Special Education - Student Teacher

[Christine Southard]

This semester I'm a cooperating teacher for a special education major. Even though she will be dual-certified in elementary and special education, her ultimate goal is to graduate and be a special education teacher. What advice do you have for her and what interesting experiences in A.T. do you think I should provide for her during her placement? I'm going to start by inviting her to this ning.

[MagiD]

I think that one of the most important things I learned was that its okay to ask for help. Its very difficult, a lot of the time, to be a new special education teacher, especially in this age of testing. It is also important to learn what kind of classroom you want to work in, and the type of students you want to work with. I truly believe that there are some teachers that are fantastic teachers for students with the "high incidence" disabilities, and those that are better at working with low-incidence disabilities. This isn't to say that a teacher can't cross over, and move back & forth, because I've certainly done that. I do know that I've been happier when I can do some type of functional academics, and encourage the synthesis and use of the skills that I'm teaching. I can and do work with students with learning disabilities, although in the past I haven't really cared for that position (not the kids, but what the job required in terms of test prep and pacing guides). This year has changed that a bit, but I'm working with the students 1 on 1, and that gives me more flexibility & freedom to set up a relationship.

I also think that for AT, the most important thing to look for are the already available tools, and how to use those tools to her advantage. I've developed a lot of tricks over the years, including saving configurations that work for material design as templates. The templates mean that I can usually create an activity in 25-30 minutes or less. If money permits, having access to the non-free/not as easily available tools is important as well.
Finally, I think that joining a professional organization is important: I am able to access information and material via the Council for Exceptional Children journals and magazines I receive, and it has also helped me realize that I'm not the only teacher out there that has the idea that we can embed academics into functional skills. For years, I truly thought I was the only one doing this. This idea was reinforced by parents of students who hadn't ever seen work like I did with the students.
Last bit: the principal and administrative team set the tone of the your building. If your school has a high amount of turnover, you might want to look elsewhere. Good principals can be hard to find.

[Brian Wojcik]

It is great that you are guiding your student teacher to this ning! I hope that it is a valuable resource for her...

IMHO, one of the most important experiences I think student teachers needs is to learn about how AT decisions need to be made using data. In this era of school accountability and objective decision making, the use of data is a must. Specifically, data should be used in answering the following questions:
1. Is AT needed?
2. Is the chosen AT effective?
3. Is AT still needed over time?
4. Is the chosen AT still effective over time?
5. Are there any 'side effects' in using AT?

Just some thoughts...