It’s amazing how different teaching is the second time around. It’s almost like I know what I’m doing.
My classes are structured much differently this year:
- All 7th graders
- 3 classes of 20 students or less, for 2 periods at a time
- I have a co-teacher
My students are in my class because they either: are taking the TAKS M(odified) test (and are therefore labeled Special Ed) OR failed the regular (or Accommodated) TAKS test last year. That means that these babies are LOW. But they have more time, more teachers, and smaller classes, which will help them be more successful.
We gave a diagnostic test this week, and I discovered that most of our students are on a 3rd or 4th grade math level. I have multiple who can barely read or write. Every day, the achievement gap is staring me right in the face.
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August 31st, 2009 at 8:18 am
Do you have any involvement in the creation of your TAKS-M tests? From what I understand, the requirements can end up being pretty broad, depending on how Special Ed the Special Ed kids are. Presumably if they’re ~20 kid classes we aren’t setting goals like “Sitting up on their own”…
Locally a few years ago, Coppell High School missed its TEA accountability rating because the special ed teachers set inappropriate goals for the students, and they brought down the school average…
August 31st, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Actually, I have NO IDEA about any of that. Luckily, my co-teacher is trained in all this “Special Ed” business, and she would know.