? for Resource Teachers

I teach 4-6 graders in a rr setting, most of whom have LD. We always make it our policy to pull out for a certain subject only when it is being taught in the classroom. The exception would be when the kids are taking a test in social studies, or reading a text book that is too difficult. They can take the test in my room (still ss), or we would read the ss text (the same or an easier one) together (again, still ss work). Since your son’s sped. teacher acknowledges that math and ss are his stronger subjects tell her that you want them to remain strong subjects as the year goes on! Also, what is he doing in the classroom during reading time? Is he able to complete the same assignments his classmates are doing? Is the sped teacher providing alternate assignments or modifying them for him during this time? If the work is way over his head the time could probably be better spent in the resource room. Good luck getting things straightened out!

When you have enough resource teachers, you do this. However, the reality is this: one resource teacher to serve K-8. The K student must be served and K is half day. Not much choice. All teachers teach reading the first 90 minutes of the day, how do I schedule all of my K-6 students during that time?

It is a dilemma for those of us who must make these schedules. Another idea, some resource students benefit from a double dose of reading, classroom and resource. Some are so lost then cannot remain in the classroom. Lost of variables.

I agree with Jenn. Do not allow the RR teacher to take him away from subjects that he is good at. That is just an excuse used to make sceduling easier! Be firm and express that your concern is for your child’s academic well-being and right now that means reading in the resource room diring classroom reading time or an option would be for the rr to provide his reading instruction in his general ed classroom during reading time. Given a choice, she probably choose to rearrange the scedule to accomodate your son in the rr during reading time. Also, he does not need the added stress of feeling like he is “missing” instruction or is “lost” when re returns to class. Good luck, stay strong!

This is a dilemma for all resource teachers, it is my personal nightmare every year. I get very little consideration on classes for my RSP kids. Most teachers do their reading-language arts lessons in the morning, for my older students who are several grade levels below their class, I pull them during that time and we work on remedial type programs to improve their reading, making accommodations for “missed” work. Typically their classroom teacher is not working on learning to read, they are reading to learn in 4-6th grades. In the lower grades, the classroom teachers are teaching them to read, so I don’t want them to miss that instruction, I will pull the younger students in the afternoon, so they basically get a double dose, but they do miss on other areas, so we try our best to keep them up in those areas also. The resource room is a major juggling act, because we are working with K-6,8 grade levels throughout the day. Not all RSP kids need to be pulled out, maybe a alternative would be to have the aide go into the classroom and work with the student, for some kids that is enough support. If my RSP student is with a great structured teacher that is abiding by the accommodations in the IEP, then I send my aide in. The law says the student should be in the least restrictive environment, that can mean many different things depending on the degree of need by the student. Proper assessment and appropriate accommodations need to be done on an ongoing basis. Also, my own assumption here, if he is pulled for only 30 mins, he is receiving minimal support, his reading level may be adequate for having the aide go in and support classroom activities, rather than have him pulled out. If he is reading at a 2-3rd grade level, he may need more than 30 mins of resource time where they are using some type of remedial program to teach him how to read, not just supporting classroom work. Needs are based on assessment, IEP goals are based on assessment & needs, services are based on student goals. Back to the scheduling issue, just keep in mind that this issue is probably the most frustrating to any resource teacher, I work with many and also mentor new teachers, I don’t know any that don’t sincerely try to make it the best possible situation for their students. As a parent, remember that your input is important on the IEP, that is your best place for documenting your concerns, you can call for one at anytime during the school year when you feel things aren’t right. Maybe meeting with the classroom teacher and discussing your concerns would help, then between the resource teacher and the classroom teacher, they can find a part of the language arts instruction time that won’t be missed if he goes to the resource room that won’t intefere with other resource kids time. Again, no easy answers, it’s a major juggle. Good luck. Arlene

Thank you all for you input. I’ve got a lot to concider.
I guess my main concern was the teacher had made this schedule to
fit her needs and not the needs of my son.

Ella

My son is in fourth grade and I always insist he is in a homeroom class that has a schedule that will work with resource room in his grade. When the other children are doing work on Language arts my son is pulled to resource room and only with insistence does this occur they have schedule properly but it works fine. The reg ed teacher does not really what my son removed for ss , math or science because then he is not able to keep up if he misses too much.
My son has an IEP so it is always in his IEP. My school does this with most of the children with LD. Not all homerooms do the subjects the same time as resource room. I would ask if he could go into another homeroom that the schedule will allow for this.

Can I have it put in my son’s IEP what subject to have him pulled out for Resource? We are planning an upcoming IEP meeting and I would like to know as a parent can I have it put in his IEP that I want him pulled out of English/Reading for Resource.

I always thought it was the schools decision or do I have say so?

— basically, they’re reducing his time being taught Social Studies, and that’s changing his education. His educational needs include getting regular social studies instruction. Under the current IEP, he isn’t.

It’s not an arbitrary schedule thing, like whether it’s done in room 104 or 208.