Teaching / Co-teaching: We are finally getting into the real deal curriculum for the year and I am excited! There's only so much getting-to-know-you and baseline-gathering one can do before the call of a fresh text book is too much to deny!
Adjusting: I have been making good on my plan to steal (learn?) strategies from my co-teachers. I started doing "the hand thing" or "Give me 5" with one of my classes as they are such engaged chatters that audible attention getters are just not working. This is not a new approach but after I saw it work well with 7th graders, I decided to use it with my 8th grade class. So far so good.
Reflecting: There's been much reflection this week. Not all of it super positive for my teaching mentality. Here's why: Several changes to our co-teaching and inclusion model have been made. (Notice the passive tense? This was one of those "from above" type decisions that a teacher and principal can do little more than say ok about.)
About 2 dozen kids who have Special Ed needs and were previously included in the Gen Ed classroom with Special Ed support were pulled out of 1 or 2 Gen Ed classes and put into Special Ed-only classes. Or, as I like to say, "excluded from Gen Ed."
After getting totally pumped up about inclusion (remember my "Hopes" post?) this was a difficult blow. I continue to feel pretty deflated about the whole thing, especially since it was a blanket decision that did not involve much / any individualized decision making. It was a bummer.
BUT, I'm a Special Education teacher and I love teaching students who have special needs and I was actually a bit excited to have 2 of my OWN classes (1 math and 1 LA). I am enthusiastically planning for both classes. So, that's the bright side.
It's been hard to write about my feelings on this because it is conflicting. I believe some kids need a special environment and special instruction sometimes, but I just keep thinking about the messages of exclusion that are being sent to Special Ed and Gen Ed students. I will leave you with a student response from a survey I gave to my new classes.
What has been your proudest moment in middle school? "When I got out of [the special ed class] but now I'm back in. :( "
BUT, I'm a Special Education teacher and I love teaching students who have special needs and I was actually a bit excited to have 2 of my OWN classes (1 math and 1 LA). I am enthusiastically planning for both classes. So, that's the bright side.
It's been hard to write about my feelings on this because it is conflicting. I believe some kids need a special environment and special instruction sometimes, but I just keep thinking about the messages of exclusion that are being sent to Special Ed and Gen Ed students. I will leave you with a student response from a survey I gave to my new classes.
What has been your proudest moment in middle school? "When I got out of [the special ed class] but now I'm back in. :( "
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