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Co-Teaching Models to Use in Inclusion Settings
I have been co-teaching for over 10 years now, and I have tried many different co-teaching models with several different colleagues. Here are some of the most common co-teaching models, what they are, and why they work (and sometimes don’t). One Teach – One Assist What it looks like: This is the most common co-teaching model that I see in practice in my experience. Typically you see the general education, or content teacher, standing in front of the class providing instruction as they would in their non-inclusion sections, and the special education teacher is circulating the room providing assistance to the students who need it. Benefits: This is a great…
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Accommodations to Support Reading Comprehension
Many of the students on my caseload have goals in reading comprehension. When a student gets to eighth grade and still is below grade level in reading comprehension, it feels super overwhelming to try to keep them progressing with their academics because reading comprehension is one area that affects them in every class. When you think of reading comprehension, you think of ELA; but think of all the reading that is required in social studies and science. Even being able to comprehend word problems in math class. Reading Comprehension is a skill that follows students into all of their classes. Here are some accommodations and modification ideas for you to…
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Setting Up Data Binders
Every year I struggle with the best way to track IEP data. With everything trending to digital, recently I have been trying to find ways to do this digitally, but I find that I prefer do things by hand. I also find that I am more consistent when something paper and pencil. So no matter how fancy and techy I try to be, every year I fall back to my tried and true data binders. Here is how I set them up: For each student I use a 1″ white binder. I buy them in 4 packs on Amazon. I use dry erase marker to write the students’ initials on…
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Three Tips to Prep Your Caseload
I am fortunate enough that I leave for the summer with a tentative caseload for the following year. Obviously, kids move in and out over the summer, or parents request specific teams, but I usually know what to expect. This gives me the ability to do some preparations over the summer to get ready. The stipulation is, I only do as much work as I am in the mood for that day. Most days I do very little, but occasionally I will want to get a head start and I will invest a couple hours. Many teachers don’t like to do work for school over the summer because that is…
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Tips for Tracking Data
Tracking data is one of the things that I have struggled the most with. I have tried digital tracking methods, Google Forms, keeping massive work sample binders, just notes, word documents with information, and each method has had its pros and cons. This year I have finally settled into a method that I think is sustainable for me. Here is what I have learned through this journey: Track often The worst feeling is when you realize that you’re approaching progress notes and your data is not neatly tracked. I hate having to sort through and track word samples at the end of the term because I have let it pile…
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How to Organize the IEP Background Section
Filling out the history section on an IEP can get cumbersome, especially as students get older. I have students in eighth grade who come to me with information about their gestation. If there is nothing of note in the gestation that is relevant to the current educational profile of the student, leave it out! This advice is how I write an IEP, your school district may have other expectations and requirements so put their priorities first. I am not an expert, I’ve just been doing this for a while and have seen hundreds and hundreds of IEPs written by different people. History: Use this section to include all relevant information…
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Accommodations for Students who Struggle with Reading Comprehension
What some teachers I work with don’t realize is that students who have deficits in reading comprehension are affected in all of their classes, not just ELA. Most classes, especially as you get into middle school and high school, require you to do independent reading of some kind. Often reading out of a text book in social studies or science, reading novels in ELA, and even comprehending word problems in math. Here are some tips that you can use to help support your students: Read Aloud Whether you read the passage or text out loud to them yourself, find an audio book, or use text to speech software; students who…
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My January 2024 Book Reviews
Here we are again, another new year, another new Goodreads goal. Yet again I have set the goal that I would read 50 books. Hopefully this year I’ll actually hit it. I find that the goal of a book per week is obtainable but when I get busy I tend to neglect reading. What I am going to do this year is try to include some Audible books. I listen to so many podcasts when I’m driving, why not throw in a book or two and help knock out some of my TBR pile. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell I gave this book five stars! I couldn’t put this…
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November 2020 Book Reviews
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens I really put off reading this book. I am not sure why. I got it from the library several times and each time it sat unread until it was time to return it. I feel like I get nervous to read books that have great critical acclaim. I just worry that they’re not going to live up to the hype. Well this one did. This is the novel of a young girl who grows up in a quiet fishing village. She is left by her mother at a young age, her father later, and in the meantime all of her siblings leave as…
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Distance Learning: Supporting Math Students
Distance Learning has provided me with so many new challenges that I feel like everyday is a new adventure. I am in my seventh year of teaching, sixth year with the same co-teachers, and I really was beginning to feel like I knew what I was doing, and then BAM! Coronavirus… Here are some tips as to how I support my inclusion students in math during this period of hybrid learning. Reference Sheets I use reference sheets in math all the time. But I feel like they are a great tool to keep posted on Google Classroom, or other online platform for the students to keep referring to. Reference sheets…
