I don’t even know where to begin. I am overwhelmed. I teach students with learning disabilities. I now have 25 students on my caseload, I have 19 of them at 1 time foor language arts. These students are in 1st-5th grade and I am reqired to serve them all during the entire L.A. block, 8:45-11:30. I am also required to use the reading series that the regular curriculum uses. My students come from at least 10 home rooms so they all get pulled out for specials(art,gym,etc) on 10 different schedules. I have a part time aide but she is out quite often so can not be relied on to carry out specifically scheduled activities. I was told to have reading groups, but I am nnot interested in giving students busywork and wordsearches for the 1 1/2 hours I would be working with other small groups. I am looking for any ideas that can help me. My title is resource room but I am anything but. Who else has a similar situation? What are other service delivery models? Thanks.
Re: service delivery models
: It is not a foregone conclusion that you take students for their
: entire language arts block.: Special education is supposed to be “special” and your
: students go from the frying pan into the fire. They move from a
: single grade level to a 5 grade level mix for language arts. There
: is no way you can possibly give them more time and teach
: intensively.: Here is what i do with my caseload. I usually have 25-28 students,
: can range K-6, and I have one five hour aide. I start most
: students on 45 minutes per day and add more if they need more
: service. I group by a combination of need/grade level. I attempt
: to assure every student a dedicated 45 minutes per day where they
: will receive appropriate instruction for the ENTIRE 45 minutes in
: a small group of similar students. I try like the dickens not to
: flipflop two different groups in a 45 minute slot because this is
: not intensive and remedial instruction, this is what general ed.
: does, meets with groups for about 20 min. each per day.
: Occasionally I run out of school day and start to double book
: around March. This year is so far, so good. My aide assists and
: works with students in ones and twos on specific areas.: FYI, right now my day looks like this: 8:45-9:30 5th grade language
: arts 9:39-10;15 6th grade language arts 10:15-10:30 RECESS, I
: sometimes have duty 10:30-11:15 First grade language group (I
: “play” language therapist for two severely language
: disabled students) 11:15-11:45 6th Grade Math 11:45-12:30 LUNCH
: 12:30-1:15 Third/Fourth Grade language arts 1:15-1:45 time for
: full-inclusion student 1:45-2:45 testing: My aide does second grade language arts from 1:15-2:00 and spends 30
: minute blocks in three different classrooms. I keep math
: objectives off of most IEPs by simply giving a little bit of time
: to brush up math skills during language arts classes. Fortunately
: I have no kindergarteners this year, thus far. There are a few
: students on 60-90 minute IEPs and they either come twice to work
: with me once and my aide once or they stay for a longer block.: You may go around and around on this. I ask what is better, to keep
: everybody for huge periods of time and be spread so thin you
: cannot teach much to anyone? Or, to dedicate smaller blocks and
: roll up your sleeves and teach.: I suggest considering an approach more like mine. You cannot run a
: K-5 room with 19 handicapped students and meet many IEP
: goals/objective.I would like to group my students as you do, but I must follow the general education schedule. It is tough for me. I have too many students who need reading taught at the same time. Since my K-3 students have reading from 8:30-9:45 I can’t get them for reading at any other time during the day. Anitya, please read my question under the heading Support. I’d like to get ideas from you. Thanks.
Re: service delivery models
: It is not a foregone conclusion that you take students for their
: entire language arts block.Unfortunately, in my building, it is. My principal will not allow me to do it any other way. I interpret it to mean that he wants them out of the regular class for the whole lang. arts period. Does not want them bothering the reg. teacher. I’m sure he would dispute that. I have come to him several times with alternative suggestions but he refuses to change. My special ed department knows my concerns but will not help. I have to workk within that framework, but I am at a loss.
The answer is simple
: He needs to be educated re. the law. If your sped. director is equally missinformed, then you can try. Good luck.
: Oh, boy. How I wish I could help you get this fixed. There are numerous things wrong with that picture you presented. Somebody (not you) does not understand resource room or special ed. or even IDEA.It is not a foregone conclusion that you take students for their entire language arts block.Special education is supposed to be “special” and your students go from the frying pan into the fire. They move from a single grade level to a 5 grade level mix for language arts. There is no way you can possibly give them more time and teach intensively.Here is what i do with my caseload. I usually have 25-28 students, can range K-6, and I have one five hour aide. I start most students on 45 minutes per day and add more if they need more service. I group by a combination of need/grade level. I attempt to assure every student a dedicated 45 minutes per day where they will receive appropriate instruction for the ENTIRE 45 minutes in a small group of similar students. I try like the dickens not to flipflop two different groups in a 45 minute slot because this is not intensive and remedial instruction, this is what general ed. does, meets with groups for about 20 min. each per day. Occasionally I run out of school day and start to double book around March. This year is so far, so good. My aide assists and works with students in ones and twos on specific areas.FYI, right now my day looks like this: 8:45-9:30 5th grade language arts 9:39-10;15 6th grade language arts 10:15-10:30 RECESS, I sometimes have duty 10:30-11:15 First grade language group (I “play” language therapist for two severely language disabled students) 11:15-11:45 6th Grade Math 11:45-12:30 LUNCH 12:30-1:15 Third/Fourth Grade language arts 1:15-1:45 time for full-inclusion student 1:45-2:45 testingMy aide does second grade language arts from 1:15-2:00 and spends 30 minute blocks in three different classrooms. I keep math objectives off of most IEPs by simply giving a little bit of time to brush up math skills during language arts classes. Fortunately I have no kindergarteners this year, thus far. There are a few students on 60-90 minute IEPs and they either come twice to work with me once and my aide once or they stay for a longer block.You may go around and around on this. I ask what is better, to keep everybody for huge periods of time and be spread so thin you cannot teach much to anyone? Or, to dedicate smaller blocks and roll up your sleeves and teach.I suggest considering an approach more like mine. You cannot run a K-5 room with 19 handicapped students and meet many IEP goals/objective.