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What do you think the biggest challenge in teaching special education is?

Of what aspects of IDEA do you feel the most aware?

How can new teachers stay on top of new developments of special education that impact their role as a general education classroom teacher?

What can classroom teachers do to ensure they are looking solely at student disability rather than student differences when referring a student to a special education screening?

While I am not certified as a special education teacher, I did my student teaching in a high school in which children with disabilities were completely mainstreamed, and at least a few of my classes held about 50% disabled students, including students with ADHD, OCD, autism and bipolar disease. I think the most difficult aspect is the need to differentiate. Each student is completely different, even when they have the same diagnosis. Lesson plans and approach need to account for teaching each of them. But as I went along, I realized that this is true of all students, and what we should be doing no matter whom we teach.

I also learned that students have a tendency to set one another off, not necessarily in a bad way, but nevertheless, in a way that can throw a new teacher off track. I learned that it was easier and better to acknowledge this with a comment about how Mary's behaviour was contagious today, and to ask if the contagion was done spreading.

The students I taught were quite open about their various conditions, and spoke frankly about their problems, not just to me privately, but in the classroom with their classmates. I never had to worry about keeping anything confidential because nothing was confidential.  This afforded me some ease in the classroom in dealing with behavior. I could ask one student if she had take off her patch because I noticed her squirming in her seat. And in fact, if I didn't ask her, one of the other students would. This frankness contributed to the feeling of community in the classroom, and the students all watched out for one another, abled and disabled like.  A meltdown elicited help and sympathy from everyone. 

I feel lucky to have done my student teaching in a situation like this, and I hope you have as great an experience as I did.

How can new teachers stay on top of new developments of special education that impact their role as a general education classroom teacher?

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