Bumble Bee Learns to Fly ….. a blog

I have been in this profession now for eight whole weeks!  My supervisor insists that it was my energy and enthusiasm that won me this position over the other applicants.  I am eager to build a model special education program.  I work long hours, and I am often preoccupied with thoughts of work.However, in my efforts to create this program quickly and effectively, I guess that I forgot that it takes time to build something long lasting.  I also forgot that I don’t work alone.

One of the instructional assistants who works in my classroom told me that it would be helpful for him to focus on one thing at a time when working with students.  This is true of all of us, including myself.  He made this request in his usual polite and humble way that somehow sank in through the busyness that has consumed my life lately.  With a sly smile he added, “Even God took seven wholes days to create the world.”

Perhaps my new focus should on building a cohesive team.

A parent brought the problem to my attention first, and I am still trying to find a solution.  After an IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting, the parent expressed concern that her child was earning D’s and F’s in several of his classes.  I told her that I would check with classroom teachers to make sure that her son was receiving the classroom accommodations and modifications specified in his IEP.
I have since begun checking on the grades of other students on my caseload, and the information has been discouraging.  As I see it, the problem is that the accommodations are too subjective for the teachers to understand and implement effectively. Or the child’s disability is extreme enough that simple accommodations are not enough to close the achievement gap.  Many of my students are not able to access the regular education curriculum.
I have begun to meddle on their behalf.  Here are some things I am trying.  I have sent instructional assistants into their classes to help implement accommodations. I have gotten parent consent to add accommodations to existing IEPs.  Still, I am not satisfied with my student’s success.  I think that some of children could benefit from a more individualized program in content area classes, especially if the disability lowers skills by more than two grade levels.
I would like to use the formative assessment strategies (link to Formative Assessment) that I have had success with in my resource room, to rewrite some of the content area curriculum.  Attached is an eighth grade level science self-evaluation form from a modified science unit.  I will let you know how it goes.

I am teetering on the edge of a potential solution to my problem with letter grades in special education.  I attended a great in-service last week, with an assessment approach that fits within the philosophical paradigm that guides my teaching.  It is called “formative assessment”.  Ironically, this workshop was not aimed at special education teachers.  However, it mirrored the approach we use in my resource room (see Teaching to Mastery).
Expectations are clear and students are involved in monitoring their own progress.  Learning objectives for an entire unit are spelled out clearly between the teacher and the student. Students decide  when they are ready to move forward towards the next learning target.  I created a self-evaluation form for all of my math groups this past week, and I was amazed by the success.  Here’s a Pdf.
My students responded in a variety of ways, all of which encouraged me.  Some students reflected on the day’s work and concluded that they needed to practice the skill more before moving on.  I agreed with their self-assessment, and the next day they began working with little to no prompting from me.
Other students saw it as a race.  They worked hard to meet one, two or even three objectives in one day and proudly showed me their accomplishments.  There were a few students who needed me to explain to them what I wanted them to focus on the next day, but they nodded with agreement at my suggestions.  Still, for everyone, expectations were clear and goals were attainable.  Motivation and self-confidence increased, and the trust that I am building with my students deepened.  (See This is Where the Failure Stops)

I began wrestling with this philosophical issue on my very first day of teaching.   Our school district uses the Pinnacle Grading System, which is a wonderful resource if you want to assign letter grades to students.  I; however, did not want to assign grades for my student’s work.  I had trouble articulating the dissonance I was experiencing to the instructional assistants who work in my classroom, my colleagues, and my supervisor.  It just seemed as though our grading system could never work for me.  What I wanted instead was a way to communicate with my students and their families that would give them specific feedback on the progress children were making towards their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals and objectives.

I am a middle school teacher, so most of my students have already experienced academic failure in one form or another.  Very few of my students perceive themselves as good students.  A fragile self-esteem is almost a more foreboding obstacle than the disability that qualified them for special education services in the first place.  Because of this, I try to build self-confidence into each and every learning experience.  When students feel safe, learning increases.  When students feel threatened, they often shut down and learning stops.  A guarded and defensive student requires the greatest  caution and care.  Our relationship, teacher to student, is tenuous at first.  However, it grows stronger with each success the student experiences.  I  tread with caution as I try to build self-confidence and trust.

I still haven’t figured out what to do about my “grades” dilemma, but I am wrestling it out on a daily basis as I strive to do what is best for my students.