[Tounces]

I’m job searching now. I’ve had one interview through zoom so far. I’ve been teaching Resource Special Ed for many years. There’s an opening for grades 5-8 cognitive delayed teacher. I’m wondering what it’s like. I think they have a small class with assistants and may send the students out for a little bit of the day. These kids would be at the mild-moderate levels. Would it be teaching life skills, social emotional skills mostly? I really prefer teaching academics. TIA

[Purplecrayons]

It depends, I teach a middle school self -contained life skills class. Each district has different qualifications for the program. In my district, to be qualified for my program students measurable IQ is 55 or below and have deficits in adaptive skills. My students range academically/ developmentally to 2 years- 2nd grade skills. All of my students take the states alternate assessment and I teach using the essential elements or extended grade level standards.

I teach 6 periods , (Morning meeting/ social skills, ELA/ writing , functional math, Lifeskills/ DLA , science/ health , social studies) They also have adapted PE and that’s my plan time. I do have a couple of students that go out for various other classes.

We do twice a month community outings ( one of which is to the grocery store to buy items needed for our Friday cooking class .) We also run a staff coffee/ beverage / snack cart for staff. It’s a big fundraiser for our program, with Covid , we won’t be running the cart or doing our community outings for the fall semester.

This is going to be my second year teaching middle school life skills. I really love it. Let me know if have any other questions.