The Exceptional Teacher's Handbook

The First-Year Special Education Teacher?s Guide to Success

Carla F. Shelton, Alice B. Pollingue

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781629143064
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Didattica inclusiva

The first year in the career of a special education teacher is filled with expectation and promise. Addressing the most common needs of beginning special education teachers, The Exceptional Teacher's Handbook helps new educators move confidently from preplanning to post-planning for the entire school year.The authors present a step-by-step management approach complete with planning checklists and other ready-to-use forms within the context of IDEA 2004 and NCLB. Written from the perspective of a classroom teacher, this popular reference offers updates on: • Recognized disabilities
• Best instructional practices for getting the most out of your students
• Successful parent conferences
• Effective plans for professional learning
• Alternate assessments, emergencies in the school setting, education terminology, and moreActively address challenges and concerns with this one-stop handbook that will help smooth the transition from student teacher to professional educator.

1

Preparing for a Successful School Year

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.

—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)

Patience, persistence, perspiration, and preparation are the keys to achieving a successful school year for the new special education teacher. The work habits and time management skills that beginning teachers employ during the first days of school set the tone for the remainder of the year. Traditionally, school systems begin the new school year with a preplanning time period designed to provide the opportunity for teachers to prepare for instruction, collaborate with colleagues, participate in professional learning opportunities, and chart a general direction for the upcoming year. Frequently, the new special education teacher must use this time period to confirm his or her new class rosters, resolve transportation issues, coordinate with related service providers, select teachers for students in general education settings, collaborate and plan with general education teachers, create or fine-tune students’ schedules, select appropriate instructional materials, and create a class schedule that is conducive to the school’s master schedule. The beginning teacher can often be found asking the question, “Where do I begin?”

In the sections that follow, the authors identify six strategies that they have found to be the building blocks for a successful school year. The authors discuss each strategy and provide the reader with the necessary supporting forms and checklists for successful implementation. The chapter includes basic information that will guide the teacher in his or her efforts to address matters ranging from how to familiarize oneself with his or her new school to establishing an effective communication system. The beginning teacher will discover that although each school year is unique, preparation is always the constant element that is critical for a successful and productive year.

STRATEGY 1: GET TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL

Most school systems will have general orientation sessions for new hires prior to the start of the school year. These sessions generally include a welcome address by the system’s superintendent or director of schools, an introduction of support personnel, specific information pertaining to employee benefits and payroll, an orientation to the teacher evaluation program, and an overview of the school system’s demographic information and tests results. While these sessions are important, getting to know his or her new school must be a priority for the beginning teacher. The first step the teacher should take once securing his or her first position is to schedule an appointment with the school’s principal. The principal can provide the beginning teacher with critical information pertaining to the school’s basic framework. Typically, schools have a vision and/or mission statement that defines the school’s primary focus; a school improvement plan that lists the goals and objectives designed to increase the school’s effectiveness; an Adequate Yearly Progress report that reveals the status of the school in meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act; and other historical documents and information that can provide the beginning teacher with a basic understanding of the school’s journey or “story.” The teacher should take this opportunity to request an advance copy of the school’s faculty and staff handbook, a copy of the student handbook, a list of the school’s extracurricular activities and organizations, and to ask the principal specific questions pertaining to his or her expectations of faculty and staff members and a list of all professional learning opportunities for teachers. Finally, the new teacher should use the appointment time to get acquainted with the school facility and obtain general information about the current faculty and staff. A school yearbook is an excellent resource to assist the new teacher’s efforts in becoming familiar his or her new school and colleagues. The authors have a created a checklist that the beginning teacher can use as guide during the meeting.

Materials or Resources

Form 1.1 Get to Know Your School Checklist

STRATEGY 2: ALLOCATE TIME FOR REFLECTING

The first-year special education teacher should allocate a sufficient amount of time for personal reflection throughout the school year. The authors recommend that the teacher maintain a journal to record daily or weekly thoughts and feelings pertaining to his or her school experiences. The teacher will find this exercise to be one that not only relieves stress but also can provide insight into classroo...