Special Ed Teacher: Why I Feel Uncomfortable Being Called a Saint

I have now been working as a Special Education Teacher in a sub-separate classroom for two months.  I am loving every second of my job; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  But as I've been talking with a variety of people about my job, the population of students I work with, and the challenges I face daily their response (both educator and non-educator alike) is, "Wow, you're a saint."

Really?!

While my daily routine and student challenges might not be the same as a high school math teacher, or a middle school art teacher, they are just the challenges that come with my job.  Every teacher faces challenges each day working with students regardless of the discipline.  As far as I'm concerned, a high school Math teacher is a saint for teaching Algebra 2 to students who would rather do ANYTHING else than learn math.  Or a high school music teacher who has a band or chorus class with 60+ high energy students whose sole raison d'être is to make noise! (really though, have you met band kids?)

I am not saying my job is easy, or that there aren't days where I, too, wonder how I made it through the day, but please withhold the canonization ceremony until you look at the other candidates, some of whom might be in your mirror every morning (I'm talking to you, fellow teachers).

-MB

5 Things I Never Thought About Being a First Year Teacher

Welcome to Columbus Day weekend, the first respite for teachers a little over one month into the school year.  As a first year teacher in a substantially separate special education program I have already learned so much, discovered how little I was prepared for, and have set my sights on achieving so much by the time my students leave for the Thanksgiving break in 2 months.  Reaching this first milestone seemed like a good time to re-ignite the reflective nature of this blog and post about what I've learned that they DIDN'T tell me about in college.

1. Young does not equal inexperienced: As a new teacher you have to ask questions, get advice from more experienced teachers, but also be confident that what you know is useful, you didn't spend 4+ years in college studying this stuff for nothing.  Take the skills and run with them!

2. Ask lots of questions, but not too many: Don't be afraid to ask questions of administrators, veteran teachers, other new teachers, secretaries (keepers of all knowledge), etc.  Try, however, to find answers on your own first, and when asking questions, don't always go to the same person for an answer, there are plenty of people to build relationships with, ask them all.

3. Contact parents early and often: This is more applicable in the special education setting, however, it can be done in various ways in a general education setting.  Sending home weekly emails about student progress, both positive and negative shows parents that you care, that you have their child's best interest in mind, which goes a long way when issues arise.  Parents can be your best advocate or your biggest critic, make sure they bat on your team.

4. Eat lunch with your colleagues: The social environment in a school provides great opportunities for teachers to let go, relax, and re-energize.  Nothing is better than lunch.  Perfect mid-day vent sessions, counseling sessions, advice giving sessions.  Eat lunch with a group of like-minded teachers to keep you going throughout the day / week / year

5. Laugh with your students: Building a rapport with your students is a must!  Sure there's more to teach than there's time for, and some students are so behind you're not sure they'll every catch up.  And there's the students with behavior issues.  But if you spend a little time each day getting to know them, making them laugh, it goes a long way to creating a positive learning environment. (not to mention eliminating the majority of behavior problems!)

-MB

Co-teaching: Is It Working for You?

Generally when people think of co-teaching the first thing that comes to mind is really called "Team-Teaching" where two educators work together in similar roles to provide comprehensive and differentiated instruction to a class of students.  This is the ideal in an inclusion classroom where varying approaches can help meet the needs of students on IEPs.  However, there are also other forms of co-teaching that can be effective in certain situations.

In some cases, especially in a classroom where the ability range is not drastic but there are a couple students with additional needs, a complimentary approach might be best.  This is where one teacher takes the lead role and the other provides supplementary aides for the students who need it such as additional notes or re-wording instructions/questions.  And there are a variety of other co-teaching strategies in between.

However, there are a number of things that are simply not co-teaching.  For example, just having two bodies in the room does not constitute co-teaching unless both are actively engaged in the course material and are consistently and continuously providing support for students.  Also, having someone in the room is only effective if they know the course material enough to provide the supports needed for students.  Co-teaching is most effective when both teachers can work off each other and know the make-up of the classroom to provide a safe and structured learning environment.

Image - teachingdreaminglearning.blogspot.com

If your school has co-taught classrooms ask yourself these questions and determine if your the structure needs tweaking in order to be most effective for the student population you serve:

1. Are the needs of all students in the classroom being met?
2. Do both teachers feel they are being effective aids to students in the class?
3. Do the teachers communicate effectively with one another to lay out a plan for the day's lesson?
4. Could each teacher effectively implement the lesson alone?
5. Do both teachers know the needs of all students on IEPs?

If the answer to one or more of these questions is NO then it might be beneficial to sit down and determine what needs to be added or changed to the co-teaching plan to make it an effective system for your classroom.  Co-teaching works (multiple studies have shown significant improvements in learning) however as with all teaching, there is a continuum and more effective co-teaching has better results.

-MB

For more information about effective co-teaching search for articles by Marylin Friend and Lynne Cook

The Art of the Special Ed Paraprofessional

Note: As I sat down to write this blog post I realized that I had to clarify the misnomer that is my blog title.  Currently, I am not working as a history teacher but as a special education paraprofessional in a high school while completing my Masters program.

Most people in the education world know (or think they know) what a paraprofessional is doing as they travel from class to class either exclusively with one student, or with a cohort of students who need additional assistance at school.  However, in one month of work I have learned a few things I didn't know that could make all the difference in being successful.

The first is that if you're working exclusively with one student as a 1:1 aide, your relationship with that student is essential for the success of that student.  They need to know that you care, that you're confident in their ability to achieve great things, and that they can trust you to help them when they need it.  I would go as far as to say trust is the most important part of being a 1:1.  The moment that the student believes you will do everything in your power to help them be successful, you're on your way to a smooth year.

But there's another piece that is equally important and also follows the principle of trust.  The relationships between the para and the classroom teachers are critical.  The teachers need to know and understand that you are there to help the child succeed within the parameters of the class.  You can provide additional assistance on classwork, help the student with strategies to study for an exam, and most important, keep the student on task and paying attention.  Para's should engage in regular conversation with teachers before or after class or the school day to make sure they're on the same page with the plan for success.  Get a rundown of the game-plan for a lesson so you will know when and where your student might need your help and you can prepare for it in advance.  Teacher's appreciate knowing that you care and that you're assisting the student, not simply doing the work for them.  Also, don't be a distraction in class.  While you're clearly not invisible, and most students aren't given extra help silently, it is best to be discreet and at the same time if you're able to help other students around you, it can't hurt to use the extra adult presence in the classroom to help maintain order and keep all students on task.

My job also gives me the opportunity to work in a classroom as an aide for a large contingent of students who have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).  Communication between the teacher and para is even more critical in this environment because you're not tied to one student, but really to all of the students in the classroom.  In a high school classroom, you don't often see all of the students with IEPs hanging out in one corner screaming "we're over here and yes we need your assistance."  Instead, one of the great successes of inclusive education is that they're dispersed among their peers.  In this environment, the best tactics that I've observed/used are using almost a co-teaching method.  While your ultimate purpose is to be an additional support to those key students, you're also helping out with anyone who might have a question.  The teacher is up front, leads the lesson, gives instruction and begins to walk around while the students engage in the activity, the para then kicks into action and can help any and all students complete and achieve the daily goals.  Don't single out the students with special needs, they feel enough pressure as it is.

Again, creating a bond with each student so they feel your job is to help them succeed is the best way to achieve success as a paraprofessional.

-MB

P.S. If you're a general education teacher, don't hesitate to ask the para their opinion about differentiating the lesson, or adapting a project to meet the needs on the IEP.  Hopefully they have enough experience either with that specific student or in special ed in general to help create a successful plan.  Engage them to help create a positive atmosphere in the classroom, they'll appreciate it.