You are working as the special education teacher in an ICT Kindergarten classroom with 17 students without IEPs and 6 children with IEPs. Children with IEPs include:
1 child with high functioning autism, also diagnosed with ADHD
1 child classified as having a mild visual impairment
1 child with auditory processing disorder
1 child with a mild intellectual disability
1 child diagnosed with selective mutism
1 child who uses a wheelchair
Additionally, 3 children in the class are emergent bilinguals all speaking Spanish in their home (no IEPs). You have a general education teacher in the room as well as 3 paraprofessionals: one who is a native Spanish speaker, one assigned to the child in a wheelchair and another assigned to the child with the visual impairment. Therapists are on site at the school and may push in or pull out from time to time but are not always available at a moment’s notice. How might you:
1) Set up your classroom?
2) Plan/schedule your day?
3) Integrate your curriculum?
4) Communicate effectively with parents?
5) Collaborate with the other adults in the room?
6) Balance your role as the special education teacher (paperwork, IEP goals, etc.) with the need to also be a fully immersed co-teacher for all children in the classroom?
Sample Solution