Professional development can ease adjustment

Today, the 11-year-old talks, reads and even works multiplication tables, much to the amazement of teachers. His classification has been changed to speech and language impaired, and he's enrolled in a fourth and fifth-grade intervention class for students who are behind in basic reading skills and have trouble decoding written words. 
 

Special ed teacher Lori Royce tries to direct Guilbert Halog's attention to the regular ed teacher.

He's able to participate in the regular education class about 80 percent of the time, says teacher Doreen Bolding, a member of the Stockton Teachers Association. "He fits in really well. He has a great sense of humor and a great sense of sportsmanship."

"I like doing the work," says the student. "I like doing the papers. I like working the times tables. I like doing math and playing with my friends. That's it."

"The change in classifications is almost unheard of," says special education teacher Lori Royce. "I'd like to believe that inclusion is partially responsible."

Inclusion of special education students in the regular classroom has been in place at Montezuma for seven years, says Claudia Sholl, the STA member who started the program. It was a daunting undertaking at first.

"I was scared to death, but we just did it," she recalls. "I was afraid the kids would get lost, that other kids would pick on them, and that special ed kids would be big distractions and disruptions in the classroom. But that didn't happen. I thought we would have to do sensitivity training for the kids, but that turned out to be a moot point."

General ed teachers were also nervous, recalls Gene Schafer, who has taught at the school for 15 years. "At first, I was a little apprehensive and unsure about what was expected. I worried that I couldn't do enough for the students academically. But I had one autistic kid who turned out to be one of the smartest kids I've ever had."

"I love it. I think it works," says first-grade teacher Karen Danner. Her special ed student, Jim Guzman, may transition into general education next year. "Kids learn how to function in a regular classroom. Everything we do, Jim tries to do, and we modify it for him. Right now, he can't write sentences on his own, but I expect he will be writing simple sentences and reading by the end of the year. He's just a hairsbreadth away."

Doreen Bolding looks over Allan Garcia's work.

The school spent six months preparing general ed teachers for the transition. Teachers who did not want to participate had the chance to opt out of the B track at the year-round school.

Professional development - often provided by special ed teachers - included sessions on modifications, accommodations and various teaching strategies designed to engage all types of learners.

Royce, who has replaced Sholl as the school's special ed teacher, says the program continues to thrive because of heavy collaboration among teachers. Presently, there are 11 special-needs children fully included in eight general education classrooms. Royce and two instructional aides work with those students in the general ed classrooms for 1 to 1.5 hours each day.

Sometimes general education students join the small special education "pullout" groups with Royce or her assistants. "I've found that our kids may not have the lowest scores in the class, so we also try to help other kids who may be falling between the cracks."

Children with special needs seldom present discipline problems at Montezuma. When students can no longer keep up, they are allowed to roam a bit, or quietly read a book or play in the corner. "They get tired, and the other kids know that's okay, as long as they don't bother anyone," says Royce.

Sometimes, just being able to model positive behavior in a regular classroom is a victory in itself, even if the students don't catch up academically, says Royce. "The ultimate goal here is socialization. For included students, the social implications are far-reaching. Sometimes kids in a self-contained classroom pick up crazy behavior from each other. But when you put them in a regular classroom, they rise to the occasion and model the good behavior."

Inclusion brings out the nurturing, caring side of students and makes them more sensitive to the needs of others, say teachers.

Cynthia Hill helps Reyna Garcia (standing) and Reyna Galinda catch up with the rest of the class at Montezuma Elementary School in Stockton.

"It opens up the eyes of general education students in terms of tolerance," says second-grade teacher Cynthia Hill. "I have seen my students become more compassionate and willing to help. They understand that everyone has different learning levels and treat them like any other kids. They even tattle on them, which is the ultimate in acceptance."

Hill has two fully included students in her class, both named Reyna. Except for being pulled out for speech therapy sessions, they are in her class all day long.

During the course of the day, the girls alternate between the two worlds of regular and special education. They sit with their classmates for subjects like journal writing, art and story time; they work separately with an instructional aide or special education teacher when the rest of the class is engaged in core curriculum.

During recess and lunch, however, the girls blend in with the rest of the students. At one point, included student Reyna Garcia takes the hand of a regular ed classmate, Selena Martinez, and escorts her off the playground, pausing to explain to her teacher that she is taking Selena to the office for a Band-Aid.

"That's beautiful," says Hill, once the girls are out of earshot. "Things like that don't happen when special ed students are in a self-contained classroom.

"It's a life experience."