Name:
School:
Course:
Lecturer:
Date:
Field Experience 5 Observation/Interview
The importance of collaboration between general and special education teachers is purely because the two share a common mission: that all students should receive high standards in learning. I learned this from two teachers I interviewed, who informed me of the efforts in different states to make sure that their education systems have been restructured to provide better student results. As much as it is a legal requirement for schools to provide quality education, the teachers have a passion for giving it, ensuring that all students do well. Students with disabilities are given justified special treatment by the government that ensures they get an opportunity to achieve similar results as other general education students.
The use of strategies to facilitate integration into various settings
The teachers informed me that in the current system of education, a lot of decision-making is left upon the teacher and that the teacher maintains high degrees of autonomy. However, teachers apply strategies that make the collaboration and integration effective. They work hand in hand with the school administrators to achieve this. The strategies used start by reviewing the performance tasks, standards and demands of the curriculum. The team formed between the general and special education teachers highlights the standards that the students will face. The team then holds a discussion on the learning needs of the students and the availability of resources. This is in order to discuss the specific needs concerning placement of the students. In this stage, modifications are also discussed.
The accommodations required for the students are then decided upon and the implementation procedures discussed. Here, both teachers explore creatively what changes the students are likely to encounter and what changes shall be implemented to allow them to participate better in receiving instructions. The teachers informed me that the students are then monitored and adjustments made where necessary while still providing feedback. This is to determine who will be charged with the responsibility of monitoring how effective the accommodation process is. The students are then evaluated using the set criteria. This is to set targets and guidelines on evaluation of students.
How they select, adapt, and use instructional strategies and materials according to characteristics of the individual with exceptional learning needs
I learned that students with special needs have different needs. These diverse needs have to be catered for individually if the student is to perform well. The teachers informed me that students are first placed in a collective classroom. Here, different assessments are given. The results of these assessments help teachers in determining what strengths and weaknesses each student has. There are also predetermined categories where students with different unique sets of strengths and weaknesses are placed in different classrooms. In each classroom, students get different kinds of training and curriculum to improve their special needs up to the required standards. Students are however trained in one classroom occasionally to improve their participation and individualism.
How they use strategies to facilitate maintenance and generalization of skills across learning environments
Here students are exposed to different conditions like in the example above. After the exposure, different special skills that they possess are noted. The skills are then nurtured individually in programs where predetermined groups are formed and at the same time, the students are placed together in a classroom in order to promote cooperation and diversification in terms of the special abilities each student has. They get to help one another in areas where they have unique weaknesses and strengths. This in turn promotes maintenance and nurturing of a student’s strengths and skills and the learning of new ones from other students.
How they establish and maintain rapport with individuals with and without exceptional learning needs
Rapport between student and teacher is maintained quite easily as I observed in the lessons I sat in. Students, once separated into their several groups (those that need special attention and those that do not), are given teachers proficient in different skills. The instructors or teachers concentrate on each student including learning their names and referring to them by their names during class hours. This is one of the major ways that they build and maintain rapport in the classroom, just as they were taught in teaching schools. The teachers establish a knowledge of their students in terms of what needs they have, for both special needs students and the general education students. Here, the teachers can identify the student by their weakness and plan on a strategy to help them improve. This is another way teachers go about building and maintaining rapport with both types of students.
How they design and manage daily routines
The design and management of daily routines is often done through teaching schemes. These are plans that the teachers make at the beginning of the school semester where they plan what to teach in each lesson until the semester ends. The schemes have detailed outlines on what the students should have learnt by the end of the lesson, how to find out what they have learnt or acquired, and when assessments will be done of the covered topics. The classes, both special and general have curricula, which act as a guide that teachers use to plan the coverage of their lesson to fit the educational period. The schemes are highly detailed and through them, hardly any topic or requirement is left uncovered.
How they reflect on one’s practice to improve instruction and guide professional growth
The teachers take refresher courses and from time to time go back to special schools to cover new ways and strategies to teach. Rotation is also done to improve diversification of the teachers as well as improve specialization, as teachers and school administrations shall identify which teachers are strong in what areas. This makes it easy to assign roles and duties to the teachers.
How they collaborate with school personnel and community members in integrating individuals with exceptional learning needs into various settings
School personnel and members of the community are charged with, among other roles, that of identifying students who require special attention. After this is done, teachers take over and perform the tasks highlighted above. Teachers also collaborate with school personnel and community members to ensure that once the students leave the school setting, their extra-curricular activities are catered for by these individuals. Community theatres, sports clubs, art clubs, among others are some of the facilities that teachers collaborate with to ensure maximum tapping of the student’s skill, talent and interests.
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]