Who's Teaching Our Children with Disabilities? Part 5

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National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

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Where do Special Education Teachers Work?

The duties and responsibilities of a special education teacher are greatly influenced by the setting where she or he is working. Most special education teachers work in public elementary and secondary schools; some teach in private schools; others work in residential facilities, hospitals, and clinics; and some work with students who are homebound.

Public and Private Schools

The majority of special education teachers (95%) work in public schools; a much smaller number (4%) work in private schools (Henke, Choy, Geiss, & Broughman, 1996). Within these schools, special education teachers work in a variety of settings. Some work in self-contained classrooms; that is, they are with the same group of children in a classroom for most of the day. The majority of special educators work in resource room settings, where they provide instruction to students with disabilities who come in for part of the school day, either individually or in small groups. More and more schools are using an inclusive model, in which children with disabilities receive most, if not all, of their instruction and services in the general education classroom. This model requires that special education teachers work even more closely with general education teachers.

A Day in the Life of Co-Teachers Debbie Boyce, General Educator Chris Ohm, Special Educator

Where: Frederick, Maryland
Education: Debbie: Bachelor's in Math and Science Education, Master's in Counseling; Chris: Bachelor's in Public Relations and psychology, Master's in Special Education
Teaching: Debbie: 7 years general education, 1 year co-teaching;
Chris: 2 years, both co-teaching
Students: 22 students-- half of whom have special education classification, half of whom aren't in special education but need extra support in math
Class type: Co-taught 7th grade mathematics

Making Co-Teaching Work

Chris: The key to making co-teaching work is joint planning. As a special education co-teacher, you can't just walk into the classroom and expect to be able to work together as equals. You must take the time to plan how to handle each lesson. You must both know all the curriculum so that you can switch back and forth with your co-teacher and support each other's efforts, and teach the class yourself if your co-teacher is absent. You have to have the attitude that you are a teacher first and a special educator second. If you don't know the curriculum, you are not a co-teacher; you are just an assistant.

Debbie: At first, it takes a while to get used to having another adult in the classroom with you. Teachers are used to having their classroom be their own domain. It takes a little while to get used to sharing, to become accustomed to the other person's methods of doing things, perspective, and pace.

Advice to Other Educators About Co-teaching

Debbie: I would recommend to any general educator who has the opportunity to co-teach to absolutely do it! It's a unique inclusive technique, without which some students would not get out of their self-contained classroom. Before co-teaching I was interested in students with special needs, but I felt incompetent to teach them because I didn't know much about how to meet their needs. Working with Chris has impacted how I will teach for the rest of my life and has made me a better teacher in all my classes.

Chris: I love co-teaching. It has a lot of benefits. You get to bounce ideas off each other, and help each other if one of you is having difficulty getting the students to understand part of the lesson. It's also great for the kids because you are modeling good interactive behavior. I would suggest to any interested special educator to take a class in co-teaching. It's important to learn how to co-teach the right way-- equally.

Self-Contained Classroom

A little over 20% of children with disabilities spend their entire school day in a classroom specifically set aside for children with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). Usually these students have severe disabilities and require a great deal of personal attention. These classes tend to be small and, because of the high demand of the students, usually have at least one teacher and a paraprofessional. (See "A Day in the Life of a Special Educator"sidebar, right.) Typically, one classroom can contain students with a variety of disabilities. For example, a preschool special education class could contain 10 students. The class could include children with hearing impairments, children with mental retardation, and children with severe physical disabilities as well as children with other disabilities.

The classroom teacher uses the curriculum to plan and implement instructional activities; works to maintain close relationships with each child's parents; handles the paperwork and progress reports for each child; advocates for the children and for the special education program within the school system; and coordinates treatment plans and schedules with related services personnel such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. In addition, the special education teacher is responsible for making sure that children in his or her class receive any required medication or medical treatment. This can be particularly important for a child who is medically fragile or terminally ill.

A Day in the Life of a Special Educator Sharon Mierow

Where: Dallas, Texas
Education: Bachelor's in Music; certification as a special educator
Teaching: Has taught LIFE (living and functional environment) Skills class for the past 5 years
Students: 1st-4th graders with moderate to severe disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Fragile X, and other rare syndromes)
Class type: Self-contained special education class within a regular school; students participate in art, library, physical education, music, and lunch with the other students in the school

A Typical Day

We have a very structured routine. Each day we start with class breakfast, which is followed by personal hygiene activities: using the bathroom, brushing teeth, and washing hands. After this, we have reading time. Each student's reading time activity is tailored to his or her ability level. After reading, we have 15 minutes of free time. During this time, I change the diapers of those students who need it.

Next, we have what we call "Larger Group." This is a combination of the two LIFE Skills classes and consists of 14 students, ages 6 to 12. During "Larger Group" we work on the unit of the week-- nutrition, going to the zoo, space, health. We do many activities, including sign language, music therapy, and large motor activities.

Then, we return to our regular class size and do seat work. We do different activities with each student: fine motor skills, cutting, pasting, tracing, and range of motion. During this part of the day, the occupational therapist and speech pathologist come in to work with the students.

Each afternoon we have our "working" part of the day. We do a different adaptive social skill each day of the week. Monday, we wash our classroom windows; Tuesday, we clean our tables; Wednesday, we sweep the floor; and so on throughout the week. It's basically vocational education on a very small scale. The last hour of each day is devoted to music, physical education, library, or art class.

What do I like best about teaching? The kids. It's very rewarding to see their improvements.

Resource Room

Almost half of the children with disabilities (43%) spend the majority of their time in general education classrooms and may receive services outside of the classroom for a short period of time. Another 30% spend at least 40% of their time in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). These students, who spend much of their time in a general education class, will come to the special education classroom or resource room where the special education teacher provides specialized instruction to the students either individually or in groups. The special education teacher may spend some time with a student or a small group of students working on such things as study skills, organization and test-taking strategies, problem-solving skills, and other strategies they can use to learn more effectively and efficiently. The special education teacher also works with the general education teacher to develop lesson plans, materials, and tests; teach specific learning strategies and study skills; and adapt curriculum materials so that they are appropriate for each student. The special education resource teacher's responsibilities also include assessment, developing IEPs, and meeting with parents.

Resource rooms (also called "pull-out" models) can be dynamic places-- students come and go according to their individual schedules, so resource room teachers must have appropriate learning experiences prepared for each student. They also need to be supervising the students working at desks or computers, giving each student appropriate help, encouragement, and feedback. They are probably dealing with students from all different grades or levels with varying disabilities.

A Day in the Life of an Itinerant Special Educator Ellie White

Where: Chicago, Illinois
Education: Bachelor's in Animal Science, minor in Education; Master's in Special Education
Teaching: First year as an elementary-level itinerant special educator in a suburban school district; Ellie teaches in two schools
Students: 9 students from various general education classes; students' disabilities include autism, Down syndrome, and learning disabilities
Class type: Pull-out and in-class support

Moments from Her Typical Day

I spend two hours each day with my student with Down syndrome-- three mornings and two afternoons each week, so I'm able to get the full spectrum of his day. Since he does well with loud, interactive activities that aren't adaptable to his regular classroom, most of the time I work with him in a pull-out situation. Then I drive to the other school I work in.

I spend one to one and a half hours each day with my student with autism. I work with him both in his regular classroom and out. Since getting him involved in lots of social interaction is a very high priority, we've developed a volunteer "peer buddy" helping system for him.

My seven students with learning disabilities all come to work with me in my classroom. I teach them both math and reading, working with them both in groups and one-on-one. Many of them are a grade level behind in reading. Since self-esteem is an issue with my students with learning disabilities, I make sure I work on something they are good at as well as something they have difficulty with.

We have weekly team meetings for both my student with Down syndrome and my student with autism. All of the people involved with each student come (general educator, speech therapist, occupational therapist, paraprofessional, physical therapist), and we discuss techniques that will enable the student with disabilities to participate with the rest of the class. I also make sure that I'm available to the regular classroom teachers to answer questions, and I check in with them during the week to see how things are going.

I love working with the kids. It demands a lot of creativity and a lot of time. It's wonderful to see the students learning, to see their faces when they finally understand something.

Inclusive Schools

More and more schools are moving to an inclusive model, in which children with disabilities receive most of their instruction and services in a general education classroom. This can change the roles, duties, and challenges of the special education teacher. (See "A Day in the Life" sidebars, on inclusion facilitator, co-teachers, and itinerant special educator.) In these settings, the special education teacher acts as a resource and consultant to the general education teacher, may co-teach, and may also supervise paraprofessionals who may implement more of the one-on-one work with the child in the classroom. It is expected that these roles as consultant, co-teacher, and collaborator will increase in the future.

A special education teacher working with a general education teacher in an inclusive setting will assist in developing lesson plans, curriculum, and tests; will collaborate with other teachers to improve or add to current instructional strategies to best meet the learning needs and styles of all the children; team-teach lessons; teach specific learning strategies and study skills; provide small-group support or individual tutoring in the class as needed; and adapt materials for individual students.

For example, a fifth grade class that includes several students with learning disabilities begins a unit on the seasons. The special education teacher knows that one of the students has a learning disability that makes it difficult for him to comprehend material by reading, but discovered he was able to learn the material if he listened to it. The two teachers prepare tape recordings of the appropriate textbook material and then give the child time to listen. Another child with a learning disability needs to have a modified list of spelling words. The goal of both teachers is that all the children in the class are provided with appropriate classroom and homework assignments so that they all are learning, are challenged, and are participating in the classwork.

A Day in the Life of an Inclusion Facilitator Mary Malone

Where: Frederick, Maryland
Education: Bachelor's in Education
Teaching: 14 years of special education, including self-contained classroom teaching, resource room, testing, and co-teaching classes
Students: 8 fully included students, 11-14 years old, various disabilities
Class type: Works with general educators to successfully include children with disabilities in their classrooms

Typical Duties

Each day is a different. I work with my students, their teachers, and instructional assistants modifying and implementing lessons. Teachers can apply the modifications in all their classes, even where inclusion students are not present. Teaching the instructional assistants to successfully modify curriculum independently gives me more time to juggle other roles.

One of the most important parts of my day is meeting with a multi-discipline team of teachers, related service providers (such as occupational therapists and speech teachers), parents, and administators to share success stories and brainstorm ways to solve problems. At these team meetings we may decide to educate a class on a specific disability, come up with a plan to increase social integration for a student, or talk about ways to deal with challenging behaviors.

In addition to working in different classrooms, I do diagnostic testing. I spend time working on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and ARDs (Admit, Review and Dismiss). ARDs are special education meetings.

I am also the leader of the special education team at our school's six special education teachers. We meet regularly to discuss problems or brainstorm techniques to try with different students.

I like the new and innovative thoughts and techniques regarding inclusion, and I enjoy working to implement them. In this job I am pulled in many different directions but the rewards are immeasurable.

Residential Schools, Separate Schools, Homebound

A small percentage of children with disabilities receive special education services in separate schools for children with disabilities (3.9%) (see "A Day in the Life of a Special Educator" sidebar, left), in residential facilities (0.9%), and in home or hospital settings (0.5%) (U.S. Department of Education, 1996). The percentage of children with disabilities receiving services in separate or residential schools has steadily decreased over the last decade. More and more of these children are being served in regular public schools.

Homebound or hospital education programs are available to children with severe physical and health impairments. If a child's medical condition necessitates hospitalization or treatment at home for a lengthy period (generally 30 days or more), the local district is obligated to develop an IEP and to provide appropriate education services to the child through a qualified teacher.

Most hospitalized homebound children are visited regularly by itinerant teachers or tutors hired by the school district. Some school programs use closed-circuit TV systems to enable children to hear and participate in class discussions and demonstrations from their beds.

A Day in the Life of a Special Educator Laura Zappia

Where: Suffolk County, New York
Education: Bachelor's and Master's in Special Education
Teaching: 15 years
Students: Middle school-aged children who have severe emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders (ED/BD)
Class type: Self-contained class within a self-contained public school that serves 12 school districts; class size 6 students

Typical Day

I work on subjects and tasks that may be harder and more frustrating for my students, such as vocabulary, spelling, and reading, early in the day when everyone is fresher. In the afternoon I do review work and go over basic skills.

Besides academics, the focus of what I do is work on each student's behavior problems. During the day the classroom aide monitors each student's behavior and keeps behavior minutes or "point sheets." Each student's behavior is assessed every 15 to 30 minutes. If the students are lower functioning, behavior is assessed more often. The point sheets help you monitor the students' behavior, but also how your own behavior as a teacher is either working or not working.

One of the keys to teaching students with ED/BD is to find out what is valuable to them. If a student likes to go to extra gym time, you reward him with that when he participates more in class or does something positive.

Since many of these students have great problems with self-control, our main goal is to try and decrease their worst behavior. For instance, if a student is cursing 20 times a day, then you work on getting it down to 10 times a day. Then you cut it down to five. We work on achieving our ultimate goal in small steps.

My students also need help in thinking about the consequences of their actions. If a student throws his book across the room saying he won't read anymore, I coach him along. "You've already read ten pages, and you only have two paragraphs left. You're having a good day. You can either read the rest of the page, or lose the reward you've earned." More likely than not the student will finish the reading. When their worst behavior is under control, you focus on the next most apparent one. By the end of the year you are working on more typical problems, such as getting them to turn in their homework.

I keep notes every day on every child. This way I can assess both the students' behavior and my own. The children I work with change gradually. You have to try a technique for at least 30 days to see if it is making any difference. Many times a behavior will get worse before it gets better. We start each day with a clean slate.

Class Size

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal legislation that mandates services for children with disabilities, does not contain any specific requirements for class size (number of students a teacher is instructing at a given time) or caseload (total numbers of students for whom a teacher has responsibility). States can choose to establish specific requirements or ratios, and many have. However, the states are required under the IDEA to provide a free appropriate education for all children with disabilities.

Most states include in their regulations a combination of criteria for class sizes and caseloads; some criteria are the age of the students, the severity and type of disability, and the extent of intervention required. Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and West Virginia are some of the states that use combinations of criteria.

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