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A Consequence of Testing ALL Student
Alexis Shuban, a high school special education supervisor is shocked when a student earns an unusually high score on an eleventh grade achievement test. His score is so high, in fact, that he would be eligible for an academic scholarship if he had taken a college preparatory program of study. Unfortunately, this student, a high school senior, has been in special education classes since the 5th grade and has not taken a college preparatory program.
All The Eggs In One Basket
School was hard for Scott due to his learning disability, but he tried his best in the
past because he wanted to play football. This year, incentives lost, and failing grades,
the only option to graduate if he failed the HSCT was with a special diploma. One course
and one teacher with a strict reputation stood in his way.
When one of Mike Salvatore’s students is arrested, Mike feels like a failure. Mike’s plan of action for dealing with Jamal’s behaviors had been successful for a while and he was optimistic that Jamal could overcome his past. In the end, however, it seemed that all was lost.
Commitments
Shawn is a student with a learning disability in Linda Thompson’s middle school, multigrade class. Although he has been recommended for a self-contained class for emotionally handicapped students, his mother has vehemently refused such a placement. In an attempt to help Shawn bring some of his negative outbursts under control, Mrs. Thompson enlists the aid of the entire class. The class agrees to an activity which requires each student to make a personal commitment to change some aspect of their behavior. Everyone hopes that Shawn will participate and be motivated to improve.
Difference of Opinion Jane is an adaptive physical education teacher in a middle school. One of her former students fails his regular PE class and his parents and doctor request that he be returned to her class. When the department head of special education blocks his return due to a technicality, Jane comes to his defense
Samantha Green, with six years of experience as a teacher in a residential program, begins her first year as a special education teacher at Tanglewood High School. She quickly learns her 15-year-old bilingual student, Maria, can read only four words. Both teacher and student are frustrated by the obstacles they face.
Beth Langly, a first year intern struggles with her "constructivist" philosophy and the demands of teaching high school science. Her supervising teacher, a twenty-year veteran of the classroom, is not inclined to try new methods of instruction.
Ginny
Ginny is a new 9th grade student at Midland High, a school that has received special
recognition as completely accessible to students with physical impairments. Ginny, born
with Spina Bifida, is grossly overweight and confined to a wheelchair. Diane Lane, the
Exceptional Student Education coordinator, is struggling to help Ginny and her family
control her weight and hygiene so that she can participate in a school-to-work program.
Hands Off
Stan Kricek was an intern (student teacher) with three weeks left in a small self-contained class for middle school students with severe emotional disabilities. Left alone to teach a lesson, Stan instructed a student to pick her head up off her desk and get back on task. He placed his hand on her shoulder as he spoke to her. Soon thereafter, Stan was accused of hitting the student.
He Just Needs a Little Discipline
Matt was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at the age of eight. All of his 8th grade teachers were concerned about his frequent outbursts in class and tried numerous types of interventions. Ritalin was prescribed in the past and it helped, but Matt’s father believes that his son should learn to cope without medication. Matt recently confided in Jill Gray, one of his teachers, that he thought he could focus better if he could go back on the Ritalin. The situation intensifies as his teachers wonder what to do.
Invasion of Privacy
Sean Michaels was a seasoned professional with ethical concerns regarding the safety of his female students. A new student, Juan Curare, was a convicted sex offender who verbally harassed on of Sean’s female students. The school principal forbade Sean to warn the female students about Juan’s past.
Is It Possible To Be Too Helpful?
Anita M
iller, is in her first year of teaching middle school students with learning disabilities. She makes a special effort to help Donald, one of her more needy and difficult students, by tutoring him after school, adapting his regular classroom assignments, and allowing his other teacher to send him to her classroom when his behavior gets out of control. After a Pep Club special event, when Anita drives a group of students home, Donald manages to be the last to be dropped off. He deliberately gives her incorrect directions to his house which prolongs the time they are alone together in the car.More Than a Teacher
Linda is a teacher in charge of all the 9th graders with learning and/or behavior problems in a large urban school. Dominique, one of her students, is experiencing serious health and emotional problems. The mother, in the midst of a family crisis, is not attentive to her daughter’s needs. Linda wants to help but wonders about what her role should be.
Jerry Hastings has been interning in Karen Warren’s middle school class for students with Severe Emotional Disturbance for several months. He didn’t always agree with her use of candy as a reinforcer, but this time she crossed the line when she bribed the kids to behave while she was being observed by District Review personnel.
Teaching is Emotionally Expensive
Tom, a veteran teacher, reflects to some of his peers on some of his teaching experiences over the years. He contends that teaching is "people work," with soft skills determining one’s success in the field. He recounts with two particularly troubling incidents, which regretfully, have caused him to conclude that teaching is emotionally expensive.
Ms. Taylor and Ms. Jones co-teach a middle school class in which children in special education programs are included with general education students. When Katy, a student with a behavior disorder, is particularly disrespectful and Ms. Jones dismisses it lightly, another student objects and points out that other students in the class would be sent to the office for such a remark.
Pam Todd was an experienced and exceptional teacher who brought out the best in her student Juan. But, was her approach appropriate? Mr. Lang, the school psychologist didn’t think so. He thought she was overstepping her boundaries as Juan’s teacher.
What IS an Appropriate Education?
The Burrows family was coping with their eleven year old daughter’s recent diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis, a rare degenerative neurological disorder. Melissa was experiencing excessive pain and drastic changes in behavior due to the growth of tumors in her brain. The medication prescribed to slow the growth of tumors was indirectly causing obesity. As she became increasingly aggressive, her teachers as well as her family struggled to control her physical outbursts. When a residential placement became a necessity, a dispute arose between the school board and the Burrows over where Melissa should be placed.
Tom Back has spent five years developing a constructivist math curriculum to accommodate all types of learners including general and special education students. After spending long hours and many sleepless nights, he is finally seeing the fruits of his labor. His student's math grades and test scores reflect the effectiveness of his methods. But Tom is troubled because none of his fellow teachers have taken his lead and modified their teaching styles. Many of his students, after reentering traditional classes are returning to their former spiral of failure.
Margaret Boggs, a middle school special education resource teacher, enjoys collaborating with her student’s general education teachers. Wayne, one of her more challenging students is having particular problems with one of his teachers, Doris Walker, who is demanding that Wayne be taken out of her classroom and moved to a more restrictive setting. Margaret, in an attempt to advocate on Wayne’s behalf, finds herself at odds with Doris.
Ms. Stanley and Ms. Diaz are co-teaching one period together, where the classroom they are sharing has been Ms. Diaz’s for 15 years. Unfortunately the two teachers have very different teaching strategies. Ms. Diaz, believing there is a certain percentage of students destined to fail, is strict and unyielding with the students. Ms. Stanley has spent two years working with "at risk" students and believes that all students can succeed with support. Ms. Stanley has tried to talk to Ms. Diaz about their differences but to no avail.
A new 11th grade student at Lincoln Academy, for learning disabled students, arrived with an "attitude" and a massive cumulative file documenting her previous "educational wars." After trying numerous strategies, Kim Statler, a third year teacher, is at a loss as to how to reach this student.
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