Raven's Guide to
Special Education
Mainstreaming - 2
Integrate the student into your classroom. At first the mainstreamed student may feel awkward in your classroom. If there for only part of the school day, the student may arrive at or leave your classroom alone. Always acknowledge the student's arrival, and when the student leaves, say something positive about his or her work and behavior. This will encourage the student to perform well in your class. Assigning another student as a "buddy" to help the student adjust may be helpful. Over time, give the new student classroom duties and responsibilities like those of other class members. The student needs to know that he or she is a full member of the class, rather than an outsider or visitor.
Give the student preferential seating. Ask the special education teacher to help you decide where to locate the student's desk. Select an area that will minimize distractions but will not isolate the student from the group. If possible, have the student work near other students who are responsible and who have good work habits.
Catch the student being good. Find opportunities to recognize and reward the student (as well as your other students) for doing what you want him or her to do. If you do this consistently, the student will behave more appropriately and will be more likely to improve both academically and socially.
Provide clear directions. Students with disabilities often have difficulty following directions. They may have attention deficits, memory deficits or specific language disabilities. A student like this in your classroom may not complete assignments or may do assignments incorrectly because he or she misunderstands the directions. Make sure that you give simple, sequential oral and written directions, and verify that the student understands them.
Ensure daily successes. Make sure the mainstreamed student has at least one successful experience during the time he or she is in your classroom each day. You can, for example, give the student a worksheet on a skill that already has been mastered.
Individualize instruction. Individualizing does not always mean preparing separate assignments for the student. It also involves modifying regular assignments to accommodate the student's learning needs. This may require giving simpler directions, fewer problems on a worksheet, more drill or practice, more time to complete an assignment, or a shorter test.
Use a variety of teaching methods. The mainstreamed student is much more likely to understand new concepts that you present when you use multi-sensory materials, visual demonstrations, models, and active interactions. Assign projects that include the student's interests and hobbies. Give the student opportunities to practice new concepts with hands-on materials.
Save examples of the student's work. Select samples of the student's written work, projects, and tests to present to the special education staff and the student's parents. Use this information to monitor the student's progress and to identify areas of need.
Inexperience and misconceptions may cause parents of non-disabled students to be concerned about having students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Some parents may even conclude that disabled students interfere with the learning of non-disabled students. Parents of disabled children, on the other hand, may worry that their child will fail or be rejected. You can reduce these fears by having parents of disabled and non-disabled children work together to help develop educational policies and goals for their children, get involved in classroom activities, and visit your classroom.
Through such involvement and through learning about disabilities, all parents can better understand that each child in the classroom is most importantly a child and an individual, regardless of his or her strengths and weaknesses. The following suggestions will help teachers work more effectively with parents who have a disabled child being mainstreamed:
Share information. Communicate regularly with the student's parents. Show them that you are interested in their child's needs, and work with them to develop meaningful classroom objectives. Give them regular reports on their child's progress.
Invite parents to visit your class. By visiting the classroom, parents can get a better understanding of the capabilities of other students their child's age. This can be a reassuring or painful experience. If the latter, this can motivate the parents to find better ways to work with their child and accept what cannot be changed.
Understand the family. Get to know parents well enough to understand their personal limits in helping their child. Make sure they are able to use the suggestions you give them for helping their child at home. Be sensitive to the needs of a child in a home in which there is only one parent, financial limitations, or language and cultural differences.
Focus on the student's education. The parents of a student with disabilities may have exceptional social or psychological needs they want to discuss with you. You can be supportive and sympathetic, but avoid getting involved. Instead, refer the parents to specialists at the school who can help them. Your role is to be their child's teacher, so focus on the child's educational needs.
Be reassuring but be honest. The parents may become upset or worried if their child is unsuccessful in your class. Do not minimize the problem to help them feel better. Be reassuring but truthful, and work with them to correct the problem.
Be realistic. Parents may ask you questions about their child's problems that you are unable to answer. Do not be afraid to admit that you do not know the answers. Refer them to someone at the school (such as the special education teacher or psychologist) who can help them with their concerns.