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Nov
11
I’ve come to terms with the volume of paperwork I have to do because of my job as special education teacher. I’ve come to terms with it, but I don’t particularly like it. Usually, I just try to suck it up and get on with it. Most of the time I’m successful. What I haven’t been very successful at is not going absolutely crazy when people don’t return the forms with information that I need so that I can do my job properly and efficiently. But, I been really thinking about it for the past week, and I think I’ve come up with a plan or at least a new way of looking at the problem that will me help come to terms with the fact that some people are not going to complete and return the forms that I need to do my job properly.
Why is this such a big issue for me? Let me explain. Some of you will already know this, but some of you won’t. Students who have been identified as having a learning disability or a behaviour problem have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which among other things outlines the accommodations that teachers need to make in the classroom so that students can be as successful as possible. The accommodations can be instructional accommodations like students having all instructions read to them, environmental accommodations like having students sit near the front of the class away from distractions, and evaluation accommodations like having extra time for assignments, tests or exams. Student’s accommodations are determined using input from various sources such as any psychological testing and the recommendations that flow from the results of the testing, student input, parental input, the special education teacher’s input, past and present teacher input, and previous report cards.
Each student’s Individual Education Plan generates at least seven forms that I send out because I either need information from people, or I need to provide information to them. This semester, I’m giving special education support to 32 students. So that means, I have to send out 32 x 7 or 224 forms and get them back quickly so that I can complete the IEPs before the deadline-the first 30 days of school. Oh by the way, the 224 forms I mentioned earlier do not include the 32 appointment forms that I put into the homeroom teachers’ mailboxes for them to give to the students so that I can meet with the students to get the ball rolling.
This semester, I have one 75 minute period a day that is designated for special education support. (I know it sounds like a lot of time, but it doesn’t feel like it) This is the time when I am scheduled to meet with my approximately 32 students and give them whatever support they need. I say approximately 32 students because the number of students increases or decreases as the semester progresses depending on such things as whether new kids transfer into our school or transfer out of our school. Of course during each semester some student’s will have had the testing done that identifies that they have a learning or behaviour disability and are entitled to support from the spec. ed. program.
I meet with my students at the beginning of the semester to discuss their IEPs, and send a letter home explaining things and asking them to return the enclosed form with input from their parents or guardians about the accommodations they think are appropriate. Here’s where the craziness begins. Sometimes kids will not come to their appointment with me because they didn’t get their appointment slips for whatever reason, or the appointment slip got lost, or they forgot about their appointment, or they simply didn’t want to come. Of course I shouldn’t be surprised that this happens. Forgetting things, losing things, and not being organized is why some of these kids get the special education support they do. But this means that I have to follow up again and with some kids it’s again and again and again until I get the information that I need.
Once I get all the feedback I need, I complete the IEP and send a copy home with the student for a parental signature. The student is to return the signed copy to me. In the meantime, I send copies of the student’s strengths, needs and appropriate accommodations to their teachers- 32 x 4= 128 more forms that I put into mailboxes. Then at regular intervals of 4-6 weeks, I send another form to each of these teachers asking them to give me a progress report about the students. Now, I’m not complaining about the number of forms I send out. That’s how I get and give the information I need to support my students. That’s my job. That’s what I get paid to do. That’s OK. What drives me crazy is that not only are some kids not co-operating, but some teachers aren’t either. When I send out 128 progress report requests for teachers to complete and return, and I get less than half back, that’s a problem. That’s what drives me crazy, and that’s what drives other special education teachers crazy, too. I’ve tried all kinds of things in the past including asking the administration for help. But, you know what. That just solved the problem that one time. Now it’s a problem again. What to do?
Well, I’ve decided to do two things, one I’ve never done before and the other one I don’t do often enough. First, I’m going to do something that I haven’t done before. I’m going to practice collaborative problem- solving. Last week I attended a workshop by Dr. Ross Greene called The Explosive Child that was, in part, about collaborative problem-solving and wrote about it here. I like Dr. Greene’s model of collaborative problem-solving wherein each person respects the other person by being empathetic with the other person’s problems and concerns, and then each person is invited to propose solutions to the problem after the problem has been clearly articulated. Finally, the people involved agree upon a solution to the problem they both can live with. The second thing I’m going to do is to remember to live in the moment at work and not focus on the past or worry about the future. I’ve got to stop focusing on what didn’t get done and what might happen because it didn’t get done. I’ve just got to do whatever in the moment.
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7 Responses to “Not getting all the paperwork back is driving me crazy.”
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Perhaps you would have an easier time as a homeroom teacher? Do you really think that they have any less paperwork? Every year it seems more and more, principals are requiring homeroom teachers to take on more work/responsibilities. I am not sure why we have Special Ed. teachers in my school, I have to do everything they/you do - plus. When any form does not come back, who does it come down to? When students need to be disciplined for any reason, who does it come down to? Collection of money? Trip forms? Forgotten lunches? Candy-grams? Dance forms? Responsibility for exiting building? Complete report card production? Reminding students of ALL important dates? Tap program/Advisory? Like I said, grass is greener on the other side - or the other saying “put up or ….up”
Homeroom Craziness,
I understand where you are coming from. I am a homeroom teacher and a special ed teacher so I can appreciate what you are saying about homeroom teachers’s paper work load too. As for why we have special education teachers in school, I’m sorry you have to ask that question because that tells me your experience working together with special ed. teachers hasn’t been a positive one. I have had wonderful working relationships with teachers who are open to working with a Spec. Ed. teacher. As for put up or… I think there is another option-changing the way you think about the job. That’s what I have been since I wrote the post. It certainly makes things easier.
Elona,
You misunderstand me. I did not say I did not have any positive experiences with Spec. Ed. teachers. I have worked many years as a homeroom teachers and have known many spec. ed teachers, good and bad. Your arrangement between you and your other subject teachers is different since you work in a highschool (or so I have gathered). The amount of modification and accomodation the homeroom/non-special ed. elementary teacher is asked to do is quite diffent from non-special ed secondary, while still having a class of 30 plus. Don’t forget, amongst a class, a homeroom teacher is expected to cater to “primers” all the way to gifted. I say, “Why have Special Ed teachers”, when I am expected to do the same work a Spec. Ed. teacher does when parents can pull out thier child from Home School Program (tested with MID) but the principal can expect the same service in a regular class. Don’t forget average class, 30 students : Special Ed class, 8. Also, the last time I asked a Special Ed teacher if he knew of a test that can identify what grade level a student is at, the response I got was “I don’t know of any”. How about the constant announcements similar to, “Mr./Mrs. X is away today, those students should stay with thier homeroom.” I did not mean anything personal and you seem like a great teacher, but you should not make the mistake of assuming that I am not open to working with Special Ed. teachers. Perhaps you also have had some unsavoury working partners and have come to the conclusion that I must be in that camp. You expect much of other teachers, I think you expect even more by expecting willing compliance? especially in such a public format? Perhaps it is your way of “getting back” at those that you write disdainfuly about? Seems unprofessional to me.
Angela,
Thanks for taking the time to clarify your position. I really appreciate it. As far as me expecting willing compliance, if I wanted only willing compliance I would only publish the comments that agreed with me. I could do that, but I don’t.
I welcome discussion and challenges to my thinking. You have challenged my thinking, and I hope I’ve challenged yours. That’s the way I can grow as a person and as a teacher.
Yes, I do expect much from other teachers because I expect much of myself. But I’m still open to people saying it the way they see it because I say it the way I see it. It’s helpful to get that other point of view.
Elona,
Sorry, I forgot to mention that by law/policy an HSP class is capped at a certain number. This means the Special Ed. teacher is only limited to that number of IEP’s. By comparison, I have seen a “regular” class reach up to 35 (that’s only one class). It doesn’t seem that there is a law/policy limiting the number of IEP’s a principal can force an elementary homeroom teacher to write. A special ed teacher once said to me that she would rather stay at her job instead of a regular class. The reason being that in her job she is sure to know that the numbers of challenging students she must deal with will be limited to eight, in a regular class sometimes there are 30. Believe me, many years I have seen many times more exceptional learners in a regular class than there were in a corresponding HSP class. Remember that a student does not have to be forced into a smaller class setting regardless of professional opinion or student behaviour. It also seems more and more, administration is not willing to discipline disruptive behaviour. I appreciate your dedication to the students, I really do, but please realize that there are others with different experiences.
Angela,
35 kids in an elementary class with one teacher- that’s criminal. I hope that’s changed with the new class size caps. How did it ever get like that? The most that I’ve ever had in my spec. ed. classes is 20. The least I’ve ever had is 4.
When I have small classes I invite teachers to send kids to me to work in my room. That seems to help teachers a bit. Some regular classes are more difficult than others. The high school model of spec. ed. is different than the elementary model. I’m not a contact teacher so I teach classes that earn a credit.
I guess what was bugging me about not getting the paperwork back in time is that I can’t do my job properly if I don’t get the info from teachers. If I don’t do my job properly the kids could suffer and I’m not supposed to be part of the problem. I’m supposed to be part of the solution. That’s how I see it.
Have you ever thought of being a spec. ed. teacher? They always seem to be in short supply. I don’t know why that is. Do you know why? No one has actually come out and told me.
Elona,
I agree, regular and authentic assesment helps students to better gauge and navigate their own learning.
Have I thought about getting into it? Sure, the only problem I see is that once a teacher gets into it, they don’t get out (from what I have seen in elementary). Something like French, once a principal knows you have French qualifications, you are pegged and it is hard to acquire any other job. I guess if more teachers had the qualification then it would not be a problem (supply and demand).
Why do teachers shy away from it? I can only speculate. Perhaps the limited amount of student contact can feel stifling. You only get to see a few students with perceived limited capabilities and coping skills. In a regular class you see a greater variety of students with a larger cross-section of; abilities, social skills, opinions, beliefs, interest etc. etc. I guess the thinking is with larger numbers there is greater variety.
My sister is a Special Ed teacher and like I wrote before, I have come across some great special ed teachers, so there is much respect there. As for me being a special ed teacher? I am too much of a renaissance gal. I would do it if there were other components to the job. I am looking into moving from the elementary to secondary panel, perhaps it would make a good combination with Co-op? I have many other interest though. Thanks for the seed.