Topic 4: Supervising and Coaching Special Education Teachers

Jessica N Delgado

GCU EAD 530

Dr. Michelle Otstot

September 15, 2021

 
 
 Supervising and Coaching Special Education Teachers

Lessons and Student Needs

How do you ensure your students and students with IEPs and specific disabilities

understand the objective of the lesson?

I will help students understand the lesson objectives by linking the lesson to prior knowledge,

scaffolding, and breaking the lesson down into small achievable goals. I want to ensure students

understand before moving forward, so it is essential to check for understanding during the lesson.

The lessons will be easy to read and concise. For students with IEPs, lessons will include visuals,

graphs, or individual directions to follow along, or assistive technology. Additionally, I would

include the families of students with IEPs. Collaborating with families ensures we are on the

same page from school to home. Welby (2020) states, "occupational therapists, physical

therapists, and speech and language therapists shared that the most significant benefit to

providing services remotely is parent involvement. Many are re-creating services to involve fun

activities that parents can participate in while the therapist is watching virtually and making

suggestions. The benefits have increased the reinforcement of IEP goals and parent engagement

at home." While this research demonstrates collaboration for remote learning, the message is that

collaborating with parents is beneficial for students, especially those with IEPs. 

Differentiated Instruction

How do you plan on meeting the needs of varying learners? 

To ensure my students are meeting the lesson objectives, I would start by familiarizing myself

with each student's deficits and strengths and adjust the lesson objectives according to the

student. An example would be if the lesson consisted of addition, and some students cannot yet

add numbers but can work with repeating patterns. Differentiating the lesson allows the students
to meet the lesson objectives while focusing on their strengths. Differentiating the lesson also

ensures I am meeting the needs of varying learning abilities. 

What methods will you use to differentiate instruction? 

Methods I will utilize to differentiate instruction are Tiering lessons.

Struggling Students

How will you check for student understanding and address struggling students? I can

check for student understanding during lessons by asking students to summarize the skill or

applying it. To help struggling students, I would provide many opportunities for guided practice,

group work, and reteaching. 

Prior Knowledge

How do you assess students' prior knowledge?

One way to assess prior knowledge is by implementing prior-based knowledge assessments.

Providing a quiz, conversation, or having students write out their thoughts on the topic allows me

to assess my student's level of understanding. 

I appreciate this method to check for understanding. Carnegie Mellon University, n.d.

states that "the most reliable way to assess students' prior knowledge is to assign a task (e.g.,

quiz, paper) that gauges their relevant background knowledge. These assessments are for

diagnostic purposes only, and they should not be graded. They can help you gain an overview of

students' preparedness, identify areas of weakness, and adjust the pace of the course." Allowing

students to show the teacher where they are at on a subject helps the teacher adjust the lesson

ahead of time. 
Classroom Management

How will you prioritize classroom management and behavior intervention plans for

individual students? 

For classroom management, I want to ensure my students are aware of and understand daily

schedules. I will do this by posting daily routines, schedules, and transitions. I will keep

consequences minimal and ensure students understand the rules of the classroom ahead of time. I

will also utilize behavior intervention strategies for students with behavior plans. 

I would also ensure that the entire class time is utilized, so students are engaged in learning. 

During the pre-conference, I believe the teacher would answer most questions in this

manner. Pre-conference is when principals and teachers have the opportunity to ask clarifying

questions and explain expectations in the classroom. Research from Johnson et al. (2016) states,

"Students receiving special education represent approximately 12% of the K-12 population (U.S.

Department of Education, 2015). As is the case with most major education reforms, teacher

observation systems have developed without the inclusion of special education teachers or the

students they serve" (p.3). This research demonstrates the importance of understanding the

teacher and their students. To better support teachers, a principal must take the time to

understand the teacher's methods, ask the right questions and provide the best observation

experience possible. 
 References

Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Performance-based prior knowledge assessments - Eberly

Center - Carnegie Mellon University. Cmu.Edu.

https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/priorknowledge/performancebased.html

Johnson, E. S., Crawford, A., Moylan, L. A., & Ford, J. W. (2016). Issues in evaluating special

education teachers: Challenges and current perspectives. Texas Education Review. 4, (1),

71-83 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED583816.pdf

Welby, K. (2020, June 29). How to improve distance learning for students with IEPs. Edutopia.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-improve-distance-learning-students-ieps