How Do You Score With Special Needs? A Quiz For The New School Year! Maureen Butler Mountain Lakes School District mbutler@mlschools.org
B
ravo! You’ve made it through the first weeks of school - adjusting to the new schedule, beginning rehearsals, handing out instruments, implementing new lesson plans, and all of the other myriad activities that each September brings. You’ve had a month to meet all your students, you’ve become aware of the challenges facing some of your students, and you hopefully have an idea how to modify and accommodate for them. Music teachers are fortunate in that we see mostly the same students from year to year, so we already know many of our special learners and how best to teach them. However, if you’re a new teacher, that task is one of many new challenges you’re facing, and it may be overwhelming. So now it’s time to see how you’re faring with your special learners. For both new and experienced teachers, here’s a quiz to get you thinking: 1. Have I read through all the IEP’s and 504 reports for my students? a. I’ve skimmed through them and signed them; I don’t have time to do more than that. b. I took notes on pertinent information so that I can better understand and remember what each child needs, and why. Although reading through these reports can seem to be an overwhelming task, the knowledge we gain from them is valuable. That’s where we find specific diagnoses as well as descriptions of speech, motor and psychological factors that help us understand children’s behaviors and learning styles.
get more insight, and do some online research as well. Don’t panic if you don’t understand everything, and don’t try to take on everything at once; resolve to research one disability at a time. Also, recognize the power of networking: Reach out to your building’s special services department, physical and occupational therapists and talk with the other special subject teachers to share information.
2. Do I understand all the information in the reports? a. I’m confused by some of the information but don’t have time to do any research; I’ll just try to implement the strategies that are listed in the reports. b. I’m confused by some of the information but I’ll reach out to other staff members to
4. Am I communicating effectively with all students? a. I have a loud voice and everyone can hear me, even the teachers down the hall. b. I’m aware of the difference in communication needs of my students, and I work to be sure that all students hear and understand what I’m saying.
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3. Does my seating arrangement foster learning? a. Behavior management is my primary focus when setting up my seating plans (for example, keeping talkative students apart). b. My seating plan considers the special needs of my students, so that each child will be in a place where optimal learning can occur. Where children sit can have a big impact on their ability to stay on task. Take, as an example, the impact of distracting noises – proximity to loud sounds from the hallway or to the incessant buzz of a cooling or heating vent will compete with sounds that students with a hearing loss are trying to discern, and could actually distress students with auditory sensitivities. Some students will do better in the front of the room (those with certain learning disabilities, for example) and some may do better on the perimeter (a student with sensory disorders may need some breathing space between him and the next student).
OCTOBER 2018
