an ability level. These may be
listed under the Wechsler Scales of Intelligence or the Stanford
Binet Test of Intelligence. d-Past teachers comments about the
childs ability levels.
Slide 15
INCLUSION Step II- Meet with your team teacher before school
begins.
Slide 16
INCLUSION A major component to the success of an inclusion
classroom is the nature of the relationship between the special
education teacher and the regular education teacher. There are many
questions and issues that need to be discussed to prevent
misconceptions, frustration or dissension from occurring. Some of
these issues are as follows:
Slide 17
INCLUSION -talk about roles and clearly define the professional
responsibilities so that there is no confusion
Slide 18
INCLUSION -talk about similarities and differences in teaching
styles and how that might affect the students and the presentation
of information. Even though teaching styles may be different, they
can compliment each other.
Slide 19
INCLUSION -talk about the delivery systems to be used in the
classroom: There are several different methods for instruction and
assistance to the children in an inclusion setting. Alternative
delivery systems are management systems that provide support for
students and maximize learning while being presented with the core
curriculum in an inclusion setting. Alternative delivery systems
are management systems that provide support for students and
maximize learning while being presented with the core curriculum in
an inclusion setting.
Slide 20
The goal of alternative delivery systems is to develop many
creative ways of working together for the benefit of all students.
There are many different approaches and it is best to find one on
which you and your team teacher agree. Some examples which you my
want to suggest if the regular education teacher is not aware are:
INCLUSION
Slide 21
Inclusion Team Teaching Cooperative teaching is an educational
approach in which general and special educators, as well as
specialists from other categorical programs, are simultaneously
present in the general education classroom, sharing responsibility
for some specific classroom instruction. This approach allows the
integration of the teaching to be successful since the classroom
teacher is teamed with the specialist.
Slide 22
INCLUSION General and special educators jointly plan to teach
academic subject content to all students. The general education
teacher remains responsible for the entire class while the special
educator is responsible for implementing the IEP goals for special
education students.
Slide 23
INCLUSION Complementary Instruction In this approach the
general education teacher assumes primary responsibility for
teaching specific subject matter. The specialist has responsibility
for teaching academic survival skills necessary for the student to
access and master the core curriculum
Slide 24
INCLUSION The content may be delivered in the classroom and
complemented when the special education student is pulled out of
the classroom to another setting. The critical difference between
complementary instruction and the traditional pullout program is
that two professionals prepare instruction together and it is
delivered in the general classroom.
Slide 25
INCLUSION Supportive Learning Activities The general educator
introduces academic content and the specialist develops and
implements learning activities designed to reinforce the specific
content. The educators work together to develop and deliver the
instructional content in the regular classroom even though each is
responsible for a particular phase of development.
Slide 26
INCLUSION One Teach/One Support In this type of delivery system
the regular education teacher is responsible for teaching the
curriculum. The role of the special education teacher is to move
from each child with a disability to the next and assist in
answering questions, monitoring class notes, explaining the
material and assignments, and working closely with the students to
help level the playing field.
Slide 27
INCLUSION Step III-Setting up your classroom (Inclusion class):
in this instance there is really very little to do. If you are
hired for an elementary inclusion class the regular education
teacher will set up the room. In this case assist the teacher,
making suggestions if you feel they will better serve the
population of children with disabilities i.e. quiet corner or study
carrel to avoid distractions
Slide 28
INCLUSION If you are hired as an inclusion teacher at the high
school, then there may be less to do with setting up the room since
many various teachers will be using that setting. However, again
assist the teacher and suggest anything that you feel might
help.