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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Classroom Diversity - Chapter 2

Diversity in the classroom is inevitable. The wonderful thing about working in the special education world is that education is a little bit more individualized than the general education classroom. Even though the diversity in special education might be greater than a normal classroom, it is more individualized. In special education classrooms student's ages and abilities vary immensely. With IEP's and smaller Special Ed classroom containing only 3 to 10 students, teachers are able to focus on individualized level learning.

In the special education classroom I currently work in I see a wide range of students. We have ten year old and twelve year old. Some of the children are very close to grade level intelligence and other are considered MR with limited intelligence skills and often even more limited social skills. The one great thing is that the classrooms are so small we are able to really focus on giving each student. This kind of one on one teaching gives the students the best chance of understanding subjects. The lesson plans vary for each student. We alter lesson plans and testing so that students have the most appropriate ways to show their knowledge.

2 comments:

  1. Ryan,

    I think that it is great that you can share examples of diversity in the classroom you work in now. How true it is that special education teacher deal with diversity every day! As time changes though I feel that general education teacher's have just as much diversity in their classrooms as special education only with more students. With the move towards inclusive classrooms, specific special education classrooms, I feel will become more scarce, because more of the students attending these classrooms will be placed in general education classrooms with more pull in help than push out. The thing I also like about special education classrooms that you mentioned was that they are more individualized. The students really make great progress and lessons can be adapted more easily, with such a close knit relationship that you build with the students. There are so few students that the close knit relationship can be gained.

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  2. Ryan,

    I'm glad that you are able to see this special individual attention given to the students in the special education classroom. However, I also see it in the general classroom as well. I teach next door to the math teacher and she is always talking about how she has so much homework at night to get all the levled groups lessons ready and prepared the night before. Although there are more students in the class than in a special education classroom the students are still recieving individualized instruction at their targeted level.

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