Reflection #13: Special Needs Observation

I recently observed a special education classroom in a local junior high. This classroom observation was similar in many ways to observing an elementary classroom only with greater emphasis on one-on-one tutoring. Though some of these students faced greater challenges academically and otherwise, the teacher still had appropriate expectations for them. She expected them to sit up and pay attention and she would wait for the class to refocus before continuing with the lesson. It is so important for teachers to have high expectations for their students and believe in their potential. I saw this same concept demonstrated in the interactions between the student aides and the students. The aides were encouraging and helpful, I think that peer tutoring contributed greatly towards the students’ overall attitude towards class work.This class is particularly unique because of all the support integrated into the classroom. There were four students in the class and each student had their own student aide. In addition to the lead teacher there were also two paraeducators actively working in the classroom. This support promoted a strong learning environment and allowed the teacher to focus on teaching and meeting the academic needs of the class as a whole. Though this is a junior high class, the students were working primarily at a 1^st and 2^nd grade level. I was able to take a look at the curriculum they were following and there was definitely a strong focus on mathematics and literacy. These two subjects must be deemed as particularly important for these students to be successful in and outside of the educational domain.

After observing the class in action and taking a look at the curriculum I would be interested in asking the teacher about the ways in which she formally assesses her students. I believe it might look a little different just because the structure of the class is different than the typical junior high classroom and the students are at varying degrees of capability. I would also like to know more about the biggest challenges she faces in teaching special education and how she addresses those challenges. Overall it was a very insightful observation and I learned a great deal about how this type of classroom functions.