Lately, I have been considering a career in special education. It’s a calling that I have had for a long time, but I have just recently begun to truly look into the prospect. Back when I was a para, I worked with students who were severely behind in their reading skills. Some of my students were special education students. My memories from that time are great ones. Working with students who struggle, have behavioral issues, or emotional disturbances is tough, but it made me so happy. I loved helping my kids learn to strengthen their skills through strategies like meta-cognition and “flagging”. The thought of working with students who have special learning needs gets me pumped; I would be happy to make it a life-long devotion.
I shared my interest in special education with Ms. Harvey (my CT) who was very supportive. She encouraged me to go and observe in some of the special education classes during periods when I am not teaching. Thus far, I have been in two different special education classes and I have had an opportunity to speak in depth with some of the members of the SPED department at Triton H.S. Many of the staff members say that they knew it was the right path for them. (They had the same internal pull that I feel.) However, they do not try to glamorize SPED. I have been thoroughly forewarned about the mountains of paperwork. (SPED teachers are required by law to keep detailed records for each of their students; these records are submitted to the district and state with strict deadlines.) SPED teachers do not have prep/plan periods because those times are often booked with IEP meetings and other obligations. And then there is the issue of the educational requirements. I could be hired as a first year SPED teacher with just a BA. However, I would be hired on a waiver and I would be required to pursue my MA immediately. A MA costs about $15,000 and will take approximately three years to complete. -- It’s a lot to take in, but I still feel drawn to a career in special education. Could I get some commentary from my fellow student teachers? I have weighed this decision heavily and would like to know what y’all think of Ms. Spears teaching special education.
With my personal contemplations set aside, let’s move on to some more academic territory. During my recent reading of Jim Burke’s “Teaching English Language Arts in a ‘Flat’ World”, I began thinking about what it really means to be a Language Arts teacher. We don’t just teach Language Arts; we teach important life skills. English class is about more than reading and analyzing literature. It’s about more than research papers and projects. English class is a safe, low-stakes model of the larger society that exists beyond our classrooms. The expectations that we have within our classrooms are similar to the expectations that our students will find in the adult world: show up on time and prepared; manage your time carefully; complete all duties thoroughly and correctly; meet deadlines; communicate in a civil manner with peers; process and constructively use criticism; follow the designated rules/procedures. The entire purpose of the American public school system is not to simply teach reading, math, history, etc. The purpose is to train our children to be functional and contributing members of society.
This reality is terrifying. We are responsible for the future of our nation. Talk about some serious pressure! I don’t know about you, but I do NOT want to screw up. Thankfully, Burke clearly outlines the “new literacy skills” that our students will need in order to survive and thrive in twenty-first century. These skills include: media literacy skills, thinking/problem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills/self-directional skills. Every one of these skills is necessary for success in our society, regardless of the professions that our students pursue; whether they work at NASA or Dog N Shake, they will need these skills.
According to Burke, there are many ways to encourage the growth and development of these skills within the English classroom. Some ideas that he gave me that I plan to take into my future classroom:
- Switching up the seating chart every three to four weeks so that students we have to mingle with new people instead of becoming comfortable with a small group of familiar peers
- Establishing a threaded discussion board on-line to encourage students to compile their thoughts and pose their own questions and response to one another
- Having students read about the same topic using a variety of genres and multiple points of view so that they can begin to truly develop their own concept of the topic.
- Having students use programs like PhotoStory to tell stories instead of merely presenting facts
- Teach students strategies for organizing and completing work
- Have students work under strict time constraints so that they can get use to finishing work in a timely manner/meeting deadlines efficiently
I felt that many of the things that Burke suggested were very practical and easy to integrate into the classroom.
I would like to know some of the ideas that you have for teaching these new literacy skills. What are some related activities/procedures that you plan to use within your own classroom?
Mercedes,
ReplyDeleteIf your heart is leading you into SPED, then that is where you belong. I have known too many teachers who attempted to teach SPED, only to get extremely frustrated and quit--or take it out on the students. I have also heard former SPED teachers comment that SPED just didn't "fit them"--like that particular learning environment was like a pair of shoes that you just tried on, and if they didn't fit, you'd just toss them aside. In my opinion, what our educational system needs is more SPED teachers who are truly, wholly committed to the job. You are a patient and kind person, and I believe undoubtedly that you have the capacity for such a demanding position. Even if the MA costs a ton of money and requires a substantial time commitment, the payoff in the end--for you and especially your future SPED students--will be so worth it :)
Regarding building real-life skills in our real-life classrooms, I totally agree with you (and Burke)! So many of our kids are just...clueless...as to what the real world will be like post-high school. Their microcosm is just that--a too-small world where they think they can succeed by adhering to this "littlest effort possible" mentality. They feel comfortable around a close-knit group of their peers, and have yet to comprehend that not everyone in the real world will give them everything they want because they demand it. I even heard a student remark, "I don't need to learn this sh*t because I'm just gonna work for my uncle." Mmmmmmmkay. What if your uncle's car repair goes under? What if he can't afford to pay you enough to support a family? What if, what if, what if? It's sad, but it's also all too common...
I really believe that if we implement strategies that expose our students to real-life skills and scenarios--like switching the seating chart often and making them aware of strict time frames for assignments, we'll at least begin to close the gap between high school delusions of grandeur and the cold, hard reality of the outside world.
Might I also suggest a Business Unit? You can apply this idea to almost anything. Structure your unit in such a way that students write letters to a character or AS a character, have them design a business card, incorporate a mock-interview process, etc. You could even have them talk to local businesses for suggestions (extra credit?). I also highly advocate a Public Speaking Unit. Using this, even the littlest of assignment could somehow be presented to a peer, or you, or the class. Even a small opportunity to speak publicly will bolster confidence in students.
If I think of anything else, I will post on here again! Best of luck!
Ms. Spears,
ReplyDeleteI think if you have interest in SPED then that is what you need to go into. We should have passion for our work and it sounds like you have passion for being in the SPED classroom. Obviously, like any job there will be hardships and challenges; however, if this is what you want to do then you should go for it. SPED is a difficult job but it sounds like you have the characteristics of a great SPED teacher. It will be challenging working and getting your masters at the same but I am sure you will be great at managing your time and dealing with the stress. $15,000 is a lot of money, and it is definitely something you should think about before jumping right in. With that being said, you have to decide which is more important: money or having a job that you are meant to do. Remember there are scholarships, grants, and loans out there to help students like us. Follow your heart and I am sure you will make the right decision.
In regards to the reading, I completely agree that we need to incorporate real life situations into our classrooms. Students sometimes live in their own bubble so it is important for them to know how to adapt to real life situations. Teaching students the skill of adaptation is extremely important. Rarely will things go perfectly; therefore, students need to be prepared for when things go wrong. The following is how Burke recommends implementing skills for adaptation into assignments: “Require students to work within different constraints that challenge them in productive ways. Ask students to assume a variety of roles within a given assignment. Demand that students do the same assignment in different ways, using different tools or techniques, some of which they may need to learn in order to complete the work.” I love these ideas and I think they have a great opportunity to be successful. There is a lot of pressure to make sure our students are prepared for the real world and I think adaption is a great area to focus on.
Thank you Amanda and Heidi. :)
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