Special Needs Assignment

During my practicum at Elgin Park Secondary I taught two blocks of grade 10 and one
block of grade 9 Social Studies. In total there were four students designated as gifted, and one
with a learning disability. During the six weeks I was continually mindful of these students
needs and I.E.Ps and tried my best to tailor my lessons to support their learning and to ensure
maximum success. Although, in total there were five students with special needs, there were
many students in my classes who were not designated by the ministry who also needed extra
support such as a Learning Support block and lesson adaptations. Overall, there were three
students in particular, James, Britney, and Sara who displayed significant support within
the classroom. This gave me the opportunity to grow as a professional by implementing many
differentiated learning strategies that would not just benefit these students but all learners in
general.
In my grade 9 Social Studies class there was a boy named James who tended to
dominate the classroom, especially during class discussions. During these discussion he often
called out and would attack other student responses. He also proved to be much brighter than
the other students as he displayed knowledge beyond his age. I also noticed he was very socially
awkward. He appeared to have no friends and stuck to himself. When interacting with other
students he came across as rude and arrogant and was unable to be considerate of others feelings
and thoughts. I did check his file as soon as I noticed he was different and noticed he was
designated as gifted. I then met with the Learning Support Team to review his IEP. His IEP was
very brief, it noted his likes and dislikes and very little on how to better support him. This may
be because it was outdated, as it was created when he was in elementary school. In order to gain
some more knowledge about James I met with the head of the gifted students, Ms. P. She
offered to observe my class in order to give me feedback on how to better support James.
When she finished observing she recommended that I needed to implement more choice in the

assignments. On this particular day we were working on a project where although the topic was
given as a choice for students, the way to represent it was not. James was exhibiting some
frustration as to why he needed to draw when he much rather write an essay. I did sit with him
and explained that if he wanted to print out pictures and glue them that would also be acceptable,
which resulted in him calming down and being able to continue working on the project. Ms. P
also recommended that I fine tune my classroom management. She noticed my classroom was a
bit loud and chaotic, which could easily frustrate James. After these observations made by Ms.
P, I immediately adapted with her considerations in mind. I made sure that students were
working quietly and new what they were doing so James would feel comfortable. I also made
sure to give him leadership roles within the class. For example, during a review we played
Jeopardy, where he was the host and kept tally of the points. Also during discussions I made it a
point to not always call on James and to help reinforce positive behaviour by giving him
friendly reminders when he was being overly-dominating and praise when he demonstrated a
cooperative attitude. I also made sure to include many visuals throughout, including PowerPoints and YouTube videos, which he showed a high interest in.
In one of my grade 10 classes, I had a student who was waiting to be tested for a learning
disability, her name was Britney. At the parent teacher meeting, I spoke with Britneys parents
where they asked if we could do more to adapt to her learning style. I agreed to give her the
notes ahead of time as she had trouble processing information and listening at the same time.
Also, Britney found it hard to concentrate when there was too many notes. Therefore, I made
sure to balance lessons, where students would have some notes, some independent or group
activities, and a short video. As time went on, and as adaptations were taking place, I noticed her
level of attention was diminishing. She became often distracted since she did not have a task to
keep her busy, such as taking notes. I also did not see an improvement in the quality of work

handed in or in the outcome of her test writing skills. For this reason I decided to move her to
another seat where she would not become easily distracted. After I did this I noticed she was
much more attentive and on task. I also made sure every day before class started she would have
the notes. I also made sure my lessons continued to be well balanced and full of visuals. I noticed
that scanning for information in the textbook and summarizing it was also difficult for her. In
order to better accommodate her in this aspect, I provided graphic organizers. These organizers
gave her a place to start and an idea of what exactly she needed to find within the text. With the
help from others around her she was able to use these organizers effectively.
In my other block of grade 10s Sarah was one of my students who was designated as
having a learning disability. Her I.E.P was very detailed which included areas of struggle: verbal
comprehension, working memory, processing speed, reading, and writing. Within the area of
verbal comprehension, her vocabulary and general understanding of words were weak, therefore
I made sure when using difficult vocabulary or words I did not assume that every student knew
what it meant. I would ask students first if they knew the word and then I would explain with
examples and pictures if applicable what the word meant. In terms of the area of working
memory, where Sara struggled to take in, use, and remember information that is presented
orally, I would always provide all my notes on a Power-Point presentation. I also would handout
out worksheets and then go over it when everyone had it in hand to read along. After all
instructions, I would often use the thumbs-up/thumbs-down strategy to check for
understanding which Sara often participated in. This helped me know when she was not
understanding and when she needed extra explanation. Regarding process speed, Sara takes
extra time to take in, interpret, and respond to information that is presented verbally. For this, I
would always give ample wait time when I asked a question. If no one responded I would ask it
in a different way and gave wait time again before I answered it. In terms of assignments and

activities I always made sure to observe and walk around to check where students were before
moving on. Regarding reading, where Sara experienced a lower speed and struggles to
understand information when reading, I made sure not to call on her for reading aloud and often
had students read independently with ample time. Lastly, in terms of writing, where Sara
struggled to get her ideas out on paper and to organize her thoughts clearly, I provided lots of
organizers which supported her to find information quickly from the text and sort it accordingly
on the organizer to better grasp ideas and concepts.
Overall, my experience of having special need students in my class was both challenging
and rewarding. I really enjoyed having James as one of my students, although he was so
socially awkward and seemed to have difficulty making friends I really made sure that my
teaching reflected sensitivity in this manner. For example, during group activities I assigned
groups so that he would not be left alone. During discussions I made sure to thank him for his
answers and participation. When he came into the class or if I saw him around the school I would
greet him and ask him how his day was going. Having James in my class reinforced how it
important it is to show care, especially with these students who are so vulnerable within such a
socially driven system. When working with Britney it made me more aware to students who
are not designated but who still demonstrate a need for extra support. As a teacher it made me
more resilient as it pushed me to go above and beyond in order to successfully meet students
needs. It forced me to be better organized, prepared, and caring when I had materials ready and
made with the intention to better support Britneys needs. When working with Sara I was
able to better evaluate my teaching practices. Her I.E.P helped guide me on how to better prepare
my lessons and activities which not just benefited Sara but everyone in the classroom. When I
started my practicum I was too concerned with what and how to cover the curriculum but having
these students I quickly realized that does not matter, what matters is whether or not my students

are comfortable, supported, and are succeeding with the structure and delivery of my lessons. All
of these principles are basic towards the overall goal of care. When students are supported it
shows that the teacher cares and quickly teaching becomes not just teaching but a gratifying and
rewarding profession to embark on.