Final Case Study

This week was really just the Final Exam Case Study about Alex. We all worked together through a google doc and texting. It was interesting to see the different perspectives that we each had. We all had pretty much the same opinion, but for different reasons. This was a really hard Case Study for me because there wasn’t a lot of information. We were asked to make decisions based off of observations and tests we weren’t able to run. I think that teachers are often expected to decide absolutes without the needed information! I need to learn how to deal with this and explain to people why I can’t tell them the exact issue right away. The teacher needs to be the peacemaker J

Serious Simulations

This week was full of simulations! I did them all in two days which was good and bad. Good because it helped me to have more empathy for people with these different disabilities. It was bad because each of these experiences were more emotional than I anticipated and that’s a lot of emotions for two days.

Hours in a wheelchair: I was not too nervous about the wheelchair simulation, I just didn’t know WHAT I would do for 3 hours! Basically, anything in a wheelchair takes FOREVER so it really wasn’t an issue. One of the activities we had to do was get from the wheelchair to the toilet and back to the wheelchair by ourselves and without help. I did it and it wasn’t too hard, but I didn’t actually use the restroom! I literally don’t know how they do it. Also you would think that going down the hill would be the easy part of the hills on campus. Well going down the hill was terrifying. I couldn’t slow down and was SURE I would crash. My hands had a rug burn type thing on them by the time I got to the MC and I wasn’t sure how I would ever make it back up the hill. As I first wheeled out of the building I needed to zip up my jacket. Usually I zip it up as I walk out, but in a wheelchair both hands were busy. As soon as I was out of the building I was on a hill. I couldn’t even stop to zip up my jacket so I nearly froze to death!! I didn’t have to attend class in the wheelchair, but I thought about the classrooms on campus, they are not very wheelchair friendly! I imagine that if I had to go to class in a wheelchair I would be physically forced to sit in the desk closest to the door because I wouldn’t be able to navigate the room. This is definitely something to think about when I have and organize my own classroom.

Stuttering in Walmart: I was SO SO SO nervous to do this. I just asked if they had paper plates and if they had Christmas ones and where they were located. (She told me wrong…) When I was done I still had a super nervous feeling. I imagined how student feel when they actually have a stutter and have to give a speech or are just nervous to talk to someone. I can’t even imagine! I want to be very aware of my students and their fears and help them not to be scared when possible.

Learning Disability in Walmart: This was a simulation that I probably didn’t learn as much from because I anticipated it SO MUCH. I had been thinking about it for weeks and new exactly what I was going to ask so it actually came out pretty smooth. It honestly spent hours thinking about it, I am sure it’s a lot harder when you haven’t thought it through a MILLION times.

Hours in a mask: This activity was different than I thought it would be! I was pretty much nonfunctional, until I wore the mask with the bigger holes. I decided to watch a show that I had never seen before to see what it’s like taking information in with a visual impairment. I couldn’t understand half the show…. I couldn’t see well enough to read their lips and was reminded how much I rely on my eyes to hear! My roommate had to get everything set up because I couldn’t see well enough to do it. I also found that my eyes were SO TIRED. I just wanted to take a nap. I also got a bit of vertigo because I had to move my head around SO MUCH just to see the little I was able to see. If I have a visually impaired student in my class I will assign another student or two that will be in charge of helping them with the little things like getting up and getting glue. I want them to be able to focus on LEARNING. 

Real World Application

I was a sub in a middle school math class this week. I had already dealt with a lot that day. Sending kids to the principal’s office, toys being thrown around the room, cheating, and a LOT of tattling. When one boy walked up to my desk I thought I was prepared for anything. He said “I was diagnosed with diabetes last week and my eyes are doing weird things. Is that a 6?” I was NOT prepared for this. My first reaction was instant heartbreak. I know how difficult it can be to live with diabetes and especially at such a young age. I even had a kid in my high school who died from diabetes complications. My next emotion was relief that he wasn’t tattling or asking me to give him answers. After that y teacher instincts kicked in and I made some accommodations. I re-wrote all the small letters so he could read them. It took a few minutes, but it was totally doable. I had to do it for him a few times through the class period and he was so grateful every time. This experience was the perfect reminder that it is worth it to make accommodations. 

Helping Kids Help Themselves

This week we read all about strategies for independent learning. The chapter included four main sections: 1. Encouraging Student self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination. 2. Teaching independent learning strategies in class. 3. How students learn to use strategies independently. 4. Examples of Successful learning strategies.

I appreciated that it taught not just what the strategies are, but how to use them. Teaching the strategies in a classroom is important because the student need to be able to learn for themselves. They should be able to learn many thing from a textbook without the help of a teacher. Teachers are an important resource, but they won’t always have a teacher in life. Someday they will have to learn on their own. 

No cutting Corners

This week we went back to a case study from a few weeks ago. We had previously made an IEP for Nathan, a boy who struggled with reading and comprehension as well as staying focused and not being distracted in class. We were given three different assignments to make accommodations for him. As we were writing out the accommodations they sounded pretty solid and like they had enough detail. But then I thought about it for a moment and how it would actually play out. If we did EXACTLY what we put on the paper, would he really learn? Would it really go smoothly? Would it take too much time? So, then we took a step back and re-evaluated the situation. We considered all the different aspects of the classroom and how we were going to make thing work for Nathan AND the rest of the whole class. We added a lot more detail to the instructions and felt good about the changes. We are confident that if we gave our list of accommodations to a teacher, it would really work in a classroom.

What this experience taught me is that we can’t cut corners. It doesn’t work in any type of lesson plan, and it surely doesn’t work when making accommodations for a student with special needs. There is no easy way out for a teacher, that is life and I need to realize/accept that. I think every teacher must feel a piece of the pure love of Christ to deal with what they deal with and keep going in their job. 

Sometimes you’re just thrown into cold water

This week was insane. I ended up having three times as much work to do as normal and I was completely overwhelmed. We also suddenly had an exam that we had not prepared for AT ALL! And to top it off, I got sick. REAL SICK. I ended up cancelling two different day trips and had to skip my usual Jr. High tutoring, which I LOVE! I slept a lot and worked little. By some miracle I still got everything done… God is real people. And miracles do happen!

For the exam, we had to write three different essays. One was what you would say in an IEP, another was how to teach about collaboration, and the last one was an outline for a special needs curriculum in the stake. These were all really good essays to write and our team came together perfectly! Nell and I ended up doing the bulk of the IEP “script.” Our role was a regular ed teacher who was asked to join the IEP meeting, her first IEP meeting. I realized that I could very well be that person in real life someday. I will someday have to attend my first IEP meeting and figure out what to say! This exam helped me to have a little glimpse of what it will be like. I will be thrown into cold water, and hopefully I can perform well. 

Case Study Fun

What I loved the most this week was the case study. It was really organized so I didn’t have to stress about just figuring out what was expected of me. I also liked that I did an assignment on my own, then together with my group. 
It was interesting to see what ideas we had that were the same and which ones were different. I loved thinking of how we could help Mark without sending him to a different classroom. We came up with some really great ideas as a group that I would feel confident suggesting in a real-life situation. This case study experience helped me to not be so nervous in the future when this is something I really have to deal with as a teacher

Accommodations on tests, they ARE fair

As a student who didn't need any special help in school, I never appreciated students getting accommodations on tests. As an "average" student I thought “well I would do better if someone helped me understand the question before I had to answer it to!” I was pretty selfish and closed minded. But then as I was reading our textbook I came across this line: “Be sure to give students with disabilities accommodations on tests. Otherwise you may be measuring the disability rather than the ability.” This hit me and it clicked right away. If we don’t give students the accommodations they need, we can’t see what they’ve learned in that subject! If students struggle to read and we don’t help them on a history test, they could fail just because they can’t understand the questions, even if they know ALL about history. I have been humbled and my opinion has been changed. I now see why we need to give some people special accommodations on test and assignments, and it IS fair. 

Hearing impairments and a Case Study

This week we finished up our hearing impairments project. This ended up being a really neat project for me because I had three personal connections. My grandpa is an audiologist so he has given me some info about cochlear implants that I couldn’t have found on the internet. I also happened to make a new friend less than a week ago who has a deaf daughter! She shared some personal experiences that heped me to realize just how much of a difference tools and accommodations make in the lives of people with hearing impairments. I have another friend whose son went through cancer treatments when he was just two years old. He suffered hearing loss early on and now wears hearing aids at age 5. They are hoping to get him into a trial for a stem cell treatment to treat hearing loss. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I was assigned hearing impairments as my disability project.

We acted out a case study about a boy named Nathan. I played his mother and was a bit defensive about him needing special education. This was a really neat experience because I really felt like his mother! I think I really felt what the mother felt. I didn’t want him labeled, but I also wanted what was the very best for my son. These role plays really help me to understand how the parents and teachers feel when they are working with students who may have special needs.

This is me "playing" Nathan's Mom

Classroom Organization, more Important than you Think.

In my ED243 class we talked a lot about classroom organization. Some said it's a big deal, while others explained that it doesn't matter as much as the teaching. I always thought it was important just to keep the class organized and running smoothly, but this week I realized it is much more than that.

There are 5 different aspects of classroom organization.
1. Physical Organization
2. Routines for classroom business
3. Classroom Climate
4. Behavior Management
5. Use of Time

The biggest realization I made was as I was studying the physical organization section. The physical organization of a classroom affects students with hearing impairments, visual impairments, students in wheelchairs, etc. Even the height of the desk is important, too tall for wheel chairs and too low for prostheses. This is something that would need to be addressed individually.

It's important to think about what students are next to in the classroom. or example a child may be distracted if they have a clear shot through the window to the playground. He won't be able to focus on his math while he can see his friends playing on the playground outside.

The organization of classrooms is a much bigger deal than I ever realized, how about you?

IEP's for all?

This week I watched a video that explained how IEP's work and how they get put together in meetings. It was actually a really good video and something I've been interested in since high school. I appreciated the emphasis on the family's perspective, input, and inclusion. I was impressed by how many things were covered in the meeting and the details that were specified.

BUT, I am never happy with just one side.

How come we don't have IEPs for talented and gifted kids? If an IEP is "a promise to parents that we know your child and want to help them learn" does that mean we don't want to help the gifted children learn? There are no laws protecting the gifted children, so what can I do to help them? I think I need to get more training on talented and gifted children and programs so I can help my own class and other teachers. I just need to take things into my own hands.

As a group we studied and acted out a case for a young boy named Garrett. He is parlayed and needs a lot of help during the day, but his mental capacities are normal. This was interesting because we knew the outcome so we really just analyzed WHY they came to that conclusion. It took a while, but I think I agree with the conclusion. I agree that the school should take financial responsibility for Garrett's needs while he is at school. Going through this case made me realize that these are the types of things I may face as a teacher. I may be part of the decision making process and I need to get ready for that!

A change of heart after one day of tutoring

I am currently taking a class called math tutoring. I go to the Jr. High once a week and tutor in two different math classes. What is unique about these classes are that most of these students struggle. They have failed a math class, struggled with math, etc. and probably don't want to be there. I don't know any specific disabilities or special needs these students have, but I am sure there is some ADHD and learning disabilities in there.

My first day of class I had students yelling, tipping chairs, and even a book (accidentally) thrown at the wall putting a dent in it. I felt like I was on a movie titled "9th Grade Class Clown." But you know what? I fell in love with that class. I fell in love with the obnoxious kid who couldn't sit still and called the teacher "teach" every few minutes with a sucker in his mouth. I fell in love with the loud kid who wouldn't stay seated in his wheelchair and gave me a few heart attacks when he almost tipped himself over. I fell in love with the student who didn't want to do his work but would do 5 problems just to hear "something exciting" like what boy I went to school with that played for the Oregon Ducks.
This was the "worst" class I had ever stepped foot into, but they stole my heart completely.

Background: I have always done ok in school. I never had any serious struggles and I was technically a "talented and gifted" student. That title never did much or helped me reach my full potential and as a college student I have had moments of bitterness because of it. As a TAG student myself, and as an aunt to a baby genius, I am VERY concerned about the talented and gifted children. I never took a special interest in the *academic side of students with special needs because I didn't have any personal connection. As I read this week I even felt a little anger that it seems almost every kind of disability qualifies for special education by law, but gifted students were lucky if their school/district happened to make it a priority because they don't HAVE TO. The low level learners got so much attention and made such huge improvements, I think I was jealous.

But my heart has changed. That crazy class of Junior High kids has changed my heart. What if they had more help in elementary school, would they be so behind now? If I don't help them now, will they "slide through" another math class and never really learn? Do thy have problems I don't even know about? Are things rough at home? Could we be helping them more? SHOULD we be helping them more, by law?

Suddenly I care so much about these students that I felt disdain towards before. I am beginning to understand the passion people have for special education.





*I did put on a regional special needs dance 3 years in a row in high school. But I was more worried about them having fun, feeling loved, and being accepted than I was about them learning anything academic.

Inclusion and Love

After reading the articles and creating my philosophy statement, I am thinking a lot more about inclusion. How do I really feel about inclusion? What do I really believe is right? Here are a few thoughts I have been able to put together:
1. Inclusion=love. Including people is one way to show them love, it is a Christlike way to show people love. 
2. I don't have a strong opinion on inclusion in a classroom. YET. I think some inclusion is important, but I also think sometimes it hurts the special needs students more than helps them. I am still working to decide when I think each case exists. I am excited for this class to help me create that opinion and belief. 
3. Everyone can and should learn. Everyone learns differently, but they all learn. As teachers it is important to help students learn how to learn, because some really don't know how. We need to teach them to recognize when they have learned, this will be a motivator for more learning. 
4. There are different types of inclusion issues. It's not always a handicap child that you are working to decide "what to do with them." For example, I taught a 4th grade class this week. There was a note that said "Watch out for Johnny, he will want to constantly cut and draw, tell him he needs to get his work done first. If he is struggling, send him to the class next door." By the time I got there that day they had figured things out. He was in the office doing his work, and brought it down to the classroom near the end of the day. This is what worked for him and his class. He may have had ADHD or something of that sort, but I couldn't tell in the few minutes I spent talking with him. We didn't have any specials that day, so I don't know how that worked with him, but it just opened up my eyes to the fact that there are so many different types of inclusion issues. I think I only ever thought about including children with handicaps. 

I am looking forward to learning more and especially hearing other people's thoughts and opinions. The things we discuss in here are BIG issues in schools today and we NEED to have opinions and plans.