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Your thoughts and/or ideas about teaching in a classroom that includes special needs learners.

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Your thoughts and/or ideas about teaching in a classroom that includes special needs learners.

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Every since I was a young child I have been drawn to the SPED students. I always offered to help them during lessons or would ask to be grouped with them during partner work. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for them.

I have already made the decision to become a special education teacher. I think many people can teach, but it takes a unique person to teach SPED. I would love to work in a structured room or an FAA classroom. I prefer to work with students that are more severe than just a learning disorder.

I have already started putting together a mental design of how I would want my classroom set up. I have also started thinking about what activities I need to create to help my students become their best. Activities like file folders for matching colors, numbers, letters, emotions, animals. Or fine motor skill activities like putting coins in a piggy bank, clipping chip clips to the sides of a small basket, or threading beads onto a string or pipe cleaner.

In addition to all of this, I would need to build a strong relationship with the speech, PT, OT, and adaptive P.E. specialists. Working together well will ensure that each SPED student on my caseload is taken care of properly per their IEP.

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I work at Maize South Elementary School (MSE) as a paraprofessional. I was hired this school year as a general education para. My responsibilities included lunchroom duty, recess duty, production, parent drop off and pick up, assisting teachers with classroom coverage, and testing/math/reading interventions. This was the first para position I had excepted where I was not directly working with SPED students.

I took some time early in the semester to visit the Structured Learning classroom at MSE. I did this as part of my special education field experience project. While observing the classroom, I fell in love with those kids.

A few weeks later the principal asked all the gen. ed. paras if anyone would be willing to assist the SPED team temporarily because they were short-staffed and were in the process of hiring new SPED paras. I volunteered to help. After a week or so, the principal asked how I was doing and how I like the Structured Learning classroom. I told her I loved it. I then offered to move to the SPED team permanently. She was so grateful and I was elated to be working with such a great team of paras, teachers, and special students.

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Your thoughts and/or ideas about teaching in a classroom that includes special needs learners.

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Your thoughts and/or ideas about teaching in a classroom that includes special needs learners.

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Description of teaching strategies AND effectiveness of the teaching strategies used with the special needs learner(s).

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Description of teaching strategies AND effectiveness of the teaching strategies used with the special needs learner(s).

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One teaching strategy that is used in the Structured Learning classroom is the schedule. Each student has a velcro strip with pictures that show what the student will be doing next. This could be a bathroom break, a sensory activity, or a group activity. Any picture that is displayed shows the students what they are expected to do at that point in time. Once the pictures have been taken from the strip they are then matched to the corresponding picture to indicate that the student is ready to begin. I find the schedules to be extremely effective. They are easy to use and all the students understand the concept. When I say, "Go check your schedule!" there is no hesitation or pushback. The boys respond well to it.

Since this class is so small, this allows the teacher time to do a 1 on 1 session with each student. This allows her to work with the kids individually on what they need most. She is then able to judge where the student stands with this particular skill. I believe the 1 on 1 sessions with each student are very effective. They help the teacher keep better notes on the kids' progress, which helps her write stronger IEP's.

Many activities the teacher does are short and repeated frequently. The students in this class benefit from the repetitiveness. Many lessons are paired with Super Simple Songs off of Youtube. The videos are age-appropriate, fun, colorful, encourage movement, catchy, and awesome! I think repeating stories, songs, and lessons are most effective. The best way to learn something is to go over it multiple times. That is what my boys do every day to strengthen their skills.

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How's The Weather? | ft. the Super Simple Puppets | Super Simple Songs

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The related teaching and learning setting (grade level(s) and/or student age range, number of students, location, classroom details, etc...)

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The related teaching and learning setting (grade level(s) and/or student age range, number of students, location, classroom details, etc...)

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Maize South Elementary teaches grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. The ages of the students range from 5-10 years old. The average classroom houses roughly 26 students.

The Structured Learning room caters to all the grades within the school. Out of the five students, I work with, one is in kindergarten, three are in 2nd grade, and one is in 4th grade.

The classroom is located towards the front of the school near the nurse's office. The classroom comes equipped with a full bathroom, a small kitchen, and a walk-in closet. The classroom only has two tables. One is for group activities and the other is for eating. Three of the five students do not eat in the lunchroom. They eat in the classroom for different reasons. One of the students is extremely sensitive to sound and the cafeteria would be overstimulating to him. Another needs a full chair to eat in. He does not have the core strength to hold himself up otherwise.

The room has a Promethean board where the students partake in calendar time and other activities. They also watch some videos on Youtube. The videos help keep them engaged and learning. There are two computers. One is for the students. It has a touch screen monitor which is great for students that do not have the fine motor skills to maneuver a mouse.

Last, the classroom has a quiet corner. It is a safe and comfortable space where the students can go if they are feeling overwhelmed or need to rest. There are several pillows, a weighted blanket, and a large teddy bear for good measure.

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The particular type(s) of special needs learner(s) you observed 

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The particular type(s) of special needs learner(s) you observed 

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The five students I observed and now work with have a few different diagnoses. Four out of the five falls onto the autism spectrum. Two of the four suffer from seizures. Another has cerebral palsy and hearing impairments. The fifth student has Angelman Syndrome. He is stunted cognitively with some physical disabilities.