“I have 32 students in my math class and 10 of them have IEPs (Individual Education Plans) and 5 are ELL (English Language Learner) students,” Alex said grabbing a cup of day old coffee from the coffeemaker.
“Well, it could be worse Alex,” Joe said grinning as he waited for her to sip the rancid coffee.”
“Worse than what,” Alex exclaimed as she sipped on the coffee. “Ugh, this coffee is gross,” she said as she tossed the contents of the cup into the sink.
“Worse than that day old coffee for starters,” Joe said laughing out loud.
As the field of special education continues to diversify the instruction it offers to students with special needs in the classroom, the conversations in the teacher’s lounge on instructional strategies for students in Special Education will continue to be “worse than that day old coffee for starters.” The current legislation and reauthorization of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) will continue to direct and inform teachers and school communities on the expectations of educational equity and access for students with special needs, as teachers struggle with diversifying instruction in the classroom.
In order to maximize the educational experience for students with special needs, educators must create an optimal learning environment that includes instructional strategies and implementation that are inclusive of the academic needs of students who must have differentiated instruction in order to thrive and access the challenges and rigors of academic coursework in mainstream classrooms. The day old coffee might be the bright spot in teachers' lounges if teachers are left trying to provide instruction in the classroom for students with special needs without professional intervention.
In Part II, defining students with special needs will open the door to professional development for mainstream teachers needing to understand all students and their academic needs. By understanding students with special needs, teachers can effectively plan collaboratively on ways to differentiate their instruction and teach children with special needs in their classrooms. The bright spot in the teacher’s lounge must begin and end with conversations on strategies to address and remediate the issue of instruction for students in special education.
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