In
these past two weeks I have been fighting with time to get a formal interview
with the principal, the teacher and a parent who has a child with special
needs. My first interview was scheduled for a full hour but in that interview
it seemed to be so much going on throughout the entire interview. My interview
with the principal consisted of the different things that the school is
required to provide for children with special needs. I wanted to know what type
of funding is provided to the school to accommodate children with special needs
for services and areas for academics. The response that I received was that the
school has a budget that is just for children with special needs and this
budget allows the school to provide special services for children such as;
interpreters, specialists, learning devices and etc. The budget is provided
every year to the school to help accommodate children with special needs but
usually the budget is not enough and the children tend to go without unless
funding is provide from other sources. Yet the budget that they have they try
to make the best out of it and supply the most important things that children
may require the most.
Next,
my interview with a special needs teacher was very interesting to me. I know
that I am still in school and that I am gaining knowledge for the field that I
am trying to obtain a degree in but this teacher just did not seem helpful at
all to me. I started out observing her at first to see how she interacts with
the children in the classroom. After about twenty minutes into my observation I
did not gain anything on what it is that she supposes to do with these children.
In interviewing her I asked her how does she incorporate lessons to fit the
needs of all the children and her response was so shocking to me that I really
could not believe she said that she just gives the student their assigned task
and that she allow them to finish them at their own pace. She also stated that
they normally take the entire day to finish assignments but the children are
not forced to do the assignments. I then went on to ask how are the children
assessed and how do you chart their strengths and their weaknesses? I was told
that the children each have their different weaknesses and they all have specialist
that come in and work with them and they keep track of their progress. I sort
of cut this interview short because this teacher was really no help to me in
obtaining information for my paper.
Then,
I actually was able to interview a parent who has a child with Down syndrome.
From the information that I gathered she is not pleased with the teacher who
her child has for the teacher. I could imagine why after interviewing with the
teacher. She feels that the school does not provide enough stability for
children with special needs and that the funding that the principal has for the
child are not used appropriately to help the children who have special needs.
Yet this parent has went beyond the school and has had services provided for
her child to help her child meet the needs that she acquires.
Finally
after interviewing three different individuals on three different days I didn’t
get the information that I was seeking. I have taken extra time out to try in
set up interviews with others that may be able to help me with the information
that I will need to help me in my research paper. I hope that these interviews
will be much help to me but it seems I am back where I started with what I
already know.
Queen,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that your interviews didn't go as planned and that you were unable to obtain the information you were seeking for your research paper. That's disappointing. It sounds like you were able to get some information from the principal about funding sources though.
What type of setting is this school? Private or public? What types of special needs do children have in this particular program?
It sounds like the parent is a great advocate for her child. That is discouraging though about the special needs teacher. Hearing parents give negative reports about a teacher is not good. It sounds like your first impression of the special needs teacher was on spot.
I hope you have better luck with your next interviews. Any thoughts about who you will interview next?
I think teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators in the area of special education are very busy. They are overworked and understaffed and no one, many times those in regular education, do not understand that even though these teachers may have less students they are doing 3 times as much work. I feel like I always put in 12 hour days simply by doing lesson plans, differentiating instruction to meet the regular ed. standards yet change the lesson to me the IEP goals and give time to the students so they are given instruction, practice, time to understand the concept and time for questions, re-teaching, assessments etc.
ReplyDeleteGreat post so based on your observations have you been seeing the child adjust to the routine that is being presented at the center?
ReplyDeleteI hope to here more about how the therapist is helping the teachers work well with the new enrolled student. I feel that at times staff is faced with new challenges and their is never a person their to train them on how to handle new situations with children that may have more needs than others.
As students and wanting to be knowledgeable in the area of concentration of our studies, sometimes we don't get the proper information. Sometimes it could be because the educators or other professionals don't have the concentration they should have in what they are being ask, or because they could be overwhelmed of how they are handling their profession. I think that if you are a principal she should proceed in having the adequate materials, teachers, and resources for special sunned children. She should demand more budget for this kind of classroom because of their special needs. Providing with evidence of what is needed the children can have a better service.
ReplyDeleteAs for the teacher she should be more professional because special needs children and the parents depend on her for enhancing the child's learning. She is there for a reason and studied special needs to help children develop academically. The sad thing is that we can also depend on teachers to learn strategies and techniques they use with children. They can also be advocacy for us, but sadly you didn't get the answers that you expected from the persons you interviewed.
Hello Queen,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry your interview did not come out as you hope that it would. The budget the Principal has for the special need children is not enough; but it helps out in some of the areas. But from what I have gathered, none of the budgets are enough for any of our schools, but they all have to try and make do.
In your interview with the teacher, that was very sad. You would think that they need to all be working according to what they can do; and not according to what she just gives them, in hoping they might complete it. And I certainly do not think they understand how to complete it. I hope that changes. But most importantly, we learn not to go behind her, and do the me thing.
I truly feel sorry for the parent because she could not get the help she needed from the teacher/school. But I am glad that she branched out and was reluctant to find help for her child, elsewhere. That is an area, they need to tighten up in, and make sure the children receive more support. And I hope you get some information that will be vital to you in helping you with your research paper.
I am sorry that I have to write my information down here. But that is because, my computer went out, and I now have to borrow what I can to Blog with you all.
I am morrisph44.blogspot.com
It sounds like your interviews did not help you to much. It's sad when you take your time and feel like you are getting nowhere. I agree that teachers and administrators are at the max trying to fit everything in their schedule but if you prearranged it they should have helped a little better. I also feel sorry for the parent and not getting the help she needs for her child. It's sad when children are not taken care of the way they need to.
ReplyDelete