Ok guys, I need advice. I will be switching from elementary math to high school special education next year. I am so nervous! Does anyone out there have suggestions on things I might need or what to take into my new setting? I have truck loads of elementary manipulatives, books,bulletin boards, posters, etc... I have no idea how to approach setting up a high school classroom.....HELP ME. I want to spend my summer preparing............... :thanks:
I would definitely keep the manipulatives. For the bulliten boards, I'd lean toward more solid colors, and I'd put up things that are relevant for those kids. (Newspaper articles, class assignments...) don't rule out things just b/c they're used with younger kids. I bought a set of posters this summer, and the 9th grade science teacher took the one with birthday month baloons and let the kids write in their birthdays.
I believe I will have kids labeled LD, BD and MI in grades 9-12. I will be working with mostly English and Science.
Bring a lot of manipulatives. Even if the kids have "down time" they love to use their hands with things. One thing to remember is that you may not want to use these things exclusively for a math, english, or science lesson - it may not be age-appropriate for a lesson. Have them available if you find the kids need some hands on to go along with what they are learning. I teach 9-12 LD/EBD and it would be a real mix of kids who would use the manipulatives and those who would find them childish.
Help offered Hello! If you are ready to read an analysis how such kids can learn, I can forward you my survey after teaching 2000 such kids with great success. But it may be contrary to all what you have been teached. I'm now 83 and try to convince teachers, that kids just don't learn as they assume they should. That is dead sure for special education kids. I never had any disciplinary problems and in the school for special education, where I worked 15 years the ultimative punishment was a denial to participate in my lessons. Yacle@netvision.net.il
If you have time to read my stuff and you like it, tell me what is a proper way to put it on a suitable forum. YL
