....with the SPED venting, but I need to be all livid about this so I can let it go and sleep tonight. Your ears, please? Thank you. I am a self-contained Special Education teacher. I regularly monitor my students to see if they would be good candidates for inclusion since I believe if they can handle the work academically and socially, they should be with their peers. It is customary in my school to do a "trial run" of students in Gen Ed before we re-write their IEP. We give them a few weeks to see if they can actually cut it, then we re-write the IEP, move kids to different rosters, etc. I have a student who pushes out to 3/5 subjects. She has made such progress in literacy that I would like her to go to regular classes for her other 2 subjects as well. She is a great candidate...very socially typical, motivated to learn, involved family, etc. I approached my team about discussing this. First teacher, no problem. We looked over the data....talked to the resource/co-teacher, and I asked "Are you comfortable with her coming? What do you think?" She's totally on board. We are ready to support both of them. Second teacher, totally different story. I called, emailed, and spoke to her in person asking her opinion. HER OPINION....in no way did I say "Hey, this kid's coming after spring break. Good luck with that! Toodles!" I wanted to discuss with her like I did Teacher 1. This teacher is sort of a SPED hater....she claimed in a meeting (with my Principal) that accommodations and modifications are "bull $hit" and too much work. I tried to offer some ways to support her and she cut me off and stormed out of the meeting. Now she's sent an email copying EVERYONE on my team, my principal, and my case manager about how Ms. FourSquare wants to "dump" a student in her already large class, how she was not communicated with (lies!), and how she doesn't understand why the referral process takes so long but that inclusion can just happen whenever "Ms. FourSquare feels like it." Oh, and she's "not complaining." She's just "Concerned and confused." Thank goodness I documented all this to cover my behind! Some people just need to retire.
Hopefully the P talks to the lovely teacher who believes that accommodations and modifications are not necessary.
You've got e-mails and documentation to back yourself up. Talk to whomever is head of your team/department head etc about your concerns and provide them documentation. That way the principal doesn't talk to them before they know the whole story. Find out if they plan to address it with admin or if you should. Good luck!
Unfortunately, I know the feeling. I started out the year in a similar situation. I think the teacher had been burned by previous SPED teachers in the past. Once she realized by my actions that I truly was willing to support her with the student, she slowly transitioned to being willing to work with and communicate with me. I'm pleased to say that I'm preparing to nominate her as our regular ed building representative for our annual district-wide special ed awards banquet. This situation turned out to be a success story on the part of the student and the teachers. For every unpleasant and unwilling teacher you find out there, hopefully there are many more eager to do whatever it takes to help a student be successful.
Wait, the teacher made the accommodation comment and stormed out in front of the principal, and then sent this email? Your P was there and knows better. Is there any way your student could be mainstreamed into another classroom, or is this teacher the only one available for the subject?
I seriously would be considering a different regular education teacher if possible. This woman sounds like she will make this poor child's life not so wonderful every day. Good luck!
I'm not even sending her. She is unfortunately the only teacher in her subject for 6th grade. I can't risk that she would take her resentment out on my student. And I wouldn't put that past her! My P does know better. She taught at my school before becoming principal and was on a grade level team with Ms. Nightmare Teacher. I get the impression she has always been a nightmare. Apparently she told my P (as a teacher) not to seek her administrative certificate because she would never make a good admin. (Foot, meet mouth! :lol She told me this story, told me to not let negative people get me down, and thanked me for my enthusiasm and dedication. As long as she thinks I'm doing a good job I guess it doesn't matter. :| Sad that my student missed a good opportunity though.
It is very sad for your student. She is adding one more class and maybe next year can add this course as well.
Grrr...I had typed an entire post on my phone then m yphone's alarm went off and delleted everything! So annoying! Anyhow the gist of what I was saying is this woman is going to be in for a rude awakening b/c according to our SpEd teachers, the powers that be are trying to reduce the number of self contained classes b/c they feel thesse children need to grow up w/their peers, not seperate. Our school's SpEd program mainly consists of classroom accomodations and pull outs. Is it hard to manage accomodations sometimes? My Lord yes! Especially when we have behavioral problems that go unaddressed (ie: emotional disturbance). BUT you try your best because it helps the child. You don't start off w/a self defeatist attitude. My advice is not respond w/anger...let HER look like the irrational one. Just present ur evidence of communication including ur example of talking to the other teacher.
I am succeeding in this evidence based and emotionless communication, however it is difficult. My response to this massive email was: "I would like to respect Ms. Nightmare's request for more time and discussion on the matter, and so I will not be pushing (student) into General Education at this point. I am still happy to meet with all parties involved and perhaps we can do this before 4th quarter to decide as a team." She replied with "I did not request more time to meet, Ms. Foursquare. She is welcome in my class after spring break." :dunno: UGHHHHHH, THANK GOD FOR SPRING BREAK!
Okay, I've just had a bit of a cry over this whole thing and it's stupid to talk to anyone about in real life SOOO...here goes more venting: My P ended up putting her foot down and insisting the aforementioned student attend Ms. Nightmare's class. Ms. Nightmare then called THE DISTRICT to "clarify the legalities" of this, AKA report me. (For what, I don't know.) Unbeknownst to her, I ended up running into the same district official that she reported me to during a district PD. This person was very supportive and insisted I write an email copying Ms. Nightmare and herself about how she would love to sit down with Ms. Nightmare and discuss accommodating diverse learners into her classroom. haha That shut her up, but she has been sneaky about making my life hell ever since. Every time I speak at a team meeting she does something disruptive like an audible yawn or loudly moving her chair. She spent 10 minutes talking about me in the bathroom to our other teammate where I listened to the whole thing. She didn't know I was in the stall. Our other teammate approached me today regarding report cards and declared that my students should not be on honor roll because they receive a significantly modified curriculum. She said "It should say on their report card that they're not doing real 6th grade work." This team is so terrible, especially Ms. Nightmare. I am so lonely and tired advocating for SPED. It's like the more I do my job, the more people hate me.
I'm so sorry that you are going through this. It really is awful that there are teachers not willing to help ALL students learn. I agree that there should be something on the report card though for any student who is receiving a modified curriculum. If a student has accommodations but nothing in the curriculum is actually changed, then that's okay. But a modified curriculum should be noted for future grades. However, they should still receive honor roll rewards for working hard.
I'm also a sped teacher. I'm sorry you are feeling so frustrated. Is your student working on grade level? If not I agree that a modified curriculum should be noted for future grades. My inclusion students have accomodations but not modifications. If they need a different curriculum I have them in a resource room going out to science/ social studies/all specials. I pull them in for reading, math, Language Arts..their grades reflect sped grades. How does it work in your school?
Same. The report card comment was in reference to an entirely different student, just to clarify. (Sry.) The student pushing in for inclusion is not at grade level but does not receive a modified curriculum. My teammate was referring to one of my self-contained students operating at a more 2nd/3rd grade level. It is noted in her IEP that she receives a modified curriculum. Her parents and I both know it. I don't feel like it's anyone else's business. She worked hard for the grades and earned them. I understand if the criteria for Honor Roll is confusing, but no need to be RUDE about it. I just wish people were a tiny bit more sensitive.
You had me at Ms. Nightmare walked out of the meeting... What in the world....or how in the world would any P. allow a teacher to get away with that type of unprofessionalism? Truly this teacher needs a new perspective...well, the team needs a new perspective, on how inclusion works before they see a new perspective of a lack of a pay check. I am going to be in the camp that if they don't buck up and get moving on their profesionalism and accomdations of students, they're going to find a different job. Seriously, I would be out on my ear if I did that! Good for you doing your job right!
Wont ever happen! They're all tenured! And don't get me wrong....I'm actually 100% in favor of tenure. I'd rather have it protect the 95% good AND the 5% bad than protect nobody at all. But the 5% get away with murder and they know it. Ms. Nightmare has been at my school for 20 something years. She isn't going anywhere unless she decides on that retirement home in Florida. I cross my fingers ever day.
Im having an initial iep tomorrow for a child that was just identified as on the autism spectrum and he/or she is 12 years old. Not only is it a travesty student is just now getting services but, there is a LTS Im hoping to keep student away from. This LT S is just mean. We have 23 days left. Being a sped teacher can really get to you sometimes Hope the nightmare teacher gets over herself soon.
