Collaboration among general education teachers and special education teachers - Book Report/Review Example

Collaboration amongst general education teachers and special education teachers must be developed in light of the increasing number of special students attending general education classes, but special educators need to determine the extent of collaboration. However, they comprise of referring and care to the general learning tutors and para-educators, plus direct and indirect services to students. General educators should take advantage of the resourcefulness of the special education teachers and other related service providers and paraprofessionals on how to work with students with special needs in an integrated classroom. Every special educator has a unique task to provide information in order to guide general educators on how to teach students in an integrated classroom. They should purely perform functions related to enabling special students fit in an integrated classroom and avoid technicalities such as preparing lesson plans. However, special educators might assist general educators with the IEP or probably customize each for a particular situation. Dover (2005) suggests twenty ways to consult and support students with special needs in inclusive classrooms the essay below shall explore each of the suggestions to understand the concept deeply, the twenty ways are spelt out below: The first way, the author points out that there should be written schedules, under it, the special educators should design a work plan noting important issues such as lunch break times, arrival and departure times of the teachers they are collaborating with. This acts as a guide when locating other assistants such as the paraeducators. Secondly, the special educator should meet with others to review key student program information, this is crucial as it assist the special educator together with other stakeholders in reviewing and developing IEP to suit the unique demographic needs of the special students in the class room. Third, personalization key student information should be given priority, as it goes a long way in customization of IEP goals selectively for every student and it must cater for a personal need including accommodation and modifications. Fourth, the special educator should inquire from the general teachers and paraeducators specific question rather than general question about the students. Monitoring each individual student and the facet of their studentship by inquiring from teachers and paraeducators specifics details of the student life how they are performing regarding classroom activities and class expectations. Fifth, the special teacher should listen to the experiences, needs and concerns of teachers and paraeducators, sharing of information amongst the professionals helps in providing the best service to the students. Sixth, the special educator should dig deeper and try to determine precisely, how the teachers are employing their instructions to the students. Seventh, the special education teacher should strengthen and support classroom teacher and paraeducators cooperation, by giving out best practices suggestions. Eighth, it is important that they review student work together, by doing so; they brainstorm over performances, analyses, additional support, instructions and accommodation and develop possible interventions. Ninth, classrooms and instructional materials should be reviewed, and when possible offer suggestion on the best materials or tools to used when providing instructions to the students. Tenth, the special educator should appraise materials that are to be used for testing and assessing the students, and if not appropriate, they should offer modifications and suggestions for upgrade. They should also spearhead in assisting study aids and guides that are necessary for the students. Plans may be necessary for the special education teacher to help, such as scheduling a time for the student to come to a resource room to have a test read aloud or answers written by a scribe. Eleventh, they should guide the teachers in prioritizing instructional goals. From time to time teachers may require advice and support in carrying out specific lesson or unit objectives or when reviewing them in the order of importance to the students. Twelfth, the author suggests that if the special educator notices that some may be receiving minimal special assistance, they need to be pulled aside for individual conferencing and delivery of the necessary messages. Such students, the authors prefer at least once every two weeks conferencing; thirteenth, the author proposes, that the special educators need to acquire and distribute business cards with tangible numbers to both the students and teachers. This is in order to be easily contacted and to let them know one’s location. Fourteenth, identify weak students, thereafter increase, and intensify student support time; alternatively, the student may temporarily be given increased tests, assignments, and involving them occasionally within the precincts of the resource room. Fifteenth, the special educator should take time and perform an observation in the inclusive class, to determine their behavior and performance therein. Sixteenth, they must take cognizance of the classroom environment, critically analyzing the instructional materials in the classroom, the procedures and expectation in a bid to develop documentation and in depth understanding of the academic environment and its suitability to the students with special needs. The following needs to be appraised; class groups, books, computers, rooms, reading and writing culture development, assignments and home works. Seventeenth, the special educator, should not only act in the periphery, but should also offer direct assistance to the teachers. Eighteenth, the author suggest, that the special educator can occasionally, replace the paraeducator involved in direct support to an inclusive classroom. Predicting that such a move would enable the special educator to gain direct information about the students and the class and this enhances better services to the students and the teacher. Nineteenth, they should take time and observe how the paraeducators are performing their duties, citing lunch times and in the community. Additionally, they should offer commendations, comments, and recommendations to the paraeducators, or the teachers working with them, aimed at increasing paraeducator effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, the special educator must conduct interviews and provide teachers and paraeducators them with basic forms such as progress sheets. Asserting that the essence of consultation is not to put those forms in the box or mailing them and the surest way of getting sufficient feedback is through a face-to-face consultation. Conclusion The article provides a comprehensive suggestion to the specialized educators with a one stop twenty ways in which to approach the complicated nature in consulting and supporting general teachers in inclusive classrooms. The twenty ways are exhaustive and accommodate diverse circumstances that might arise, however, more research must be undertaken to include every frontier not covered in this manual. The ways range include ways in which the special educator can offer an in classroom assistance to actual monitoring of the progress of the students. The ways also aid in providing a general classroom teacher to teach confidently an inclusive class with both regular students and those with specialized needs. Reference Dover, W, F. (2005). 20 ways to consult and support students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Intervention In School and Clinic. 40(1), 32-35. Read More