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Am I Wrong?

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Hello Anyone,
I am a middle school resource room teacher who also goes out for science
and social studies support. I am very upset over a situation in my support classes. It is bad enough that there are more classified students in both classes than regular ed. students, but in one of the classes the regular ed. teacher has
now invited the self-contained class into her class. Right now, there are 8 regular ed. students, 14 resource room students and 11 self-contained students. I am so frustrated it is not funny. The curriculum has been dumbed down, there are non-readers scattered everywhere, and I have students coming at me from all ends. While I am all for inclusion when done correctly, I can’t help but feel that this situation is unfair to the children. Am I wrong to believe this?

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/17/2002 - 10:56 AM

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Which children ?

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/17/2002 - 8:43 PM

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There are 33 students in the room? Is that in accordance with all their IEPs?

It certainly isn’t in accordance with fairness. No one teacher can provide service to 25 students who are in a mainstreamed classroom. To whom does the teacher teach? The few reg. ed kids?

Why are self-contained and resource room students together? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose and intention of their IEPs?

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/21/2002 - 5:07 PM

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All the children. I feel as though I cannot meet the needs of the special education students and the regular ed. students because they are not being challenged enough and there are many behavior issues going on in the class which has put a hamper on some of the learning. Socially, it has been both wonderful and a nightmare. For some it has been a wonderful experience, for others, I am constantly dealing with students being picked on and harrassed. Inclusion can be a good thing, but not for all. We need to look at each student individually.
Lisa

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/21/2002 - 5:24 PM

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Yes Sara,

It does defeat the whole purpose of self-contained and resource room. (Yes, there are 33 students in this class.) The teacher tries to teach to the majority which is to the special ed students, making life very boring for the regular ed. students. No, it is not fair to any of the students and when I try to say this, I get ignored as if I don’t exist. This is not in accordance with the IEPS. It is an experiment that the regular ed. teacher and self-contained teacher are trying together, putting me in a bad situation because I don’t agree.
I am overwhelmed because a good majority of my resource room students are lower than the self-contained students. They are all needy, and they all require assistance.
I wanted to post my thoughts, because I needed to have some other opinions about this situation. I do support inclusion, but this is far from my
interpretation.

Lisa

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/22/2002 - 11:10 AM

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And the self-contained teacher is where?

This is a ticklish situation at best and may not be completely solvable, unfortunately. I think I would try to find a way to work with the Reg Ed teacher if that is possible- to plan together and try to understand where she is coming from. Is that a possibility?

Robin

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/28/2002 - 9:12 PM

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Where the self-contained teacher fit into all of this? How does the regular ed. teacher feel about having all these students? Maybe I haven’t been teaching long enough, but I am curious as to what kids are classified in the self-contained classroom. Are they EI or EMI? Way too many different needs in the room.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/30/2002 - 2:10 AM

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The regular ed. teacher was the one who invited the self-contained to join
her class. The self-contained teacher thinks it is wonderful that one of the regular ed. teachers is taking an interest in her students. I am not sure how the students are classified in this class. All I know is that it is the LD class. My resource room students are way too many without the self-contained students. The class is like a three ring circus. I am the only one who is not sitting right with this situation. It is not fair to the students.
Thanks,

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/04/2002 - 5:55 PM

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You aren’t in a position of power… this is one of those situations where it would take a parent concerned that IEP goals weren’t being met (or possibly a regular ed parent… but they don’t have the IEP as a legal document to fall back on).
I’d take a hard look at figuring out exactly what I could do anything about and do that.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 02/24/2002 - 9:01 PM

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Pull your kids and teach them elsewhere. If it doesn’t comply with their IEP, conduct a new IEP meeting.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/17/2002 - 10:56 AM

Permalink

Which children ?

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/17/2002 - 8:43 PM

Permalink

There are 33 students in the room? Is that in accordance with all their IEPs?

It certainly isn’t in accordance with fairness. No one teacher can provide service to 25 students who are in a mainstreamed classroom. To whom does the teacher teach? The few reg. ed kids?

Why are self-contained and resource room students together? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose and intention of their IEPs?

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/21/2002 - 5:07 PM

Permalink

All the children. I feel as though I cannot meet the needs of the special education students and the regular ed. students because they are not being challenged enough and there are many behavior issues going on in the class which has put a hamper on some of the learning. Socially, it has been both wonderful and a nightmare. For some it has been a wonderful experience, for others, I am constantly dealing with students being picked on and harrassed. Inclusion can be a good thing, but not for all. We need to look at each student individually.
Lisa

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/21/2002 - 5:24 PM

Permalink

Yes Sara,

It does defeat the whole purpose of self-contained and resource room. (Yes, there are 33 students in this class.) The teacher tries to teach to the majority which is to the special ed students, making life very boring for the regular ed. students. No, it is not fair to any of the students and when I try to say this, I get ignored as if I don’t exist. This is not in accordance with the IEPS. It is an experiment that the regular ed. teacher and self-contained teacher are trying together, putting me in a bad situation because I don’t agree.
I am overwhelmed because a good majority of my resource room students are lower than the self-contained students. They are all needy, and they all require assistance.
I wanted to post my thoughts, because I needed to have some other opinions about this situation. I do support inclusion, but this is far from my
interpretation.

Lisa

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/22/2002 - 11:10 AM

Permalink

And the self-contained teacher is where?

This is a ticklish situation at best and may not be completely solvable, unfortunately. I think I would try to find a way to work with the Reg Ed teacher if that is possible- to plan together and try to understand where she is coming from. Is that a possibility?

Robin

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/28/2002 - 9:12 PM

Permalink

Where the self-contained teacher fit into all of this? How does the regular ed. teacher feel about having all these students? Maybe I haven’t been teaching long enough, but I am curious as to what kids are classified in the self-contained classroom. Are they EI or EMI? Way too many different needs in the room.

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 01/30/2002 - 2:10 AM

Permalink

The regular ed. teacher was the one who invited the self-contained to join
her class. The self-contained teacher thinks it is wonderful that one of the regular ed. teachers is taking an interest in her students. I am not sure how the students are classified in this class. All I know is that it is the LD class. My resource room students are way too many without the self-contained students. The class is like a three ring circus. I am the only one who is not sitting right with this situation. It is not fair to the students.
Thanks,

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/04/2002 - 5:55 PM

Permalink

You aren’t in a position of power… this is one of those situations where it would take a parent concerned that IEP goals weren’t being met (or possibly a regular ed parent… but they don’t have the IEP as a legal document to fall back on).
I’d take a hard look at figuring out exactly what I could do anything about and do that.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 02/24/2002 - 9:01 PM

Permalink

Pull your kids and teach them elsewhere. If it doesn’t comply with their IEP, conduct a new IEP meeting.

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