As a classroom teacher, you are naturally concerned about ensuring that all of the students in your classroom learn the required knowledge and skills outlined in the curriculum. Because some students for whom you are responsible are likely students who have disabilities, you should keep a few things in mind. Among these are:
- Your lesson planning should ensure that you teach the required curriculum in ways that allow all students to learn the required knowledge and skills;
- Any learning goals outlined in a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) that address the general area(s) of the curriculum you are responsible for teaching; and,
- Any specific changes to the general curriculum that are necessary to help the student meet the learning goals that are specified in the student's IEP.
Sometimes you might feel you are solely responsible for meeting a student's instructional needs, but there are others in your school who can assist you. Collaborating with the special education teacher who is also responsible for instructing the student is important. Your colleague in special education can help interpret the goals as outlined in the student's IEP and assist you with ideas and strategies for ensuring that a student's instructional needs are met. Additionally, he or she can provide you with information about the student's academic and behavioral strengths as well as areas in which the student may need further development.
The answers to the questions below will provide you with more specific information about ensuring all of your students succeed in the curriculum you are teaching.
Questions
- Should students who have disabilities be taught the same curriculum as other students?
- I have heard about "universal design for learning," but I do not fully understand what the term means. What is it and when would I use it?
- What is the relationship of a student's IEP to my curriculum?
- How does the development of my students who have disabilities affect their ability to learn the curriculum that I teach?
- I've heard about an expanded curriculum for students who have disabilities. What is this curriculum and what is the relationship of this curriculum to the general curriculum that I teach? Also, how do I help students acquire the knowledge and skills in this curriculum?