Answer:

Hi Ms. Sweeney,

First, I want you to close your eyes, slowly inhale and exhale, and relish/commit to memory that relaxed feeling.

There are some teachers who have an attitude of, “That's not who I signed up to teach, that's not my problem, and that's not my kid.” Therefore, before you” hit the wall” or “lose your sanity”, I want to commend your commitment to educating ALL your students during these times of financial woes and budget cutbacks and No Child Left Behind expectations.

Next, I have listed below a few general tips toward enhancing your teaching methods/relief. Ready?

Collaboration – work with the special education teacher(s) to problem solve and trouble shoot. Find pockets of time (lunch, etc.) to brainstorm and share information about your inclusion students (IEP goals, accommodations, behaviors, etc.).

Co-teaching – consider co-teaching with the special education teacher. Carve out small blocks of time in the beginning to discuss course content and necessary adaptations; later planning can occur on an as needed basis by phone or e-mail.

Multimodality teaching approach – one size teaching does not fit all students’ needs. Always use a multimodality approach to teaching, e.g., auditory, visual, hands-on; this approach is good for every student.

Universal Design (UD) - UD means that, rather than designing your instruction for the average student, you design for students with a broad range in ability, disability, age, reading level, learning style, native language, race, ethnicity, and other characteristics. Key point regarding UD is that teachers can apply it to all aspects of instruction, e.g., teaching styles, curriculum and assessment. UD examples may include:

Implementing practices within the class climate that includes values that reflect inclusivity and diversity.
Ensure that your classroom is accessible to and is usable by all of your students.
Provide regular and effective interactions between students and the instructor(s); check that communication methods are available to all students.
Keep resources and technology flexible and accessible to all your students. Engage students with activities, notes, and resources that motivate and inspire learning.
Discuss necessary IEP accommodations with the special education teacher for students who need them.

For additional information on UD, go to http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Academics/ud_edu.html

Here is a checklist of differentiation strategies for teaching special needs students in an inclusive classroom. This list is not all inclusive, but provides tips for successful student performance no matter what student’s skills are.

A Checklist for Inclusive Teaching
	Choose flexible curriculum materials and ask special education teacher for accommodation suggestions (should be in IEP). Refer to Nine Types of Curriculum Adaptations for suggestions.
	Present directions in more than one way, e.g., verbal paired with visual cues, overhead transparencies/PowerPoint presentations, flip charts.
	Use multiple, accessible instructional methods that are accessible to all learners.
	For visual learners, read written information, directions, and procedures aloud. See auditory learner information below.
	For auditory learners, provide charts, lists, maps or icons for them to move through tasks. Provide work samples so they see what you expect a completed task to look like.
	Evaluate the physical arrangement of your classroom. Do you have quiet and active areas? Is the seating arrangement conducive to the needs of all your students? Are your special needs students isolated in the back of the class engaged in their own independent activity unrelated to everyone else’s?
	Use paired or group reading when necessary and appropriate.
	Use checklists to help students remember what to do and in what order. Remind them to check off each step as it is completed.
	Make content relevant, useful, and p uts learning in context.
	Include strategies that are developmentally appropriate and hands on.
	Assign “study buddies” to help with directions as appropriate.
	Provide opportunities for a variety of ways for students to learn new material or knowledge, e.g., verbal/visual, role play, videotape, projects.
	Offer options for students to work in various groupings, e.g., alone, in pairs, and in small groups.
	Provide a TimeTimer or stopwatch to remind the more kinetic students of when they can move about. Establish what the appropriate amount of time on task is and what happens after they reach that time.
	Some students may need to move around as they learn and complete activities. Identify and clearly communicate when students can leave their work places and where they may go.
	Make each teaching method accessible to all students . Provide the same means of participation to all students, identical when possible, adapted and equivalent when not. Vary teaching methods.
	Provide multiple ways for students to gain knowledge. Incorporate their learning style(s) and student familiarity with background information.
	Deliver instructions clearly and in multiple ways . Provide instructions both orally and with visual support. Ask questions for clarification and have students repeat directions and give feedback.
	Use large visual and tactile aids. For example, manipulatives to demonstrate content, visual aids as large as reasonable (i.e., large, bold fonts on uncluttered overhead displays and use a computer to enlarge smaller images).

Resource Review:

I am also providing a few resources (with brief content descriptions) that offer approaches to understanding and teaching diverse learners. I hope these help.

Glasgow, Neal A. and Hicks, Cathy D., 2003. What Successful Teachers Do: 91 Research-Based Classroom Strategies for New and Veteran Teachers, Crown Press, Inc. www.corwinpress.com. This book covers the following areas:
- Interacting and collaborating with students
- Managing classroom time
- Organizing curricular goals, lesson plans, and instructional delivery
- Using student assessment and feedback to maximize instructional effectiveness
- Working with special needs students
- Celebrating diversity in the classroom, e.g., emphasizing the positive in cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and gender identity
- Integrating technology in the classroom
- Enhancing teacher self-assessment and reflection
- Developing a professional identity
- Enhancing professional relationships with colleagues
- Fostering a positive relationship with parent
Gregory, Gayle H. and Chapman, Carolyn, 2007 (2 nd Ed). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All, Crown Press, Inc. www.corwinpress.com. This book covers the following areas:
- Expands on the concept “one size doesn’t fit all”
- Talks about creating a climate for learning
- How to get to know your student, e.g., learning style, suggestions for using the students learning style
- How to gather feedback and evaluate the diverse learner
- Managing the adjustments, ways to compact information, and grouping
- Appropriate instructional strategies for student success
- Curriculum approaches for the differentiated classroom
- Putting all of your planning together for the differentiated classroom
Heacox, Diane, 2002. Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach ALL Learners, Grades 3-12, Free Spirit Publishing Inc., www.freespirit.com. This book covers the following areas:
- Defines “differentiation”
- Discusses student profiles and how to find out information
- Provides essential questions to ask re what to teach
- Asks teachers to look at how they teach (planning for challenges and variety)
- Takes a look at what students need in terms of flexible instructional grouping
- Looks at what students re tiered assignments, choice making
- Discusses grading and managing differentiation for special populations
Silver, D., 2005. Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers, Incentive Publications, www.incentivepublications.com. This book covers the following areas:
- Discusses setting the pace for yourself, classroom management and parental involvement
- Understanding the diverse learner and how they learn and function in various groupings
- Personalizing your own approach to classroom community
- Provides material, e.g., reproducible pages, discussion guide to support learning in the classroom

Let me know if this information and the resources are useful.

Priscilla