Friday, February 11, 2011
Thoughts on inclusion
After the last class I was interested to learn more about inclusion and the various laws and possibilities surrounding this issue. One thought that occurred to me was the question about resources to help teachers with special needs students. Are there some states that require all licensed teachers to have a Special Ed endorsement? What provisions are made to offer teachers the extra help they may need in the classroom? I know that some children have one-on-one assistants that accompany them throughout the day, but I don't think this is universal. Are educational assistants given the option to receive special training to address the needs of these students? Another thought that occurred was who is the final decision maker of which students will be best helped in a regular classroom via the I.E.P.'s and so forth. I know that various lawsuits have been launched and some favor the parents and of course others favor the school system. Due to the wide spectrum of special needs children what is least restrictive for one will be quite different from that which is least restrictive for another. At any rate, it is a very interesting area for research. I did feel sympathy for the teacher in the video who was clearly upset and I got the sense she was not getting the support she needed re: the above.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I had similar concerns regarding the frustrations the teachers deal with. I am afraid that without truly adequate support some very good teachers will burn out in these programs. These classes certainly need extra staffing in light of the variety of students they encompass. The additional staff would certainly help both teacher and all of the students.
ReplyDelete