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For my second assignment, I decided observe a 7th grade social studies class

at Hillcrest Middle School. In the class that I decided to observe, there were 24

students who were instructed by a general education teacher and a special

education teacher. During this team taught class, the students were learning about

the Preamble of the United States Constitution.

While I was observing this 7th grade social studies class, I could easily see

that there was a great deal of diversity of skill level among the students. As the

students entered the classroom, I noticed that a number of them did not have their

homework and had some difficulty organizing their materials. The lack of

organizational skills clued me into the fact that there may be some learning disabled

students in the class. In addition to this, a special education teacher also walked into

the room. This was a major signal that there was going to be diversity of skill level

among the students. During the lesson, it appeared that some of the students had

difficulty understanding the class readings and directions. Also, both the general

education teacher and the special education teacher frequently needed to remind

students to stay on task during class time. While there were some students who had

difficulty understanding the lesson and staying organized, there was also a fair

share of students who appeared to completely comprehend the lesson. These

students frequently participated during class discussions and seemed to have their

materials organized in binders. This shows that there was a lot of diversity of skill

level among the students.

 In general, the students in the 7th grade social studies class seemed to cover a

wide range of ability. While many of the students were able to master the content

presented with little difficulty, some of the students needed help understanding the

reading materials and were constantly asked or prompted to stay on task. The

students who appeared to understand the lesson also seemed to have their

materials and binders organized. On the other hand, a few of the students who were

struggling appeared to have organization issues. As a class, all of the students were

cooperative and respectful of both the general education teacher and the special

education teacher. They were also willing to accept any assistance that was

provided to them by either teacher.

Throughout the lesson covering the Preamble of the United States

Constitution, I noticed that students of different learning abilities were fully

integrated in the classroom environment. All of the students received direct teacher

instruction from the general education teacher. After the reading activity, students

were then placed in pairs in order to complete a worksheet. After the class period,

the general education teacher informed me that she made sure to pair high-level

learners with low-level learners. This proved to be successful because the high-

level learners served as a positive peer model for the low-level student. In addition

to this, both the regular education teacher and the special education teacher

monitored the entire class and provided assistance to all of the students if needed.

While I was observing this history class, a few of the students exhibited

specific behaviors that led me to believe that they required special education
services. One of the students that I noticed was sitting at the front of the classroom

with an FM box on his desk. This type of device is used for students who suffer from

hearing loss. In addition to this, another student seemed to be struggling

throughout the entire lesson. This student was very unorganized, failed to complete

a homework assignment from the previous night, and had many papers falling out of

his binder. During the lesson, this student asked many questions about the

directions and what he should be doing. The special education teacher restated the

directions numerous times to the student. The actions of this student were

indicators that he may be suffering from a Learning Disability. Also, I overheard the

special education teacher telling multiple students that they would be receiving a

hard copy of the class notes in their resource class later that day.

During my observation, I determined that general education teacher was

successful in creating a positive learning environment for students of varying skill

levels. The physical layout of the classroom was six rows containing five desks in

each row. By placing students in rows, this minimizes the opportunity for

socializing during instruction. This classroom setup is also ideal for teacher-

centered instruction. The general education teacher seemed to have established

many routines that students would be following every day. Upon entering class,

students first looked at an easel in the front of the classroom. This easel listed the

materials that the students would need during the lesson. After retrieving the

necessary materials, students then passed their homework from the previous night

to the front row. I also noticed many of the students looking at a whiteboard on the

side of the classroom. On this whiteboard, the teacher had written the homework
for the night. As the students were looking at the homework board, they were also

copying down the assignment into their agenda pads. Class rules were also posted

on a wall in the classroom. The rules were very simple: (


   



and(

  . The general education teacher

reinforced these rules at times during the lesson. While the class was discussing the

Preamble of the Constitution, many of the students blurted out their opinions. The

teacher reminded them that they may only share their thoughts if they raise their

hand first. In addition to this, the teacher informed students that continued bad

behavior would result in spending Ǯquality timeǯ with her during their lunch period.

By establishing these types of structured routines, it can provide special education

students, as well as regular education students, a higher chance for success.

In addition to establishing structured routines in the classroom, the general

education teacher used various modes of instruction. During the lesson I observed,

the teacher lectured to the class, used a document camera, and had an assignment

that required students to work in pairs. By providing students with various modes

of input, this can dramatically increase learning in the classroom. After the class

period was over, the teacher also mention that she frequently uses her SMART

board during class time.

As I was observing this history class, I saw some accommodations and

adaptations for some of the students. One of the accommodations that I noticed was

the FM box for the students who suffered from hearing loss. This accommodation

allowed the student to participate in a general education classroom and be

successful. In addition to this, I overheard the special education teacher inform

certain students that they would be receiving a shortened version of the class notes

later that day in the resource class. Another adaptation that was applied during this

class period was when the general education teacher paired a high-level learner

with one of the low-level learners. By doing this, the high-level learner would be

providing the low-level learner with a positive peer model who could provide

assistance while working on the worksheet. These are the examples of

accommodations and adaptations that the general education teacher applied to the

lesson to ensure student success.

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The teacher I observed was Eileen Maffei. She is currently a 7th grade history

teacher at Hillcrest Middle School in Trumbull, CT. She has been teaching for the

past 25 years at various grade levels. She has spent 10 years as an elementary

school teacher, 6 years as a special education teacher at the middle school level, and

a grade 7th grade history teacher for 9 years. Mrs. Maffei currently serves as a team

leader and is also the social studies program leader. Hillcrest Middle School

educates 785 students in grades 6,7,and 8. The average class size ranges from 22-28

students. Each full time teacher is required to teach 5 class periods out of 7. The

other two remaining periods serve as a prep period and another period that

alternates between team meetings and collaboration meetings with special

education teachers. Throughout her teaching career, she has had many experiences

with students who qualify for special education services. At Hillcrest Middle School,

she is a member of the Student Assessment Team. This program is voluntary and is

coordinated by the guidance department. The Student Assessment Team focuses on

school climate and issues such as bullying and peer interactions. While working

with the Student Assessment Team, Mrs. Maffei has helped to organize ǮMix it Upǯ

Day. As a former special education teacher and a current team leader, she has

participated in many PPTs and IEP teams. She has also tested students using the

Woodcock-Johnson and TOWL (Test of Written Language). There is no MDT process

at Hillcrest Middle School.

 After I observed her class, Mrs. Maffei noted that there are many different

learning problems that special education and Dzat riskdz students experience while in

her class. She said that many of the learning problems are centered around reading

comprehension and writing issues. In addition to the special education students in

her class, there are also five students who are in a reading strategies class. These

students scored below goal on the Connecticut Mastery Test. In her team taught

class, Mrs. Maffei mentioned that there are four students who have been labeled

ADD or ADHD. In addition to this, there are also students who have been labeled LD

as well as students with emotional needs. One of her students suffers from apraxia.

This means that the student requires additional wait time in order to respond to

questions. Another student has bilateral hearing loss and needs to use an FM box

system in order to hear the teacherǯs directions and lecture. Mrs. Maffei also stated

that another student is on the autistic spectrum and requires a great deal of

emotional support and a consistent classroom routine.

Mrs. Maffei said that she faces many challenges teaching special education

students. She said that in order for these students to achieve success, she must

prepare a variety of materials at various levels of difficulty. Another challenge that

Mrs. Maffei faces is making sure that students are constantly on task during

instructional time. In addition to this, she also noted that grading student work can

be challenging since the special education students have a variety of IEP goals and

modifications that impact the assessment of student work. Mrs. Maffei did say that

the special education teacher is a very valuable resource when it comes to planning

and preparing materials for special education students. She said that she often
consults with the special education teacher in order to ensure success for those

students who receive services from special education in her classroom.

While interviewing Mrs. Maffei, she said that the identification process is not

done through a Student Assistance Team at Hillcrest Middle School. Instead, it is

done through the use of an Early Intervention Team. Students are referred to the

EIT process based on their performance on the Connecticut Mastery Test. If a

students scores below goal on their reading, writing, or math sections, then a

parent/teacher/team meeting will be scheduled to see if there are any educational

modifications that can be applied. If students continue to struggle in the classroom

after these adaptations, then they can be referred for special education testing with

the school psychologist and the special education chairperson.

During her teaching career, Mrs. Maffei has had many different experiences

with students who have IEPs. These students have been labeled with

social/emotional needs (ED), Aspbergerǯs Syndrome, learning disabilities (LD), and

other health impairments (OHI). In addition to these students, Mrs. Maffei has also

taught students who are wheelchair bound due to cerebral palsy and spina bifida.

While teaching at Hillcrest Middle School, Mrs. Maffei also has experience teaching

students with intellectual disabilities (ID) such as Downǯs Syndrome and other

chromosomal disorders. These students have been able to successfully participate

in her history classes with the help of a paraprofessional. When it comes to teaching

students with IEPs, Mrs. Maffei said that there are many challenges. She said the

most difficult challenge is managing students whose behavior can be extremely

disruptive to the learning environment due to their disability. She also noted that

finding a balance between the vast spectrum of abilities in the mainstream

classroom in also very challenging.

Mrs. Maffei said that she makes many different accommodations for special

education students in her classroom. She said that in her opinion, the most

important accommodation is to ensure the respect of all students in the class.

Modeling acceptance and respect for all students is extremely important for

ensuring the success of a classroom with regular education and special education

students. In addition to this, Mrs. Maffei said that she also provides special

education students with modified readings and materials so that each student can

participate to the best of their ability. She stated that it is important to find the

strengths of all students and allow them to use these strengths in order to enhance

classroom participation. Mrs. Maffei also reduces the amount of written work and

uses leveled readings and uses a wide variety of methods of input. These materials

include visual guides, technology, graphic organizers, extra help and resource

support.

At the end of our interview, Mrs. Maffei had some suggestions for when I take

over my own classroom. She said that the first thing I should do is find out as much

as I can about a studentǯs disability. She also suggested that I collaborate with other

teachers and the special education staff in order to develop a curriculum that best

suites the needs of the special education student. However, Mrs. Maffei said that the

most important thing that I can do as a teacher is model respect. She said that each
student is entitled to respect from their teachers and peers. It is extremely

important for me a as a future teacher to develop a cooperative classroom

atmosphere that allows each student to participate to the best of their ability.
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After both observing and interviewing Mrs. Maffei, I learned a great deal and

feel like I can make many connections to our course content. While I was observing

Mrs. Maffeiǯs social studies class, I was able to notice many of the modifications for

the special education students. One of the modifications that I noticed was the

quickest was the use of modified assignments and leveled readings. By using these

modified assignments and readings, Mrs. Maffei was ensuring that each student in

the classroom could participate to the best of their ability. In addition to this, she

also made sure to pair a high level learner with one of the special education students

during the pair work activity. I feel that this was an extremely successful activity

because the special education students were provided with a positive peer model.

In class, we discussed how seating a special education student next to an excellent

peer model can greatly benefit that student. This allows the special education

student to see through one of their peers appropriate classroom behaviors.

Another key observation that I made was the relationship between Mrs.

Maffei and the special education teacher in her classroom. During the interview, she

Mrs. Maffei said that she often collaborates with the special education teacher in

order to tailor her lessons for the special education students in her class. This was

something that we discussed during our special education class. As a teacher, it is

very important to consult with the special education teacher in order to provide a

special education student with the best possible education. By consulting the

special education teacher, the general education teacher will have access to a
studentǯs IEP folder. This is crucial for general education teachers because the IEP

folder contains all of the modifications that are needed in order for the special

education student to perform at their highest possible level. In addition to her

frequent collaboration with the special education teacher, Mrs. Maffei often

interacted with the special education teacher during class time. While the students

were reading an activity, I noticed that Mrs. Maffei walked over to the special

education teacher in order to assess how the special education students were

handling the assignments. Also, Mrs. Maffei seemed to allow the special education

teacher to walk around the classroom and help all of the students in the class in

addition to her special education students. This positive interaction between the

general education teacher and special education teacher was also discussed during

our class. During class, we talked about how it is extremely important to build an

open relationship with the special education teacher. This can help the general

education teacher provide the best possible education to the special education

students in their classroom.

In addition to these observations, I also noticed many of the indicators that a

student may be suffering from a disability. The first indicator that I noticed was the

student with the FM box. Students who suffer from hearing loss use this type of

device. The FM box amplifies the teacherǯs voice so that a student with hearing loss

can better hear the classroom instruction. In addition to this, many of the students

in Mrs. Maffeiǯs class who were received special education services seemed to have

organizational issues. In addition to having unorganized binders, many of these

students appeared to have difficulty following directions and staying on task. These
are some of the indicators of a learning disability that we discussed during our

special education class.

While there were many students who qualified for special education services

in Mrs. Maffeiǯs classroom, she seemed to have established many routines. This is

one of the most important topics that we discussed during our special education

class. Last week, we discussed how students who fall on the autistic spectrum could

benefit from a general education classroom that has a set routine. In Mrs. Maffeiǯs

class, she has a student who has Aspbergerǯs Syndrome. During my interview with

Mrs. Maffei, she said that the student with Aspbergerǯs Syndrome was able to

successfully participate in her classroom after getting used to the regular class

routine. She also noted that all of her regular education students benefit from

having a structured classroom environment as well.

One of the most important things that I learned from my observation of Mrs.

Maffeiǯs classroom was the fact that the most important accommodation that I can

provide for special education students is respect. She was very steadfast when it

came to this topic. She stated that as a teacher, it is extremely important to model

acceptance and respect for all students. According to Mrs. Maffei, each student is

entitled to respect from their teachers and peers. This is something that I will keep

in mind when I become a teacher. Finally, many of my observations Mrs. Maffeiǯs

class were very consistent with what we have learned during our special education

class. I was successfully able to pick up on indicators of students who qualify for
special education and I was very knowledgeable of the various disorders and

processes involved in special education.