For three weeks in May, I completed my special education practicum experience at a local middle school in my hometown. During this experience, I worked with students in a collaborative English classroom. I learned about the roles and responsibilities of being a special education teacher, such as working in a collaborative classroom, developing an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), a transitional IEP meeting, and conducting assessments.
One interesting thing I experience in the field was how the students and teachers adapted to hybrid learning. I observed how challenging it can be for teachers to provide quality instruction for their students both in-person and virtually. For my practicum, I worked mainly with in-person students with diverse disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders, specific learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I worked in a small group or one-on-one with the students. I used the information my cooperating teachers to better assist them in their learning, such as prompting, reading aloud, and providing positive feedback. The work I had done in this practicum experience led to developing good relationships with the students and my cooperating teacher. The students in the classroom always thanked me for helping them and even joked around me, and that warms my heart because it shows how much my presence has made in their classroom. In addition, I also got to observe an integrated service classroom and a collaborative mathematics classroom, allowing me to see and experience different sides of special education. I read a chapter to the students in the integrated service classroom and helped them with their comprehension questions.
While working in the classroom, I planned and taught two lessons that focus on the different topics in English. I use the suggestions and resources provided by my cooperating teachers and develop my lessons that tailor to the student’s learning needs. After teaching my lesson, I receive positive feedback from both my cooperating teacher and university supervisor, which involves using differentiation of lesson materials and the use of direct instruction – modeling, guided practice, and independent practice. I can improve on having backup plans in case technology does not want to cooperate or in the event of a change in schedule or school-wide drill and being conscious of the words I say at the end of a statement. I enjoyed this experience and working with my cooperating teacher and her students. I have included my figurative language SOL review lesson plan below: