I just signed my very first contract yesterday for a HS Special Ed position teaching English and Fundamentals. The English class is an inclusive class, so I know the gen ed teacher will be in the room with me. How are most inclusive rooms run? Does the gen ed and sped teacher co-teach and share lesson planning or is it primarily the gen ed teacher who does the teaching? I have more experience with young kids- pre-school and elementary from my student teaching and a long term sub assignment. I am getting nervous about the jump to high school- what should I expect?? Is it easier teaching HS kids, harder? I have no idea what I should expect teaching in a HS. I know I am going to have to change my style of teaching, does anyone have any advice for the transition? What aside from study skills/organizational skills is covered in fundamentals? Thanks in advance for any input!
Congrats on your job!! I made the jump from kinder to 2nd grade to middle school and have been at the HS level for the past 3 years. I'm a SPED teacher as well. My co-teachers and I do not plan together. They do the planning since they are the 'content experts'. When we teach together, it's normally a back and forth where we will take turns teaching. In the math classes that I'm in (since I couldn't teach math to save my life!), I'm there to make sure that everyone is attentive and doing their work, and to help the students where I can.
I'd be screwed teaching math Couldn't do it then, can't do it now, lol. I do have to complete an online class to become highly qualified in English. Did you have to do something similar when you switched to HS? What grades do you like working with the best?
The best thing you can do is get in touch with the gen ed teacher and find out how they like to do it, and/or what the school or district policy is. In my HS we don't have much in terms of co-teaching, but in the middle school we did. The gen ed teacher did the planning and most of the teaching, while the special ed teacher assisted the students individually or in small group.
In TX, once you're certified in an area, you just have to take a certification test in any other subject area. I have enough English credits so I went ahead and just took the 8-12 English exam. I LOVE working with middle school, but my HS students are good too.
Congrats on the job! I would definitely talk with your co-teacher. Each relationship is different and so is the way that you share the classroom.
