Special Education in the Mainstream Classroom

In this day and age of IDEA and No Child Left Behind, special education students are no longer shoved into the deepest darkest and most desolate portion of public schools. Now it is the trend and rightfully so to mainstream these special education students into the general education population. As a result, regular education teachers will now have rosters that resemble alphabet soup as they must become familiar with IEP's, and students who are OHI, LD, ED, SLD, OCD, ADHD, ODD, and the list goes on and on.

To better prepare these teachers to forge into a world that is often unknown to them, and one that they did not sign up for, regular educators are paired up with special education teachers in a collaborative setting to better educate the students and meet all their needs in the least restrictive environment possible. So, how is this done? There are 5 different accepted models currently in place. The trick in choosing the right model lies in the relationship between the two different teachers and the classroom environment that they wish to create.

The first model to examine is called the One Teach, One Support model. This is the simplest of all the models to implement because is requires the least amount of planning time. In this model there is essentially one teacher; the regular education teacher plays this role. Here the regular educator decides on the content and delivery of the curriculum. They are at the head of the class, literally at the chalkboard and figuratively in making all the decisions in looks of the classroom and how it is conducted, while the role of special education teacher is delegated to more of an assistance position.

Here the special education teacher floats around the room providing assistance to students who are struggling with a concept or those that just require more reassurance in using the strategies the teacher has given them. In this model the boundaries are clearly drawn. The regular educator "runs the show" and it is often that the special education teacher is visiting in the room and normally does not require a "classic" desk set up. So, often times this classroom set up is very conventional in its appearance and function.

In current education philosophy the days of copying notes directly from the board to paper is a thing of the past; the new thinking in today's classroom is the use of "foldables" and graphic organizers. It is in these situations the model One Teach, One Support really comes in handy. Many special education students, and some regular education students, have difficulty in listening to instruction, watching the demonstration, and constructing their own foldable or graphic organizer.

Through the use of this model, the regular education teacher gives the directions as the special education teacher will be able to walk around to assist the students, ensuring that they are on task, and completing/recording all the necessary information. How many times have teachers thought of these creative lesson plans only to have students turn in a blank paper because they "got stuck" on a certain part and did not complete the assignment? While there are many positive applications for this model of collaborative teaching the partnership could work well.

For example, if the special education teacher is weak in curriculum but is strong in strategies and the regular education is weak in strategies and strong in curriculum. Also, it provides consistence in the classroom and requires little preparation time between the special education teacher and the regular education teacher.

There can be some serious drawbacks to this system as well. Another example in this model is that the students will always see the special education teacher as the subordinate to the regular education teacher when the special education teacher is the "primary" teacher for their inclusion student(s). Many times students will say, "No, I want to ask the teacher a question," when addressing the special educations teacher. The students may be unable to recognize the authority of the special education teacher as a result of this model. Also, and often times, the special education teacher and regular education teacher tend to see the class in terms of yours and mine.

The teachers tend to mentally divide the classroom into those with IEP's and those without; which is not the purpose of an inclusion class setting. Finally, if this is the sole model used in the classroom it can lead to tension between the two teachers. The regular teacher may feel as those the other teacher is intruding on their space and/or that they are questioning their ability to teach. While on the other hand, the special education teacher may feel as though they are not welcome in the classroom and because they are not as well versed in the curriculum, that their ideas do not carry as much weight. This can cause tension in the classroom and the students will pick up on it.

The next model to investigate is called the Station Model. This model takes a lot of organizational skills, a lot of preparation, and nerves of steel to handle all of the activity that is involved in pulling this particular model off. In this set up both the regular education and special education teachers are equal partners in dealing with the curriculum, but act as separate entities within the class. Here the students can be divided into two or three groups. One group is placed with the regular education teacher, another with the special education teacher and finally, and if the teachers are comfortable with it, the last group can be left on their own to work independently.

So, at any one time there can be as many as three different activities going one at once. Each teacher now becomes responsible for delivering their portion for of the lesson and can use the techniques and styles that they are most comfortable in using. There is no one centralized area of the classroom, but instead it may appear to be two smaller classrooms contained in one larger room. Both teachers would require their own desk area, space chalkboard, and supplies to carry on their own "mini" lessons.

This model can lend itself to many different lesson plans; for example, in a history lesson students could be asked to compare and contrast the lives of the first colonist at the Jamestown settlement to the Native American Indians that were already living in the area at the time.

In the first group with one of the teachers the students can be having a lesson about how the Native Americans lived in the area and what their lives were like on a day to day basis. In the second group and with the other teacher can be giving the lesson on how the colonist survived in the new world. While a third group can be doing a web quest or reading assignment on how the two groups interacted with one another.

At a designated time, about one-third of the way through class, the students will be given a signal to change stations and this model continues until all of the students have completed all of the stations. As a wrap up, or even as a next day warm up, students can write a short story about what it would be like to be a Native American or Colonist in the new world.

This model is really great for reducing the student to teacher ratio and really allows each teacher to become an expert in their topic area if the curriculum. But with every pro there are some serious cons as well; for example, the classroom must be large enough to accommodate the three stations. In this model the noise level can be difficult to contend with if there is not enough space to separate the groups.

Also, both teachers must be careful that there is continuity in the lesson plan that after the students have completed all of their "learning" stations that the kids can come together and synthesize the information into the whole picture. Finally, the enemy of all teachers, TIME! In the station model teachers can lose a lot of valuable teaching time to transition. Many students both regular education and special education have difficulty changing from one activity to another and a lot of time can be lost from physically moving from one station to another, gathering their materials for a different lesson, and just be distracted in general by the change in environment. These are all things to consider when using the station model.

The next model to review in the collaborative teaching concept is called the Parallel Model. This is similar to the Station Model just discussed, but here the class is divided into two separate groups, each made up of a mixture of special education and regular education students. However, instead of sectioning off pieces of the curriculum, each teacher is responsible for teaching the entire lesson, but to only half of the class. If you were to pass by the room you would see two little classrooms contained in the one larger classroom. Again, both teachers are separate but equal partners in the learning environment.

It's as though they are separate satellites orbiting around the same material. Both teachers are going to have to share the space and remain extremely focused in planning the materials they use and the lesson they create. There will also have to be much care taken in how the class is to be divided to ensure that there is a good mixture of special education and regular education students.

This can be an excellent model to use when teaching complex lessons with many steps such as a fourth grade math lesson in adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. Many students, with or without disabilities, look for the easiest way out when it comes to education. It can be difficult to check and ensure that every student understands and can apply such multi-step concepts when there are 25 kids with a variety of needs in the classroom and only one teacher. So, this concept of divide and conquer is applied. In this model, because students with diverse needs are grouped together and the teacher student ratio is much more manageable, every student will be able to receive the added attention and teachers can ensure that students are using good "math habits." The teachers, in their own separate "classes," can ensure that each student really understands how to apply the information they have learned and can quickly correct any errors the student makes. As mentioned before, there can be many positives to a model, but just as many negatives as well. With lower student to teacher ratios, the teachers can be perceived as equals within the classroom. Yet, there are several drawbacks as well.

First, both teachers must be proficient in the material they are teaching, even though there are two different teachers delivering the material they must essentially ensure that they are providing the same information. Then the question comes up, what if one seems to test better than another? How does this reflect on the partnership, how does it reflect on the individual teacher? This can create a lot of tension. There is always the problem of consistency, not just in the two lessons, but also in grading, discipline, and teaching styles. Finally, there will be times when students will not want to get into "that group" and they will want to know "why do I have to go with them I want to stay in here today!" These types of problems will need to be considered and addressed before the students ever walk into the classroom.

The next model up for examination is called the Alternative Model. In this model the students are again divided into two groups; however, they are not equally divided. The majority of the class would most likely be with the regular education teacher receiving that day's lesson, while a smaller number of students would be with the special education teacher getting a reinforcement lesson, or enrichment lesson, that would better cement the concepts that the students are having difficultly demonstrating. The time could also be used for enrichment activities. As in the previous models, an observer would see a main classroom and perhaps a smaller "pull out" area with chairs and a table. Again, this leaves the regular education teacher as the primary teacher and the one responsible for delivering the curriculum; while the special education teacher becomes more of a resource within the room. Again, this is just another version of the Station and Parallel Models where the only thing that changes is the number of students that each teacher is responsible for and the amount of curriculum each teacher is expected to be proficient in.

This model too can be adapted to any lesson plan. For instance, the regular education teacher would have the majority of the students involved in a fourth grade science lesson on motion while the special education teacher is pulling a very small number kids out for a hands on activity that will accompany either the lesson currently going on or help reinforce a concept that these children had difficulty mastering. In this model, with such a small group of students the reinforcement or enrichment activities really has an opportunity to make an impact on all the students in the class. It really allows the students the chance to interact with the teacher and allows the teacher to observe and evaluate each student. But again, there are always problems when the classroom is split into groups, first and foremost dividing the group in this way often puts a stigma on the kids with special needs because they are the ones that are consistently being pulled out into small group; or if you will call it resource room within the classroom. Also, when is a good time for the students to miss the lesson that is currently being presented in the classroom, when and how will they make up the information or work that they miss while they are receiving the extra help? And finally, the problem with all the models that call for students to be split apart seems to fly in the face of the concept of collaboration and the inclusion setting.

The final model listed, Team Teaching or the Co-Teaching Model, is one of the most difficult models to accomplish. It requires a lot of trust between the two teachers and a lot of planning and co-ordination of the lesson plan to pull this model off. In the Team Teaching Model there is one classroom and two equally partnered teachers. In this classroom both teachers would need a space that they could call their own. There would no division of children by needs or any other factors; the students are always handled as a class as a whole. The two teachers are equally responsible for the curriculum and for its delivery. If someone were to peek into this classroom, it would look like every other class in the building with the exception that there were two teachers at the front of the classroom. This model is the complete reverse of the One Teach, One Support Model that we examined earlier in this paper. In this classroom everyone from student to teachers are completely involved in the classroom and lesson 100% of the time.

This, along with all the other models discussed, can be adapted to any lesson plan. However, it does take a lot more planning and coordination to make such a lesson work. An example would be a third grade reading comprehension lesson. Here the two teachers can choose to read a story with two main characters; each taking a part as they read the story aloud to the children. Then the teachers can take turns describing the elements of a story while the other teacher follows up by ask student questions about the lesson. Example, the first teacher can give notes and describe what the term "setting" means in terms of literature, then the other teacher can follow up with questions like; in the story we just read someone describe the setting in that story. The discussion can continue on about literary terms and applying them to the story that the students just heard. The two teachers can continue to "popcorn" back and forth asking students questions and giving examples as they facilitate the discussion. There are problems of this type of collaboration; it causes both of the teachers to make a lot of changes, as well as allowances, for each other. They are being asked to change and "blend" their teaching styles to create something new, which can prove to be very difficult.

Both teachers must be willing to give up some autonomy in the classroom; both of these ideas flys in the face of how a classic classroom is run. There has to be some agreement on how the classroom will look, what the grading policy will be and the type of behavior management system that will be used in the classroom. Both teachers must be equally committed to all the students, both regular education and special education students, because in this model there is no longer the stigma of "your" students and "my" students, they then become "our" students and meld into the partnership that both teachers are entering. As mentioned, the Team Teaching Model does require a lot of preparation and forethought, but there has to be a plan established for the classroom, the curriculum and for the students to realize that both of the teachers are equally in charge and are acting as one unit. This is a very difficult model to create and often is not used much in the collaborative setting; however, is can be the most rewarding experience for both teachers and the students.

The key to the success of any of these models is to have all parties buy into the concept of the inclusion setting. All of the negatives, of any of these models, can be over come with organization and extensive planning on the part of both teachers, as well as a lot of patience and understanding. It is also important to remember that the mixture of these models could also lead to very productive, successful, and creative inclusion classroom settings.