Question regarding SPED
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Anonymous
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I have questions based on my experience and curiosity. However, I do not want it to come across as insensitive or rude.
I teach 8th grade Social Studies in a SPED cotaught classroom. This is my first year teaching. I am not understanding how I am teaching the same exact curriculum that is given to the general ed and TAG students and feeding it to the SPED 8th graders. The majority of my 8th graders are autistic. Autism is a spectrum, I am aware. The students historical academic data shows that they are mostly on a kindergarten level, if that. I have students that are nonverbal, students that elope, students that have vocal stimming, oral fixations and wear bibs, etc. The last week consisted of me blocking my door so students do not run out, my body being overly touched, taking pencils and objects out of students reach, etc. What am I doing? I am not teaching. I am just making sure these students are safe until they get to the next class. The students are not learning 8th grade curriculum but I have to still teach them. I don’t know how. I feel like they should be learning social and foundational skills. Is this Special Education? I feel like we have taken these vulnerable children and put them in a classroom away from the general population of the rest of the school and provided nothing else for them. We give them the same curriculum, same state test and expect the same results as others. Sentence starters, word banks, text to speech, etc are not helping the students access the same exact curriculum. It does not provide these students with academic growth. What am I doing wrong? What am I thinking that is incorrect? I am up at night just thinking about these students. I feel like we are failing them, myself included. I deeply apologize if this is coming off as offensive in anyway. That is not my intention. I guess I am just asking for parents perspective in their child’s academic journey for students that are similar. I have a hard time asking others at the school. I have a co teacher and she says we are just making sure they survive for a year and we survive as well. That just can’t be it though. |
Anonymous
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You might want to say where you are located. That is not my experience as a parent whose kids were in co taught classes. For mine, co taught classes were a mix of kids who had special needs and kids who did not. They were a bit larger than regular classes. And the kids were expected to learn the grade level material in order to get credit for the class.
Your class sounds to me like a course For those who are not I. The diploma track. |
Anonymous
| If you're in a co-taught class, you must be paired with a special ed teacher. Have you discussed the class with them? Collaborated on the material? Discussed splitting teaching duties? |
Anonymous
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This has to be a troll. I don’t know of any school system where nonverbal 8th graders at the level of a 5 year old are being pushed in to a regular classroom. These kids will be in school until they are 21.
My nonverbal, bib wearing kid is in a self contained room with 9 kids and 4 adults. They aren’t trying to teach them 8th grade science. They do have to take the EOG tests, which is totally ridiculous and my kid gets a 0 every year. |
Anonymous
Oh wait, I went back and read this again. It sounds more like this is a self contained class and you are supposed to push in with them to teach them social studies? You aren’t supposed to teach them at the 8th grade level? I mean, if that is the case, then yes, much of what is happening in my kiD’s class is keeping them safe. That is what special Ed looks like for people with profound intellectual disability. I am thrilled my daughter is somewhere she is safe with teachers who care about her. Her class is run like a preschool with a lot of music, story time, etc. But also, diaper changes, snacks, drinking from sippy cups, etc. |
Anonymous
..Help me understand. Are kids on grade level and kids with non verbal autism in the SAME class? Or different class? Because if it's a different class, no, you're not supposed to teach them exactly the same. You try to get the content but on their level. And I'm really sorry it sounds like you have a burnt out co teacher. "Keep them alive" isn't the way my kid's teachers thought of her, thank god. |
Anonymous
| Are you the history teacher? Why did you never take any courses in special education? |
Anonymous
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I’m also confused. If you are pushing into a room that is all non diploma bound kids, you’re not teaching it the same way you would the on grade level class. Teaching social studies is still great - whether it’s about community helpers or maps or basic US history - whatever is on their level. Yes, with word banks and pictures to point to etc.
But if there are “bib wearing non verbal kids” in a regular for-credit class who are supposed to be able to pass the regular and state tests there seems to be a bigger problem. Also, don’t confuse non-speaking with not thinking. Push them to see what they’re picking up on - they might surprise you when left to answer questions with accommodations in place - sentence starters with word banks, writing, typing, pointing, matching, even answering yes/no questions. I know it’s hard and you’re kind to be asking questions to try to understand. |
Anonymous
NP here. Secondary social studies certification only requires a cursory understanding of special education. Most of what gen ed co-teachers need is learned on the job. Unfortunately, OP reported that their special ed co-teacher has given limited information, and they have a hard time asking others at the school. We can't know why, or what to advise, unless OP reports back with more information. |
Anonymous
Yeah, I wondered where the "co" in co-teaching is in OPs post. The sped teacher is supposed to bring in their expertise in adapting curriculum. Are there other reg ed teachers coming into this classroom? Is this maybe a sped teacher who views this classroom as their castle? I remember an IEP meeting (mandated by the state after I filed a complaint) and an English teacher asked what IDEA stands for. (FWIW she was a terrific teacher, a lot of stuff she routinely did for all students would in many other cases be considered accommodations) And a phy ed teacher who thought we were there because of kid not "complying" with his IEP (The IEP had nothing in it pertaining to phy ed but had also been found by the state to not provide reasonable educational benefit fwiw). |
Anonymous
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Unlike elementary schools with specialized programs (resource, non cat, EAC, ID/IDS etc), secondary schools split students into 1 of 2 tracks. Either SOL or VAAP.
I think all parents with kids in team taught classes should ask to observe, you’d be very surprised. (My experience is with Irving MS specifically, but I’m sure most middle schools look similar) |
Anonymous
Please explain your last comment. Aren’t team taught 50% SpED and 50% GenEd? How can the teaching material be altered if GenEd is mixed in there? |
Anonymous
I meant to observe the behaviors. The curriculum, if it’s being taught, is hard to absorb when several students are wandering the class, teachers are trying to prevent them from eloping from the room, constant loud vocal stimming, etc. Don’t take my word for it. Schedule an observation. |
Anonymous
I've seen the 50/50 model in Special Ed preschool and language immersion settings. For high school co-taught inclusion classes, the ratio is closer to 25 Special Ed/75 gen ed. To your teaching material question, there are several ways to do it, depending on how skillful/able the two teachers are. Also, this is the subject of debate in education circles. |
Anonymous
| Troll for sure |