[amy9252]

Hi!

I am need of assistance from one fabulous regular education inclusion teacher who is willing to share some of their time and thoughts! For my graduate class, I have been asked to interview a regular ed inclusion teacher and unfortunately my current job is not within a district which proves much difficulty when completing these assignments. All I need is a few questions answered honestly!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH :-)

1. What are your personal feelings toward inclusion?

2. What is the make-up of your classroom (what does it look like) ?

3. What does planning look like for an inclusion classroom?

4. What is your relationship with the special education teacher?

5. How does your parent communication effect your daily classroom? (What does it look like) ?

6. What is the biggest challenge you face?

7. What are the most rewarding things about being an inclusion teacher?

8. Any other comments?

This is very much appreciated, I wish there was a better way for me to thank you. All I ask is when you answer, just please tell me your grade level.

Thanks again!

[ViolaSwamp]

1. What are your personal feelings toward inclusion?
I think it is a good thing for many children. I do not think that it is best for every child to be in the regular classroom, but if they can function fairly well in it, then we should do what we can to make it work.
2. What is the make-up of your classroom (what does it look like) ?
I have a WIDE range. 7 above grade level (from just above to AG students); 8 on grade level students; 11 below level students (from just below to Kindergarten level)
3. What does planning look like for an inclusion classroom?
I have to have lots of different groups - I hardly ever teach whole group. I just loose too many kids that way. Running groups can be difficult and I have to spend my planning time figuring out what they will do at group time and independently. I also spend a great deal of time looking for resources that are appropriate for each level.
4. What is your relationship with the special education teacher?
We work very well together. She is always flexible and willing to help where needed.
5. How does your parent communication effect your daily classroom? (What does it look like) ?
I'm not sure how to answer this question - I send home weekly progress reports and make phone calls as needed. The more involved the parents are, the better the kids tend to do.

6. What is the biggest challenge you face?
Meeting everyone's needs. It can be very difficult to keep my higher kids challenged and still help my low ones make progress without getting lost.

7. What are the most rewarding things about being an inclusion teacher?
Seeing the progress they make.


Hope this helps!! -- Oh, and I teach 4th grade

[Redundancy]

1. What are your personal feelings toward inclusion?
I have seen it work wonders for children over the years. (As long as they receive the support they deserve.)

2. What is the make-up of your classroom (what does it look like) ?
My classes range from 23 to 26 kids. I have them for 57 minutes. I use the Workshop Approach, so I am able to work one-on-one or with small groups each day.

3. What does planning look like for an inclusion classroom?
I rarely have to modify lessons since I am able to provide such support. Some kids use the computer to write. Others may need extra time. All quizzes are modified with word banks, etc. if needed. (This is rarely needed though.)

4. What is your relationship with the special education teacher?
We work very well together. She often helps plan. She volunteers to teach some of the mini lessons or handle the read aloud, giving me time to stand back and observe the kids. We brainstorm lessons together. She is a hard worker. This isn't always the case. Two years ago, the special ed. teacher just handled email and the year before that the teacher read magazines. Inclusion ONLY works when both teachers work hard together.

5. How does your parent communication affect your daily classroom? (What does it look like) ?
I have a website. I call and email parents or the special ed. teacher does. When parents request after school help, the special ed. teacher often volunteers to help the kids with IEP's, allowing me to work with the other kids.

6. What is the biggest challenge you face?
Making sure that I fulfill the needs listed on the IEP without letting the IEP limit my expectations for each individual learner.

7. What are the most rewarding things about being an inclusion teacher?
I think there is a benefit to having a partner in the classroom to bounce ideas off of. All children gain from this partnership, not just the ones with special needs.

[lynnylubner]

I teach 5th grade. I have 4 inclusion students. One is never pulled. Three receive reading, language, and spelling instruction outside the room, and get reading and language instruction from me also. They are out of the room 90 min./day for small group instruction.

1. What are your personal feelings toward inclusion?
I think it's good for most students that can handle a regular classroom. Most special ed. students can function in a reg. room.

2. What is the make-up of your classroom (what does it look like) ?
5 th grade. I teach all subjects. The three that leave miss Content instruction and some writing and extra math help. I have 28 students - some from broken homes, some from middle class homes, all make ups. 4/28 are black; 4/28 are hispanic; 2/28 are biracial; 2/28 are speech
I don't have access to numbers, but my guess is ~40-50% are free/reduced lunch

3. What does planning look like for an inclusion classroom?
I plan normal. My particular students are 'high' functioning, they are just a year or less behind their peers; so instruciton doesn't vary too much. I do guided reading groups and have para support for my reading groups - which helps w/ 28 students more than it helps just my inclusion

4. What is your relationship with the special education teacher?
Very good. We have a formal meeting for 20 min. every three weeks. I also see them at lunch (2 spec. ed. teachers) and we discuss issues there. We are all supportive of each other and decisions.

5. How does your parent communication effect your daily classroom? (What does it look like) ?
I send home a newsletter every Monday over e-mail. I give a paper copy to the three w/ no e-mail. It has a schedule of events and all homework for the week
Parents e-mail me for quesions/concerns; I promptly respond

6. What is the biggest challenge you face?
The class number; bullying

7. What are the most rewarding things about being an inclusion teacher?
Seeing real progress; my three are really focused on being dismissed and placed in general ed. Helping them achieve their goal is fulfulling. In the past, I've had the lowest of the low too. It is nice to see their progress too.
8. Any other comments?

[amy9252]

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! You all have been of the utmost help! Happy Holidays :-)

Hello, I am a 4th grade math teacher. I do inclusion with one of my math classes. I really enjoy the inclusion. This year it has really seemed to help some of them who feel that they can't do anything because they are in a special class. Now that they are in my class and with other students they have realized that they can do a lot more than they think. It is hard sometimes, but I wouldn't change! I have 23 studnets in my inclusion class. 15 are regular ed (but mostly low) and 8 are SPED. I have them sitting amongst themselves. For my inclusion class planning is pretty much like my other math classes except I go slower with this class and I use more hands-on activities. I usually take two days for concepts one to introduce and then one to really work hard on it. I usually don't get all of my standards taught with this class, but I do the ones that I know they can really excell on. They special ed teacher and I get along GREAT!!! She comes in and helps. She brings new ideas to my class and sometimes she offers to teach the class if she has a really good lesson. Parent communication doesn't seem to effect my daily class. We use planners here so we write down assignments and things in that so not a problem. The SPED teach takes care of all the meetings and I attend when possible. The biggest challenge I face when teaching my inclusion class is when to move on to a new concept. I feel like I need to just teach until everyone has it. And sometimes that really isn't possible. I have a hard time moving on, but I have to some times because I don't want my other students to be effected by it. All students are here to learn and that is my job, so I try to make sure that I don't lose any!!! Also a challenge is knowing what to teach and what to skip if I have to skip something. Some concepts you just know they aren't going to get, but I still have a hard time just skipping it. Sometimes I give a real quick lesson on it incase some of the kids can pick it up! The most rewarding thing is watching students who teachers in the past have just given up on learn things and get so excited because they can learn and they want to learn. It is so rewarding when they finally understand a concept that you have been trying to teach for so long. Their faces just brighten up and it's wonderful. They get way more excited when they learn something than regular students. I hoped this helped you out!!!!