My expertise in the field of
teaching and education is very limited because I do not have a licensure at
this point in time. Instead, I substitute teach in the school system I coach in
and I have been exposed to different classroom settings in different subjects.
I think one practice that the schools do that I think helps students with
disabilities is providing a least restrictive environment and providing an
inclusion setting. According to the textbook, Education for All, “least restrictive
environment is the presumption that students with disabilities will be granted
access to and educated in the general education curriculum and will participate
in other general education activities.” In all the inclusion classes that I have
substituted for, I have been a part of an inclusion setting and I think it is
the best way for students with a disability to interact with their peers in an
academic and on a social level. Students working in small groups are a common
practice in the classroom and it can be a beneficial tool for students with
disabilities if it done correctly. For instance, one classroom I substituted
for was for a seventh grade English classroom with inclusion. The teacher
allows roughly 15-20 minutes a day where students are assigned into their own
groups to practice basic word recognition examples (identifying nouns,
adjectives, verbs, etc.). In all of the groups, which the most in a group is
four, students with a disability or an IEP are in each group. Rather than
having these students work together amongst each other and become isolated from
the other groups of students without disabilities, this specific teacher
encourages the interaction and treats everyone the same. She allows the social
interaction within the groups so no one feels like they are left out and in the
same breath they are able to work with the regular rest of the classroom.
I
am a huge fan of sports, and being a football coach is my passion. The Youtube
videos that discussed Jason McElwain really touched me
the most. After seeing the video titled, Jason McElwain Autistic Basketball Player, it showed me that with the
proper support, encouraging a student to be a
part of something they have a passion for, and providing an opportunity for
that person to do something they enjoy without restriction, anything is
possible for a student with a disability. All the players saw Jason as a
teammate and they did not treat him any different. I have dealt with many
football players that have had learning disabilities in the classroom and have
been very good players. I have some philosophies and practices that I have used
over the years seem to be beneficial. One is that I treat all my players
equally regardless if the student has a disability or not. To me it shows that I
am not restricting their abilities and I see them as a so called “normal”
person. Also, I take more of a “teaching” approach in football. Coaching is
more of the game planning and talking about the bigger picture of the game of
football. Teaching football is more of the technique, the how to do things in
football. I have never had problems with any of my players over the years, they
have continued to play, and attitude in the classroom has been positive. Treating
people with a disability equally can work wonders for one’s confidence and work
ethic, whether if it is in the classroom or in society.
Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteYou need to go back and delete your opening line. You may not have a license or formal education but you have the knowledge and you definitely "Get It!" You realize the importance of LRE, inclusion and especially your comments on small diverse groups. They are beneficial to everyone. I work with licensed educators that have been in the field for years and don't utilize small groups or they only heterogeneous group them. You also reflect expertise in your approach to coaching. You get to know your players and build on their strengths and weaknesses. There in no I in Team. Everyone is equal and important. Coaching is about Teaching and building the Team. A license doesn't make you an Expert. I am assuming you are working towards getting yours. Awesome! The field of Education is going to benefit greatly from it when you do!
I couldn't agree more with Karen!! Though, the outside world thinks that the only way you can "know" anything is to have a degree or an abbreviation next to your name, most of us believe the picture to be a bit different. Sometimes we can be "overschooled" and lose our connection with the classroom. Not to say that furthering your education is not good, it is, but I think we can all identify someone who has been "overschooled" and we just need to protect ourselves from that happening;) I really admire your outlook in your coaching. And even though you don't have your license... use these times to really find out what kind of teacher/professional you want to be! My best moments were in Student Teaching. I really found out about the education world and developed a passion for what kind of teacher I was going to be. Any profession or business can benefit from an "outsiders" perspective. You can see things in a different light... good and bad. Take advantage of these times!!!
ReplyDeleteThe ability you have to see all types of classrooms will help guide our practice when you get your own classroom more than I could have imagined, so take it all in. Sometimes even seeing things that "don't" work is a great tool. I have coached cheerleading for the past 16 years and prior to moving this summer owned my own All Star Cheerleading gym so I connect with you about treating all athletes with consistency. I often had parents of athletes come and discuss behavioral issues that a cheerleader was having in school but showed no sign of when they were are practice. I loved being able to hear parents say my program was somewhere that their student excelled, made friends, and looked forward to being a part of. That is only one of the many things that sports can do for all students, just like in the basketball video:)
ReplyDeleteI would think that being exposed to different classroom settings and also teaching different subjects are giving you a solid background that is going to benefit in the future. As for seeing students with disabilities working in a least restrictive environment, it can either benefit them or cause negative interactions. Although, if the teacher does spend time and develops a classroom that gives all the students an equal learning environment and promotes the social interactions, it will benefit all the students in the classroom. As for your football experience, I also think that it is about teaching and treating everyone equally. When working inside and outside of the classroom it is about giving opportunities to all individuals based on their attitudes and how hard they are working towards their goal.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure to be a substitute teacher for 3 years before obtaining a full time teaching position. I was assigned to many long term substitute teaching positions during that time. I felt that those years were so valuable to my developing as an educator. In fact, I once interviewed with a principal that shared with me that he never hires a teacher that has not substituted for a year because of the growth as a teacher you gaoin from your experiences. I agree that inclusion is a great way to ensure socialization between disabled and nondisabled peers. I have found that in most classes they do not see their classmates any differently despite their academic levels.
ReplyDeleteJust like you, I don't have a classroom but I have taught for five years in the past. Don't make is sound like you don't have any experience or expertise. The proper credentials don't set you apart, you're an educator because of what you do. I agree with the other posts that you are gaining valuable knowledge and experience subbing, being able to bounce around from setting to setting and grade to grade. I myself, as a TSS, have the opportunity to be in different classroom settings and I keep a notebook of cool teaching ideas that I would like to implement in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs far as sports and the video, I don't have any experience in that field. The thing that really bothered me though was, if Jason was at every practice and a part of the team, why did the coach wait until the last 4 minutes of the last game of his senior year when they were 20 points up to put Jason in. To me that is not including Jason, it seemed like an after thought. Again I don't have any experience and am only commenting on what I saw.