SED 361 Interview Project

SED 361 Interview Project

Steffon D. Gales
University of Maine at Farmington
October 2018
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Introduction:

The following interview was conducted to better understand the experience of an

individual who has been involved with Special Education in the classroom. This includes

creating IEP plans, working with a co-teacher, assisting English Language Learners, using best

practices or positive behavioral supports, etc. this interview’s purpose is to serve as a tool to

display a different way of viewing education, and how future teachers can aid with desegregating

general education classrooms to make them more inclusive.

For the confidentiality of my participant, I will refer to them as Thompson. Pour

conversation took place on October 2, 2018 in the Theodora Kalikow Education Center. For this

interview, I believed this would be a good location due to the subject matter, and because it is a

comfortable location for my interviewee. The room was a typical office setting, and we closed

the door to speak candidly and remain true to the purpose of this interview.

Thompson is an Professor of Secondary Education at the University of Maine at

Farmington (UMF), and has had a diverse background in various school systems. Upon

graduating from a liberal Arts institution, she only had an English degree,and did not pursue or

obtain a teaching certification program. She was able to teach at two different private school for

three years: “the way private school s do things are different” (C. Thompson, personal

communication, October 2, 2018). She, later, wanted to obtain experience in the public school

system. She was accepted to Harvard, and was able to receive a Master’s degree in Education

with a teaching certification. She was “in the field” for a whole year at Dorchester High School

in Dorchester, Ma. When Thompson finished her certification, she moved to Maine and taught

in the public school system for five years. Thompson was still trying to build a family and settle
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down at this point, so she and her husband moved to the city, and she obtained a Doctorate in

teacher education and Curriculum instruction. Thompson moved to Colorado and taught in

public schools for five years. After this experience, she brought her talents to where she has

instructed for twelve years.

Findings:
During our thirty minute discussion, I asked Thompson questions based on the

experiences she noted in her introduction. Though her stint in private schools was brief, I want to

compare these experiences with private schools. I was also curious about her use of

differentiated instruction and co-teachers.

How did you approach or change your teaching methods based on various geographical

locations?

When she first started working in private schools, Thompson believed she had the

creative freedom to change her classroom and curriculum: “There were a few core texts that

were always taught..but I had a lot of freedom, so I could just pick things”(C. Thompson,

personal communication, October 2, 2018). Something which Thompson mumbled, but I want

to note, is how the administration (department chairs) would pressure her to do what is

traditional or acceptable to the schools standards. This differed from the public school system

because it was more structured and she was told what to teach: “I was teaching British literature

in Maine, 1996, the Maine Learning results influenced what they believed students should

know”(personal communication, October 2, 2018). For those who are not familiar, “The Maine

Learning Results are the standards that identify what ALL Maine students are expected to know

and be able to do at the end of each of four grade spans: pre-K–2, grades 3-4, grades 5-8, and

grades 9-12” (CAS Brochure 3/2003). Thompson believed teaching rural public schools in
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Maine were more socioeconomically diverse because they were white. Private schools strived for

minority students because they want wider student population.

What is your experience with Special Education?

Though a broad question, I wanted to leave this question open for a wider discussion. I

wanted thompson to cover her teaching experience with student with disabilities (SWD), and as a

parent of two children. Have resources been accessible? Are educators meeting learners where

they are at? Thompson was uncomfortable with this question admitting, “It’s kind of a scary

question for me because I feel like...this is not my expertise. I feel like I don’t know everything I

need to know. I know our (society's) philosophical and legal model of inclusion may differ” (C.

Thompson, personal communication, October 2, 2018). Thompson was a little hard on herself,

but her experience teacher education didn’t train her for working with SWD.

Thompson believes ​all​ students should have access, and she referenced how her local

school system is wrongly neglecting SWD. Students with high needs require additionally

services which needs larger funding. Students are being outcasted due to the school systems lack

of money in the Special Education program. Thompson believes there is a difference between

behavioral issues and students who need assistance with academic challenges. She believes laws

should be upheld in schools and acknowledged when budget hearings are held. Thompson cited

an law (Title XI) in Missouri presented by the Missouri Board of Education which states that if a

school loses accreditation, students are able to transfer to a different school system. All students

get the authority to transfer to more affluent schools: “Integration works, but it takes work” (C.

Thompson, personal communication, October 2, 2018).

How did you work with ESL learners or SWD?

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Thompson addressed the difference between correcting language and allowing students to

feel included when they have speech difficulties. Correcting language is a harsh term, but she

believes ESL students just require assistance. Thompson encourages students to study this in her

college courses for teacher preparation. Though Thompson was never hands-on during her time

in dorchester, she encountered many students from Haiti. She was aware of a segregated class

style (general v. special) in the public school system. Thompson would have co-teachers in her

classroom to assist with SWD. She is still close to her former colleagues, and even invited them

to her wedding!

Thompson worked with Special educators to navigate IEPs, and worked with her to adapt

assignments for their learners. Special Educators where proactive and motivated to work with

students. I asked thompson about her style for working with the co-teacher and she said, “I didn’t

co-teacher very much. She observed while I taught. I have read some co-teaching articles, which

I have shared with my students. I feel like I could have done way more, and I could have learned

more from my colleagues in the Special Education program. And I regret it” (C. Thompson,

personal communication, October 2, 2018).

She referred to the special educators to make sure students are comfortable with the

workload and the assignments. As an influential educator, Thompson enjoys fostering a

connection with her students, and she tries to be accessible to ​all s​ tudents: “I am a big fan of

adjusting an assignment. It drives me nuts when teachers forces every student to be on the same

level. Some students need to feel comfortable asking for adaptations”(personal communication,

October 2, 2018).

Discussion:
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The interview allowed me to see how more “seasoned” educators were taught about

Special Education, and how instruction has evolved. I am glad to have the experience of learning

about different laws and policies which influence learners, and can aid or hinder instruction in

our classrooms. Differentiated instruction, the act of “ [recognizing] students’ varying

background knowledge, readiness, language, [culture], preferences in learning and interests; and

to react responsively (Nevin, Thousand & Villa, 2015)”, is one of the best practices for working

with SWD. Thompson admitted to not having knowledge of Special Education, but I think she

would have benefitted from different learning techniques. I align with her belief of private

schools having more resources. With a difference in funds or a larger Special Education budget,

more learners are able to receive assistance which public schools may not be able to offer.

As a former student of the METCO program (​Metropolitan Council for Educational

Opportunity), I was bused to suburban school systems for a more diverse learning environment.

This non-profit organization provides transportation for inner city students to receive a more

resourceful education, which may be more beneficial than a public school in the city. I can see a

difference in my education in comparison to family members who have grown up in the Boston

Public school system.

Something Thompson touched on after our interview was the idea of stigmas for Special

Education Students. As covered in SED 361, students with disabilities encounter negative

stigmas due to their perception in society. These perceptions can stem from negative stereotypes

in the media and by segregated school systems. The idea of normalcy can lead to low self

esteem, and a disconnect when SWD are mainstreamed: “Making assumptions about an

individual based on classification...is dangerous and can lead to tunnel vision” (​Nevin, et al.,
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2015​). Students with disabilities should be integrated into the classroom and included in ​all

activities. This means the educator and/ or a co-teacher should work towards meets the students

learning goals while making adaptations to the curriculum.

Thompson seemed to be lead by the Special Educator, and not working with them. She

talked about discussing the lessons with the co-teacher, but never using Universal Design for

Learning (UDL) to address needs before planning. Thompson was retrofitting her lesson plans

which still keeps the learner in mind , but after the lesson planning process: “...retrofitting the

curriculum is an attempt to find a solution ​after​ the fact in order to fit a student into an existing

program” (​Nevin, et al., 2015​). This is a moment where Thompson and I differ in teaching

philosophies. I believe students with disabilities should be kept in mind from the beginning of

the lesson planning process. I want my diverse learners to feel included in the curriculum, and to

have accommodations made. This allows for ​all s​ tudents to receive the same academic

knowledge without being outcasted or seen as “additional students” to a general education

classroom. There are many activities outlined in table 7.5 ( p. 129-131) of ​Differentiating

Instruction,​ which can be used to increase student to student connection like Round Table

discussions or Mix-Freeze-Share.

From what I have learned in this interview and in conjunction with my own

understandings, I have compiled a list of recommendations for both educators and school

systems.

● Give teachers more professional freedom from academic limits (Testing, classroom

management, etc.).

● Allow ​all ​students to identify their personal academic goals.

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● Smaller classroom sizes. No more crowded classrooms because smaller classroom will

increase one on one conversations with students.

● Provide more funding for Special education programs. This will give SWD more

opportunities to grow and improve.

● Treat teachers with respect, and trust them

● Give teachers more time to complete paperwork or give them less to assess. No report

cards with 20-25 questions.

● From Thompson: If teachers are reluctant to teach special education students, give them

resources and texts to read. These will educate them and help them to understand diverse

perspectives.
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References

Macleod, K. (2018). ​Lecture notes and presentation​. University of Maine at Farmington.

Nevin, A. I., Thousand J. S. , Villa. R. A. (2015). ​Differentiating Instruction: Planning

for Universal Design and teaching for College and Career Readiness (​ 2nd ed.).
California: Corwin.