Teacher Interview Interview Question Summary 1. How has the student composition in the special classroom changed over time? Though this is not something that I personally experienced, I am aware that more students with disabilities are being educated now than forty years ago. Education systems have worked to create a better environment for these students. This environment is as free from restrictions as possible and challenges the individual. It did not use to be this way. Some disabilities were excluded. There was not enough funding. Public schools tried to exclude these individuals. It is not this way anymore, as my classroom, one of many, demonstrates. 2. How has the student composition in the general education classroom changed overtime? As you know, more students with disabilities have been entering general education classrooms due to changes in legislation. I have had many students with different disabilities in my classroom. I have had students with autism, communication disorders, and down syndrome, just to name a few. I have, of course, had plenty of typically developing students as well. . 3. How has the diagnosis and assessment of students with exceptional needs changed over time? More methods have been developed to assist in the identification and diagnosis of disabilities. Professionals are beginning to understand what might have caused a child to develop their disability. The more that is learned, the better I can help m y students with these disabilities. Knowledge helps create strategies individualized to the student. Even in the past ten years, there has been much advancement in the assessment and monitoring of these students. They are being seen as people and not their diagnosis. Many are held at the same stan... ... middle of paper ... .... Brown is a preschool teacher who currently has several students on IEPs in her classroom. The educator that I interviewed thinks highly of inclusion. As we were discussing inclusion, we discussed the inclusive early childhood education program that I am enrolled in. She was thrilled to hear that Ohio joined the handful of states that have universities that offer this type of program and was excited to see how it impacts the education system in Ohio. I believe that after interviewing this educator, I have a better understanding of the changes that occurred in my future field. Though I am aware of the history of special education and education in general, I think that it is something different completely to be told about the changes in education from someone who *Names have been changed Works Cited Anonymous Interviewee. (March 26, 2014). Personal communication.
During the 1920's, separate schools were established for the blind, deaf, and more severely retarded (Reddy, p5). However, students that were considered mildly disabled were educated in regular schools, just thought to be 'slow learners'. Soon educators started to develop separate classes for disabled students. The reasoning for taking them out of the normal classroom (exclusion) has not changed in the last eighty years. People today, who are still in favor of exclusion, have the same justification for their belief. It was thought that students...
(ADD) Students with disabilities are not educated and integrated into classes to the fullest extent possible.
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, by Dillenburger, K., and Keenan M., published in 2009, summarized Nov 19, 2009
Graziano’s article over the handling of his son’s disability in the classroom also involves issues that relate to teachers detecting signs of mental illness in the classrooms, how teachers identify a behavioral troubled child, and training school counselors on the Section 504 policy that are all happening in the world today. Realizing these issues can help parents with giving their child the best out of their education and can also help teachers understand the importance of their relationship with students. Everyone should have the opportunity for a brighter future and having a learning disability should not be the end of the road for any student.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children with disabilities in a Least Restrictive Environment to not have their needs met adequately. Some parents think that teachers do not have the proper skills to help their child with disabilities flourish in the classroom. Two concerns/challenges are that typical developing students will imitate inappropriate behaviors made by students with disabilities and students with disabilities could potentially get teased about their disabilities and inappropriate behaviors. As said by Virginia Buysse and Donal B. Baily, Jr. (1993) “… the opportunities for young children with disabilities to interact with peers in integrated settings must be carefully
I have experienced firsthand some of the positives and negatives. One of the most important aspects of inclusion is the social development gained by students with disabilities. One of the negatives is the danger of a student with a disability not being able to differentiate when they are in real danger of getting hurt. Often students with disabilities appear to be normal among the other students and not given the latitude of having a disability that may impede there judgement. As a special education teacher, I have learned standing in the doorway to prevent a child from leaving the classroom constitutes seclusion. I had to testify in a civil case in 2016 were a child with a disability tried to leave the classroom and the substitute teacher stood in the doorway and tried to prevent her from leaving. Preventing the incident could have transpired if there had been proactive measures taken rather reactive measures. It has become necessary to provide all personal involved within the school system the education needed to support inclusion and children with disabilities. I am a true believer in Least Restrictive Environment. Throughout my teaching career, I have watched a student with an IQ of 51 participate in co-taught or mainstream classes. Now, this particular student’s social skills were better than most people I know. In his freshman year, the doctor diagnosed him with cancer and given one year to live. He never stopped smiling. He pulled through and is currently finishing a program at the Vo-tech, where he maintained his grades and attendance with very few accommodations. He is happy, healthy, and I can see him ending up making more money a year than most people I know. I do understand not all cases will be like this one. However, I am sure that if the parents of this particular student had not stood their ground and refused to allow their child be
One obstacle that I believe many special needs students and families will face is understanding and dealing with the disability itself. Speaking from experience, this process can take time to understand and accept. This is where a special education teacher plays a significant role, assisting the student and family with information and support for understanding the student’s disability, facilitating education programs, and most importantly hope and progress for a bright future. Another obstacles that students with disabilities may face, is social interaction and acceptance. It is vital that all special education teachers and programs, try to incorporate strong social connections with their regular education peers and other community members and
For the lead teacher interview assignment, I had the opportunity to sit down with and interview my son’s EC teacher from last year, Mrs. Hamm. Since my son started at the school last year, Mrs. Hamm has helped him in so many different ways. Mrs. Hamm has been teaching for over 20 years from her home state of Pennsylvania and more currently at Mount Energy Elementary School in Creedmoor, NC. Mrs. Hamm has been teaching at Mount Energy Elementary School in Creedmoor, NC for the last 12 years and recently awarded “Teacher of the Year”. Mrs. Hamm, up until this school year, was the main EC teacher for all grades Kindergarten through fifth grade at Mount Energy Elementary School. As of the present school year, the school district made the determination that she was over the acceptable number of students. As a result, they decided to hire an additional EC teacher and assistant to teach grades 3-5th and Mrs. Hamm would teach grades K-2. Mrs. Hamm was the teacher of 18 students until this decision was made, now with grades K-2, she has 9 students in her class.
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
The majority of students with disabilities should be in an inclusive setting. These students are generally placed based on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Furthermore, the majority of these students are able to keep up academically with their peers, even
It can be a tough task to correctly diagnosis some students with a high incidence disability. Henley, Roberta, and Algozzine (2009) state “Because there are no standard state criteria,...
specific learning disabilities in the United States of America. The Journal of International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 21-26.
To be truly inclusive teachers, we need to first know the student and identify the real reasons for any individual to be classified as having a learning disability.
I chose to do my teacher interview in my home town at Richard D. Crosby Elementary School. This K-3rd grade building is very new, it was built in 2010. It has 4 pods, one for each grade level and has a large discovery center in each pod. The school is very colorful, with each pod a different color so the children find it easy to go from area to area. I did my interview with Mrs. Doe, a special education teacher. Her room has a lot of materials for learning and is set up to have several work stations for group activities. Mrs. Doe shares her students with other special education teachers and also has a special education classroom aide. My research question is how does a teacher’s perspective on learning reflect theories and concepts in educational psychology? Mrs. Doe is faced with many challenges in her classroom, overcrowding, multi-cultural differences, learning disabilities, several students with low socioeconomic status and English language learners. There are many challenges for Mrs. Doe to deal with, but she has been teaching for 21 years and has a lot of experience. She started out as a regular classroom teacher, but switched to special education and has done so well that when she asked if she could return to the regular classroom setting, the Superintendent begged her to stay in the special education department because of her success.
For my observation experience I went to Southern High School in Harwood, MD. Southern High School has a special education department for the students with disabilities. The teacher that I met with for this classroom observation was Ms. West. In the classroom there were at least four assistant teachers that helped Ms. West throughout the school day. The assistant teachers helped Ms. West co- teach the class and were there to help the students if they needed extra help. The school also has a couple of student aides that come in to help the teachers and the students in the classroom. There were at least twelve students in the classroom. The students in the class had many different exceptionalities such as learning disabilities, Down syndrome,