I am phasing out of my solo teaching by giving up about 30 more minutes of teaching each day this week. I've found that this is a nice transition for my students as well as my mentor teacher this close to TCAP.
Because of this, my mentor teacher suggested I take the extra time to go observe other classes around the school that I might not otherwise get the chance to see! Through this extra 'observation time', I was granted the afternoon to go and observe Ms. Kellum - the pull out service teacher. GiGi is actually a previous Vanderbilt grad student, certified in Exceptional Ed. She pushes into to my mentor teacher's classroom each morning with three of the students with exceptional needs, but I have never seen her in the academic (not morning meeting) context.
This afternoon, I observed her in the small group setting doing math with three students with different exceptional needs (all in third grade). One of the students is not able to produce any speech at all.
The students were in a very open area, without their desks touching.
In the first task I observed, they took turns participating in an online math game using the SmartBoard. The students were able to physically touch their answers to the addition games using the electronic pointer and SmartBoard, while also practicing social skills by taking turns. The integration of different skills was very transparent to myself, but clearly not to the students (which I think is a good thing!).
For second task, the students placed dots on different numbers according to the value of the number (i.e. one dot on the number 1, two dots on the number 2, etc.). During this task, the students worked independently. GiGi allowed the students choice by allowing them to choose which color marker they could put the dots on the numbers with. She also put on soft music in the background, which I think helped set a calm and focused tone after the interactive and physical math game. The para pro working with the student without any speech asked him if he wanted help before guiding him through the independent activity. One of the students was talking across the classroom to another student about what they wanted to play after school. In order to refocus him, GiGi prompted him by saying, "I know what you have to say is important, but right now you need to finish this". This was such a constructive way of validating his personal life without distracting him from the task he was supposed to be completing.
The third task required the students to use their mini white boards. When giving the directions for the activity, GiGi calmly stated simple instructions, and then had the students repeat back what they shouldn't do. She wrote an addition problem on the overhead whiteboard (which was projected on the wall in front of them). The activity scaffolded off of the second activity, because it required the students to put the correct number of dots on the numbers, then count the total number of dots to solve the addition problem.
All of these tasks took place in such a short span of time, and yet every single thing I noticed was intentional and meaningful.
I have said to many of you how often I wish I had more instruction (courses, practicums, methods classes, etc.) regarding exceptional education. It has never been more true than in my second placement - so many of my students have exceptional needs and receive services. However, their instruction by my mentor teacher when they are in the general classroom is so scarce and hardly differentiated/scaffolded. It has been hard and sad to observe. I am so glad that I got to observe this classroom and instruction this afternoon, to really get a more clear picture of the kind of services that pull-out offers.
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