·Sometimes teachers can organize groups that are able to function with minimal teacher
involvement so both teachers can concentrate on helping the other groups.
·When students are in groups, the inclusion teacher (and the classroom teacher) should
work with the entire group, not just the inclusion students.
·Individual students within groups can use material appropriate to their individual per-
formance levels (differentiated texts) and contribute to team learning.
·Even in a team relationship, someone has to have ultimate responsibility for the class
and make final decisions about policies, curriculum, and timing. Someone has to be in
charge. I believe it should be the classroom teacher, who must teach a subject to the full
class, rather than the inclusion teacher, whose primary responsibility is the performance
of an individual student or a small group of students. Disagreements between teachers
should be openly discussed in team meetings or, if necessary, mediated with supervi-
sors.JOIN THE CONVERSATION- Many school districts are moving toward an inclusion model for secondary schools. Do
you believe these classes can be successful for all students?
2.Laura Peterson, a member of the New Teachers Network, is an inclusion social studies
teacher in a 7–12 school. Laura helped me with this section, but disagrees with my
idea that one teacher must be in charge of the class. She feels they can be co-equals.
What do you think? Why?
SECTION F: BECOMING A TEACHER 4:
RESPONDING TO DIFFERENT SCHOOL SETTINGS
In this section, you will meet four young teachers who have worked in a range of different
school settings. The question you need to consider is whether successful teaching differs
significantly from community to community or has a fundamental universality.
The First Day of the School Yearby Laura Pearson
Laura Pearson is a middle school teacher in a suburban school district. She remembers how much
she loved school as a child and that is her starting point as a teacher. She recommends that teach-
ers keep the classroom rules simple and concentrate on building an inclusive and caring commu-
nity from “day 1.”—Alan Singer
Teachers need to spend the first couple of weeks really getting to know students. For some
of my students, it is not only the first day of the school year, but their first day in middle
school. They are both excited and very nervous. It is important from “day 1” that they know I
am happy to be there, organized, ready for action, and a caring individual who is interested
in them. That means you have to S-M-I-L-E.
On day 1, I...
... greet each student at the door.
... hand each child a course outline.
138 CHAPTER 5