Thanks to all the wonderful people who responded to my question about how to
best handle my concerns about the inclusion students coming to library. A
few points that I should have mentioned in my original posting: my library
classes do not provide prep time for teachers (we're finally out of that
loop, since we now have Music, Art, Health, and PE); I've never seen an
Individualized Education Plan for any student, nor did I know I had a right
to ask for one; the kids I'm referring to are in a regular class for part of
the day, so they come to library with that class; the Special Ed class as a
whole group does not have their own library time (but that is a compromise
I'm willing to consider). Things I have already tried include: catching
the assistants at the door and -point blank-asking them to stay and
help(didn't work); discussing my concerns with the regular classroom
teachers involved; discussing my concerns with the principal; getting my
assistant to come help with these kids while I'm reading a book or whatever.
(She's had no more training or experience with working with SPED kids than I
have, and she's 60+ years old....and, frankly, not paid enough to have to
deal with some of this stuff.)
One main point I hesitated to mention, but will explain alot if I do, is
that the Special Ed teacher has *high* connections at our school, and I
don't want to 'stir the waters' with her. However, thanks to your
informative responses and words of encouragement, I feel like I should deal
with this issue before it gets any worse, for the sake of the students and
for my sanity. So, first, I plan on asking for the IEP's on EVERY SPED
student I get, no matter how mild or severe their situation. I'm going to
have another talk with my principal to follow up on our last conversation
and have some documentation to show her. If all else fails, I'm going to
strongly suggest to the SPED teacher and the principal that we find a time
that these kids can come as a SPED group, so that I can adjust my lessons to
better meet their needs.
Thanks again to all who took the time to write me! Here's a hit on the
responses:
----------------------------------------------------
You are not alone in this problem -- or in your desire to come to a humane
resolution. Too often the so-called prep time IS the teachers' and aides'
only respite time, and someone is not thinking through the situation. A
child that needs one-on-one support -- or a class with difficult children of
disparate needs that usually has 2-3 adults' supervision -- is dumped on a
lone specialist's doorsteps (library or art room or music room). And, of
course, it's even tougher for "prep" teachers since children are only seen
once a week, so relationships take longer to develop. Sometimes, merely
reminding administration of this fact can help. I have gotten backup for a
specific child or two in this fashion --maybe a special ed teacher can drop
in, or provide a safe referral location if the child cannot cope. But as
funding drops (esp. as Title I funding is escrowed away from "failing"
No-child-left-behind schools) there will be fewer bodies to perform this
service. I fear prep providers will soon find themselves consistently
dealing with this issue. All one can do is remind administrators that
specialists attempting to teach without support are very expensive
babysitters. Such classes not only teach NO music or art or information
literacy, but surely breed a certain disrespect (if not outright dislike)
for those subjects. If there is real curriculum that students deserve to
learn we must have conditions that allow us to teach. Or stop pretending and
hire babysitters.
................................................
I worked in a school this past year where we had Special Ed classes (mostly
behavior and EDs) inclusion in Specials. I was new to he school. After some
incidences where kids left the room on their own, aides were provided. We
did have many professionals (a psychologist, a social worker, an LDTC)
available to us if we needed strategies to work with the kids. I only
infrequently consulted with them on an informal basis. I found the Special
Ed teachers more helpful in finding strategies that worked.
....................................................
I am astonished to hear that you have been placed in that situation. The
class of kids that are nonverbal noncommunicative special needs kids weren't
given library time by my principal last year. They just weren't expected to
come to the library at all. The main teacher of that class asked me if they
could come in one time and I said yes, but they were disruptive to the
class
that was already there, mostly by making sounds. The teacher promptly took
them out. Then later she asked me if there was a time she could bring them
in and read to them when I didn't have a class so they wouldn't bother
anyone. I arranged it and it was well supervised. Then I invited them to
come in at a regular time for 15 min. and I would read to them. The kids
had almost a one to one ratio of adults to children and the adults wouldn't
think of leaving them. If one child took a book
down form a shelf or grabbed papers the adults would be very apologetic and
would straighten it out. The teacher was very happy to have been invited and
said how nice it was for the kids to have the change outside of class.The
behavior class teachers would stay with their kids every time, or the aide
would stay. Those classes were mostly fine. Your situation sounds very
unreasonable to me. The adults should stay with the kids.
......................................................
For the last 12 years I have served these students weekly in the library.
The teacher or aide always stayed. I keep them only thirty minutes but
always have help. Demand it. They are supposed to stay and help. You can
also offer to go to their classroom once in a while to break their routine.
This shows your interest and lets you get to know these students and how to
manage their behavior in their own environment.
.............................................................
Since you are not a special ed teacher, I can't imagine how they could get
away with dropping them off w/o so much as a special ed aide to assist you!
I would recommend consulting your principal first, and if that doesn't
resolve the problem, consult your union. You should also be keeping a
running written record (with dates) of what behavior was exhibited. We have
four SDC (special day class) classrooms at the site I work at. I am a
technician who is in complete charge of the library program. Since I am a
tech, not a certificated teacher, they can't dump kids off with me. Usually
the teacher and ALL her aides stayed. This past year, 3 of the 4 classes
visited and checked out books on a weekly basis for most of the year. I have
tried reading to them but (unlike my "typical" kids) the students have a
very narrow range of what "works" with them, and I just don't have time to
try and track something special for each class each week. Also, they're only
scheduled for 15 minutes each, so by the time they come in, turn in their
books, and select news ones and get checked out (assuming there are no major
problems) there might be 5 minutes left. Usually however, due to the wheel
chairs, etc., 15 minutes is just adequate for a class of about ten. 1 class
never visited - the kids were just too "low." They would just tear up books,
according to the teachers, so they didn't ask me to schedule them. Another
teacher had been bringing her class each week but expected a story each time
and wanted to have her class go through the routine of coming in and sitting
down (on the carpet - we don't have enough chairs, very small room) which
took about 4 minutes, and the class was often late in arriving, even if I
didn't have a story scheduled. I attempted to read on occasion but several
of her kids were more on the extreme level (kickers and flailers) and often
just laughed to hear themselves laughing rather than anything humorous from
the story. Some were just "nowhere" (probably due to medication). Some just
drooled and others had tantrums and had to be physically restrained. You
have to be a special person to be able to deal with this on an ongoing
basis. Personally, I need a little more positive
feedback and participation from an audience. Anyway, she eventually decided
it was just too much effort to continue and just sent the books down with an
aide. When she needed new ones, she'd let me know. 2 of the classes
continued throughout the year and things were generally fine. I would
suggest that you talk to your principal about just scheduling a shorter
period for them next year, if they are able to come in and just check out
books. I got a special funding and bought $500 worth of board books. Most of
the sdc kids liked them. I put a selection of books (half board books, half
regular)out on a table and they are limited to choosing from them so we
don't have problems with them pulling books from the shelves and
disorganizing them or forcing books back on the shelves in a way that
damages the books. Since I also put out a similar display for my
1st graders (who at the beginning of the year can't read spine titles
anyway - they want to see a cover and open the book)this is not a
discriminatory issue. It really works better for them and me. I did have one
class that really enjoyed hearing the stories, and an other that mostly
enjoyed them, but again, it was hard finding suitable things (BIG, simple
pictures, very simple story lines) week after week.
........................................................
If I were in your case I might sit down with the principal and the school
psychologist to discuss the situation. Most of our kids with problems
(Special Ed and/or behavior) have an IEP (individual education plan) on
file. When they are issued I am either given a copy or told where the copy
is. This way I can read it for insight into dealing with the student. In any
case I would seek help from the professionals in the district.
.............................................................
I'm not sure what the regs are, but your teachers should know, and I would
imagine that there is something written about each student that lays out
their instructional program. I'd start by asking for a copy of their
IEPs-Instructional Educational Plan, I think. If questioned, you could
simply say that you want to make sure that your instruction supports their
plan.The plan should mention supervision--I would expect at the very least,
an aide should be present. You may want to point out to your principal the
question of liability if something should happen to the child in the wheel
chair when you turn your head to answer a question. Classrooms don't
generally have the level of interruptions that media centers have.In
Georgia, where I work, all teachers are required to stay with their classes.
When my special ed classes come, I often have the teacher and the aide. And
I have a class of autistic children that I have asked the teacher to bring
to the media center, but she feels they are not ready.
(I think they are probably at the color chewing stage.) I'm not telling you
this to make you wish you were in Georgia, but to point out that a well run
special ed department takes care of their children, and the fault may be
with particular teachers. I have never had a spec ed teacher "drop off"
his/her children. I would set very small goals, depending on the level of
the
class.Don't think "I have to cover these skills" but rather, what can we do
that these children will enjoy. Old fashioned filmstrips are great, because
they can be made so large, and generally go slowly. Repetitive stories, or
stories where sound effects are frequent, keep children's attention. I keep
old books for students to practice page turning--it won't matter if they get
torn or drooled on. I also have a basket of puppets and stuffed animals that
the students will tell stories to. (they go home often to be washed.) Sit
the students in a circle around a table and let them look at books. If you
sit with them and model reading, and exclaim over the pictures, you will be
amazed at how much you can observe about their reactions, and how much they
will respond. Good luck!
.....................................
I'd explain to your principal and teachers exactly what you said to us. That
you don't know how to deal with these situations and don't have the training
to prevent them from happening in the first place. Ask for some help,
especially in light of the act that you probably have other students to
attend to at the same time.
...................................
If you have access to these students' files (or can get someone from the
office to review them with you), all you would need to do is check their IEP
(Individualized Education Plan). If there is a specific notation made that
ANY of those children should have "continual supervision" then it means that
it should come from a special education teacher or his / her aide who has
been trained to work with that child. This would give you some leverage as
to your request that an additional person be in the library to help you with
the children. If the teacher is "dumping" them with you and you are alone,
let your principal know. If the principal knows and ignores it, then I
would definitely check the IEP to see what THEY know should be provided for
these students. Usually there is continual supervision required by a
special education teacher or an aide, even during special classes like
library, physical education, music, art, etc. I worked as a librarian for
blind and visually impaired children at a school for the blind. Many of the
children were capable of visiting the library without much additional
intervention (most were "normal" in every other way but vision); however, I
also had children with autism, learning
disabilities, social dysfunctions, and other physical disabilities that
required nurse or aide care during the day. I ALWAYS made sure that at
least the teacher or the aide was in the library when the class visited...my
justification: "I am the librarian, alone, and must care for all of these
students-- you are a trained educator in this field and you are never left
alone in the classroom to teach them without an aide. If your child
(Johnny, in the wheelchair) has a seizure, I am not trained to attend to his
needs and I cannot supervise the others while I help him. Therefore, I must
have assistance when this class comes or the class cannot attend." Finally,
the "hard-ball" approach to this is to finally contact the child's parent.
This parent (usually involved in the IEP) will be MORE concerned that the
teacher has left him with you alone that with your call about
needing help. The child's safety, the other students' safety, and your
safety is in jeopardy when special education teachers believe that they can
completely leave the child in a situation -- alone in the hands of
un-trained educators. (I am also certified as a special education teacher
/visually impaired / blind instructor...therefore, I know the risks and the
responsibilities. Yes, we all need a break...but this is one job where we
must "cover" for one another for the safety of the child.) Don't be afraid
to approach the teacher first (document the situation and the responses); go
to the principal (document the situation and the responses) and if
necessary, go to the parent (document the situation and responses). If
nothing happens, discontinue the program with the class. Show documentation
of the reasons why and ask to be involved in the next
IEP, if necessary.
.............................
I remember reading a thread about this topic last year, with some excellent
suggestions coming in. I checked the LM_NET archive at
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml and entered
'special needs' as a search term and a large number of hits came up. Some
of them are bound to be helpful to you. I remember reading the hit and one
of the suggestions was to go to the classroom and get the students used to
your routine before they then went to the library.
........................................
Inclusion is a nice idea, but you need some help. When I have inclusion
situations, often the para or the teacher comes with the class. You need to
request that. The special needs kid who throws things is not only a danger
to you but the other kids, and you could get your butt sued for that kind of
a situation. You need an immediate meeting with your principal, and you need
to outline the problem in detail. And give him or her every detail. If that
does not work, go to your special education coordinator in your district for
help.
.........................................
At my former school we had self-contained special ed classes. They tried to
mainstream some of the older ones with a third grade class. They got very
frustrated because they could not do the skills I was teaching. The school
IEP committee took library out of their mainstream inclusion. I usually
read to the students. The assistants always stayed and had their breaks at
other times. The students did check out books. I'd ask the teacher of those
classes for some ideas, especially what to do with the students who eat
everything.
................................................
In TX, not only are you within your rights to expect a teacher or aide to
stay with the child, it's the law if the child is like you describe. This is
for the child's protection also. Whatever inclusion is best for the SP child
and the "regular" kids seems best to me. If a child screams when you give
him a piece of paper, don't give him a paper. If the child eats crayons,
don't give her crayons. The aide can take the child out if he starts to
disrupt, but at least you can give it a try. Every school I've been in for
the last 24 years has had a special population. As librarian I modified the
lesson if possible and if not possible for the child to participate, he
could at least listen. I speak both as a teacher/librarian and as the parent
of a special (very brain damaged) child. Give it your best shot. Speak to
each child, smile. You may be the one rewarded
.......................................
Our union (in IL) has in the contract that Librarians can not cover prep or
team time. Therefore, the teacher must accompany the students with the
class. I'm sure they put that in the contract so situations like yours would
not be occurring. After all, with the number of children that we service, we
couldn't possibly "know" them all and all their individual specific problems
and needs.I have two elementary schools with a combined total of 800
students and if I had them alone, I would be responsible for the discipline
of 800 students and no one else would do that! I feel your frustration and
it is very justified. Hopefully, someone in administration will come to
understand that you can't run a successful library program with these
disruptions.See if the school counselor can help by sitting in on some of
these difficult classes. Good luck to you and I hope next year is a great
one for you and your students.
..............................
Having had Social and emotional classes and EMR and LD students assigned to
me I sympathize - the physical handicappers are often easier to deal with 1.
check for IEP or behavior plans 2. many school provide personal care aides
for such students to help 3. talk to the classroom teacher for tips on
handling these students -contact parents of these students for information
about needs 4. get some training in differentiated instruction ,
co-operative learning etc
. - have the school pay for it since the students are assigned to you -
with the trend to full inclusion this can be helpful -
personally I don;to like the full inclusion concept but least restrictive
environment is part of current law 5. discuss flexible scheduling splitting
up the class - so that these students come to the library at a different
time - stress meeting students special needs
..............................................
Melissa Moak
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