I am a 6th grade science teacher who has been collaborating with a special ed teacher for several years. We have worked well together, maybe too well because our class is always overloaded with students. I think 28-30 students is too many to meet all their needs. We feel overwhelmed trying to address the accommodations on the IEP’s for about half of our students and also providing for remediation and challenge for the other half. For example, 7 of the students are to have the test read to them. There isn’t any other place in our building where these students can go with the special ed teacher to have the test read so we have had to read the test to the whole group. Some of the other students are complaining that they can’t concentrate when the test is being read out loud, and some of those who are supposed to be following along with the reading don’t. What do you think?
Re: collaboration
Find someplace for them to take the test - don’t you have a library or lunch room? I don’t blame the other kids for complaining - I would too. Advise your administration about laws for all students, not just sped.
I know it can be challenging to meet all the needs in a classroom. I find it hard to believe that you can’t find a place anywhere in your building to read a test to a group of students. Does no one have a conference hour during that period?
Can’t the library be utilized? The resource room? The lunchroom? A conference room? I think it is just as bad to read a test to a student who does not want it read to them as it is to not read it for a student who needs it read.