What must regular teachers know about special education in order to benefit main-steamed and regular students?

Answer 1

1. Know what areas the child is working on in the spec. ed. room. (be aware of the goals) ***If a child is working on captializing and using punctuation, do not take off points, until he or she has worked with the special ed. teacher on this goal.

2 . Know what modifications you are expected to make in the classroom, and if you can have some assistance from the special ed. teacher. (example: they may get more time to complete assignments, they might need tests read to them, or a word box instead of "cloze" activities)
THESE MUST BE UTILIZED OR YOU ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE. you don't want a parent coming to you and saying "are you making modifications?" and you not have a clue what is expected of you.

3. Be aware if the child is supposed to be on a checklist for behaviors. (get with the sped. teacher to find out.)

4. If the child is struggling..know who is the child's case manager and let them know what you are seeing and try to work together to solve the problem.

5. It would also be a good idea to get a list of strategies that have worked with this student in the past.

. I have taught on both sides. When a different child sees modifications being made and says that's not fair.... Tell them you would be glad to discuss it at recess, before school or after school anytime. They won't come looking for an explaination.

Best of luck!!

Answer 2

I think a person with autism might be better suited to answer this question than a teacher would. First, sorry, but where in the heck are you teaching school? It is nonsense to me that if you have a high functioning AS student that unless they have extremely huge modifications; in a way to such that they can't be left without a good level of support, then they should be getting a regular high school diploma. I just graduated high school in Colorado with a regular diploma and am a very high functioning student. In my area the only kids that receive a certificate of completion instead of a diploma are extensive needs students. Let me define just what extensive needs students are. These are kids who are purely mentally retarded. Most of these kids have never talked and never will because they have more than just autism. These are the kids that have Cystic Fibrosis, Down Syndrome, etc. They are in a condition so terminal that they have adults constantly surronding them, pushing them in wheelchairs, feeding them at lunchtime, etc. I have accomodations and modifications just like every student ranging from extensive needs, to moderate needs (my area), or mild needs (kids who have social disorders, ADD, ADHD, etc.) I was in mainstream classes for over 65% of my days. Unlike other kids I don't have modifications that allow me to just drop a class and go into the resource level. I actually have to show that there is a significant problem. I do not have a paraprofessional that follows me to class and writes down my assigments for me. I take my own notes, do the assignments, etc. This is how it should work in most areas. Sorry but you are teaching in a bad area that obviously does not know disabled students very well. Tell the teachers to learn kids better.

Answer 3

Regular teacher first must take a course on Sp.Ed. They must have a lot of patience and should know have to modify the curriculum to suit the kids with special needs. But I think it is difficult, because the regular ed. teacher has 28 odd kids in the class...with about 3 or 4 sp.ed. kids.

Answer 4

That's a complicated question. Most teachers haven't had any training in college--or later training--in dealing with the needs of diabled students--and it is generally not a reqired part of their own education.

The basic thing teacchers need to realize is that, unless there is a severe cognitive/intellectual impairment, students with disabilities can--and should be expected to--perform as well as other children, provided they have appropriate accomodations. Unfortunately most teachers (often unwittingly) share our cultural images of the disabled and have low expectations of these students. And that is the single biggest problem these students have--the enter the school every day in a setting where they are expected to fail--and all too often that becomes a self-fufillling prophecy.

Answer 5

They must know when they need help and that seems implicit in the question. To help the regular students, i.e., those without disabillities; they must know that their time for instruction to them will be taken, to some variant degree, depending on the time-intensiveness of the IEP or IEP's of the children with disabilities who are mainstreamed in their class. That knowledge of time management for the teacher must be sensitive so that the teacher knows when he/she needs additional help to deliver appropriate instruction to his/her students with and without disabilities. He/She should be quick to ask for help in the delivery of instruction, such as asking, as needed, for an included special education teacher, aide, "shadow," knowledgeable volunteers, O.T., P.T., S.T., other related services personnel, administrative help, parent help and others.
He/She should have good instructive knowledge as to how the specific disability(ies) impact(s) the unique child in his or her receipt and expression of education. That knowledge will be gained by study, by in-service work, and by consultation with specialized personnel and parents. In summary, none of the children in the class should be prejudiced in the receipt of instruction, and that will take the teacher's monitoring of his/her time and capabilities and asking for help with the work load objective.

Answer 6

they need to understand the child's IEP plan and follow it. Some teachers don't understand a child's IEP plan, and others don't care. This is a federal legal document and it MUST be followed.

Answer 7

how stimatizing the mainstream is and that it fails, because of top down administrative abuse, no one really escapes the acute angle of hard place and a rocks unless they suck