0.2 Part two: special topics  (Page 31/39)

This module examines some of the myths concerning special needs and offers suggestions for creating inclusive classrooms.

To frame this study, read the TWB Journal (below), A Little less Ignorant . In this account two, disabled-adult communities halfway around the world connect with eachother in a powerful way.

Required Reading:

A Little Less Ignorant

Suggested Reading:

Special Education Services in Taiwan

Special education myths

MYTH #1 - "Not all children can learn. The ones that cannot learn in the traditional classroom are simply not capable, and they need tobe pulled out of the classroom and occupied."

Response to Myth #1: Traditional classrooms may not reach all children, but that does not mean they are stupid orunqualified. Special education students need more and better instruction, rather than separation and stigma. Skills to reach allchildren (the use of multiple intelligence, for example) have proven remarkably well inreaching students who would otherwise not learn.

MYTH #2 - "Special education instruction should be assigned to special education teachers. They know how to get through to children whoare not learning."

Response to Myth #2: First, such a statement is often an excuse for not varying instruction. Second, not many schoolsaround the world have special education teachers. Third, the roles of teachers are changing, and they are facing children with special needs moreand more. To ignore these children is a tragedy.

MYTH #3 - "Children who exhibit behavior problems in school are incapable of making good choices. Once they learn how to make goodchoices, things will be better. Their parents may be at fault, or they just may be too 'slow' to understand the difference between right and wrong."

Response to Myth #3: Some children have not been taught coping skills effectively. Once the teacher expresses an interestin the child and forms a partnership with parents, such coping skills can, indeed, be taught. Children often live up to the expectations of parents andteachers. If s/he is told that s/he is "bad" or "stupid," s/he will act that way. The breaking down of pride, at an early age, is instrumental indestroying a child's belief in her/himself. It is the teacher's job to work with parents to ensure that children are validated for what they can do, forhow they are improving, for how they have shown progress. Just as public humiliation is one of the worst experiences in a child's life; publicacknowledgment is one of the best. Never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives and hopes of children.

How teachers can help

There are 3 ways:

• Creating a classroom that allows all children to learn without restrictions: Remove barriers for children who cannot see or hear well - move them up closer to the front; move the furniture insuch a way so that you can see all of the students. Try to enlist parents or volunteers to be in your classroom to assist children who arestruggling or to remove obstacles to their learning.
• Responding to children with respect and care: Practice how you are being perceived. Are you standing over children in amenacing way? Are your answers to questions varied? Patient? Are you taking extra time to ensure that you are understood? How are allchildren demonstrating to you that they know the material? By tests alone? Spend extra time with students you have identified as needingextra care. Develop a relationship. Work with them individually. Provide the kind of environment in your class where young people cantell you how they are doing, how they are feeling, and how they are approaching the tasks at hand. Do not battle with children over smallthings, for this erodes a child's self esteem. In many ways, accept approximations of the "correct" answer until you are confident you canexpect more. But if a child is not delivering, no amount of chastizing will help. You may learn that the child was trying as hard as s/he could.
• Modeling different kinds of learning: Review the material on brain-based learning, problem-based learning, andmultiple intelligences. Ensure that your lessons include these features. Develop questioning techniques that can approach learningfrom different angles. It is very important that you model the lesson in different ways. One of the best ways for young people to succeed is to doit themselves, but in a guided way. Such guided discovery - lasts, whereas, being forced to mimic an answer - never does.