Education and Empathy in Action

Show Notes

Let us know what's up

American cheese: love it or hate it, there's no denying its famous melting prowess. But what does cheese have to do with education? Join us as we navigate from the world of cheese to the complex challenges of academic inclusion. We'll tackle the demanding life of scholarly pursuits and the pressing need for genuine inclusion in education. Our conversation hinges on minimizing discrimination and ensuring equitable learning opportunities for every student, especially those in special education. Through this journey, we unveil the realities of inclusive education, spotlighting the integration of students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms.

While the special education population continues to grow, over 15% of public school students receive services under IDEA, yet educators often find themselves without the necessary support and training. We explore this critical issue, highlighting the importance of adapting teaching methods to meet diverse needs. This is a call to action for systemic support, as we address communication barriers, cultural differences, and the necessity for comprehensive teacher education. By advocating for better-prepared educators, we aim to balance the educational needs of all students, fostering an inclusive environment for various learning abilities.

Let's not forget the vital role of compassionate collaboration between educators and parents. Personal anecdotes bring to life the significance of open communication and mutual support, encouraging active parental involvement. We urge teachers to acknowledge their limitations and seek help when necessary, creating a supportive network for both educators and families. Together, we'll explore how strengthening the parent-teacher relationship is key to enhancing the student's educational journey. And before you go, find out how you can connect with us through social media, where your questions and insights are always welcome.

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What is Life in the IEP Tribe?

Join us as we dive into the world of special education with two educators who have walked the same path as many of you. In addition to teaching in self-contained and collaborative settings, our hosts bring a unique perspective to the challenges and triumphs of raising a special needs child. From classroom strategies to heartfelt family moments, they offer practical advice, empathy, and a community of support. Discover how their personal experiences can shed light on your journey and gain valuable insights into navigating the complexities of special education both in and out of the classroom. Welcome to the tribe!

Speaker 1: so what was that
cheese called again?

Yeah it's got this like weird
flavor in my mouth.

You know like not that I need
to scratch my tongue off or

anything, but it's interesting.

So anyway, let's go ahead and
start another episode.

What do you think, laura?

Should we start another?

Ahead and start another episode
?

What do you think, laura?

Should we start another episode
?

Sure.

Let's start another episode On
that note of cheese.

So yeah, well, cheese is good,
like that's one of those things

that, across the board,
everybody can agree with.

Speaker 2: Most people.

Speaker 1: Maybe not types of
cheese Like those ridiculously

demented people that call
American cheese cheese.

That stuff's just disgusting
Like.

Why would anybody want to eat
that on purpose?

With all the cheeses in the
world, they will eat those that,

that one, whatever.

Speaker 2: I think some people
like its melting capabilities.

Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, people
like its melting capabilities.

Okay, yeah, that, yeah, so
anyway, um, we often have

conversations about this stuff
because we're both still in

school and having to read all
kinds of stuff all the time, and

it's not that I enjoy reading
it, it's just that I have to.

But sometimes the content of
the papers that we have to read

or the journal articles that we
have to read are pretty

interesting.

So what I would like to do, uh,
for this particular episode is

I would like to discuss one of
the journal let's try that again

Journal, the journal article
and the Hand sanitizer.

Speaker 2: Right Hand sanitizer.

Speaker 1: Yeah, so we just
start making up words.

That's the way that real
teachers do it.

It's like you just kind of wing
it, put together some words

like some possible, and I don't
have any more.

Like.

That's all I have.

That's what happens when we
record after working all day.

Speaker 2: I'm lucky.

Speaker 1: I can still say
cheese balls and Chromebooks.

Speaker 2: Better than me.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah, struggle with
the words.

Speaker 1: So I read this
article, this journal article

that had to do with so.

One of the big topics and you
and I talk about this all the

time and there's tons of
research on it is the whole idea

behind inclusion, right?

So the past couple episodes
we've talked about law, We've

talked about IDEA, We've talked
about FAPE, we talked some about

LRE, and if you don't know what
any of those are, go check out

the other episodes but at the
very top of these conversations

is the conversation of inclusion
.

But across the world there's
this kind of consensus that we

need to minimize discrimination
as much as possible and, when it

comes to the world of education
and special education, that we

need to give our students the
best opportunity we can to

receive an education that's
going to help them as they move

forward, and so a lot of this
falls under inclusion.

Speaker 2: Well, what are some
of the issues with inclusion?

Some of the issues are
providing support in the

classroom.

You get outside of kindergarten
and there are no Right.

And then the paras in
kindergarten they have enough,

you know, trying to keep up with
the students that are typically

developing and doing the extra
work that they have to do.

So then you know, you add in
excuse me a student that may

need some more extra support and
it makes extremely difficult

for them to focus on both and do
it well.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, think
about this is why I'll never be

like a superintendent.

But somebody thought it was a
great idea to put 20 something

kids in a classroom with two
adults and have them learn.

I mean, that's severely
outnumbered.

Yes, very tiny humans.

Some of them never been in a
school setting before, right,

not all of them have gone to
preschool and so that to me that

, yeah, that, and God bless
those people that do that.

I'm telling you.

I mean it was fun when I was
subbing, but I don't know that I

could handle.

I'd be afraid, I'd be very
afraid, because there's so many

of them and they can surround
you, but anyway, let's move on.

So, talking about inclusion but
anyway, let's move on.

So, talking about inclusion.

So there are yeah, there's a
lot of hurdles, but one of the

ones that you'll find when doing
any kind of research on it is

that we have more and more
teachers put in positions to do

so.

Right, so?

So inclusion has been a big
deal like.

So we can go all the way back
to like 19, 1905, I think it was

.

I think that's what we were
saying yeah, over the weekend or

1910, that's what it was the
white house conference of

children, right, and this was
all about education and

providing the best, again,
education that we can.

And of course, as we progress
as a society, more things become

evident to us and we adjust and
address and so on and so forth.

But in this whole process, the,
the special education

population has just exploded.

So looking at the 22, 23 school
year, according to the Center

for Educational Statistics I
think I said that right 15, I

think like 15.2% of the public
school population is being

served under IDEA.

That turns out to be somewhere
in the area of like seven, seven

, just over seven million
students that fall under under

IDEA but it's pretty expansive
fall under IDEA but it's pretty

expansive.

So kids getting special
education services aren't just

kids that are in like classrooms
, like we teach the

self-contained classrooms, but
most of them.

So of that 7 million I think
it's somewhere like four and a

half, close to 5 million are in
the general education classroom.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: And so what are some
of the supports?

Right?

So you talked about that.

One of the big issues is not a
big issue, but a truth is that

there's not consistent support,
constant support in the

classrooms all day, and so talk
a little bit about that, like

what happens in the inclusion
classroom.

Speaker 2: In the inclusion
classroom we have typically

students of varying disabilities
and they're doing their

academics and they also have the
social aspect of it, and so the

teacher has to make sure that
they are ensuring that their

materials are on the right level
for their learners, whether

that be on target or if they're
above average or if they're

struggling a little bit.

So the teachers try to make
sure that they have something

for all of their students that
will be beneficial.

And then there's oftentimes,
when you have students that have

an IEP typically, that there
are also some undesired

behaviors that follow those
students for various reasons.

Some of them could be that
they're immature, because

they're not developmentally
ready to be where they are.

Some of it could be their
diagnosis itself or their

disability itself.

Excuse me, communication
barriers.

We also have cultural barriers.

There's just a slew of things
that come along with these

students, and so when they're in
inclusion so when they're in

inclusion you know that teacher
is trying to support all of

these students.

Speaker 1: And typically, as you
said, by themselves.

So, reading up on all of this,
what I found is that there are

common themes in every bit of
research that I've seen and the

themes are like these barriers
that, like I said, are

identified across the board
article I was reading.

It's talking about how teachers
feel underprepared to teach

students with disabilities, and
that makes sense, because you

talk to most teachers and if you
were to ask them about the

amount of special education
study that they did during their

pre-service program, let's just
think about the traditional,

the teachers that go the
traditional route right.

They go to college for four
years.

They do student teaching.

We've had the privilege of
meeting some really great young

teachers over the years and I
think there's only ever been a

few that had intentionally taken
some classes to have it added

to their certificate as far as
to be able to work with students

with disabilities.

But it's not necessarily the
norm.

Speaker 2: Right, and even I
think those courses are not

necessarily in depth.

So, even though I think you're
talking about the ones that get

duly certified and it's an extra
couple of classes and um yeah,

and from what we've been told,
it doesn't accurately or

effectively prepare them either,
even though they're taking

these classes.

Speaker 1: And so what happens
is we have all these kids with

varying degrees of ability
entering the classroom of a

teacher that hasn't been trained
on how to teach the spectrum of

children in their classroom.

And I don't know about you, but
I know, when I step into

something that I'm going to be
held responsible for and I have

no idea how to do it, that
drives me crazy, like it makes

me think back.

So when I was it was around 19,
I had went and applied for a

job at a super eight motel in
Brunswick, georgia.

I walked in like and I was
weird looking.

I mean, I'm weird looking now,
but I was weird looking when I

was 19, like my black hair, and
I just yeah.

So anyway, I walked in and I
asked them if they were hiring.

It just so happens I was up
there with a buddy of mine and

they said, yeah sure.

So I got hired.

They said, can you start
tonight?

I said, absolutely.

I came back to work the night
audit.

I got trained for one night and
they're like all right, here

you go.

To say that I was terrified
would be an understatement,

right?

I'm a 19 year old kid that has
no idea how to do his job and

you just said, hey, go ahead.

So now let's think not to
minimize people that work in the

hospitality industry, but put
somebody in a classroom with a

bunch of kids and not have them
trained specifically to deal

with as many of those
disabilities as possible.

How would you not become
overwhelmed?

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: I mean again, that's
another one of those things to

me that's terrifying.

So, as I'm reading through this
journal article, it talks about

how this lack of understanding
leads to a real poor

self-efficacy or a belief in
what they can accomplish, and

from that stems a poor attitude.

From the poor attitude it leaks
out into everybody else in the

classroom and really prohibits
the academic gains that one

might be looking for.

And so my question is and I'm
just kind of, I'm throwing this

one at you, even discussed it is
for the parent of a, a student

that is in inclusion, that's
receiving special education

services through a co-teach
model or, um, maybe they're just

, I don't know, but we're.

The majority of their day is in
the general education classroom

.

What is something that we can
share with parents that might

help them be a little more
understanding or compassionate

when there's things that they
don't understand going on in the

classroom?

Does that make sense?

Speaker 2: Like, if they're
getting a lot of calls from the

teacher or there's a lot of
concern from the teacher about

the student, what is something
that we can tell parents to kind

of keep in mind, or maybe even
something to view the whole

situation through that will
allow them to be more

compassionate and supportive?

I think one thing that they
should consider is asking

questions, ask the teacher for
clarification.

For clarification, I think a
lot of times we go into things

and I'm guilty, too, with
thinking that, okay, so can you

tell me why this is like this?

Or was you know this an issue?

Or was there something going on
in the classroom when this?

You had this struggle and then,
I think, along with that too,

is that the the parent.

So asking questions, asking for
some clarification, um, I ask

you know what?

What do you need from me?

Is there something I can do at
home?

Is there you know something
that, uh, I can send in, or is

there something that you need?

Uh, ask the teacher those
questions I can send in, or is

there something that you need?

Ask the teacher those questions
and then also, not just trying

to understand, but also help
that teacher understand your

child, share with them some of
the struggles and some of the

needs, but also some of the
strengths, because I think we

found that when we focus on the
strengths of our children and

our students, that they will
kind of rise to that and they,

when they know that they're
doing something right.

So if you can as a parent, let
your child's teacher know that.

Okay, listen.

So, yeah, I understand that you
know he struggles or she

struggles at this, but she's
really good at this and maybe if

you give her, like if someone
likes to lead, if you give her a

job or a task to do, she'll
follow through that and then

that will help that child feel
good about themselves.

So I'm really coming along
besides that teacher, because

parent-teacher relationships I
think are becoming more and more

thin.

I guess you would say Fractured
.

These days.

Yes, and because I think that,
like you were saying, that

sometimes the teachers, they
don't know what to do and then

the parents feel, well, they
just don't care about my child.

And I think, always looking at
it, I think teachers and parents

both need to take that view of
maybe I misunderstood something

and not blame Maybe it's me.

I think that's one of your, one
of the things that you've

always said Well, okay, so if I
assume that I've I've got it

wrong, then yeah, it's not on me
, if, if I'm not coming off

being rude or disrespectful.

I hope that made sense.

Speaker 1: I don't know, I think
it's owned out a little bit,

but I know most of what I was
listening to was really good.

No, no, I agree, and I agree
with what you're saying as far

as that going both ways.

I think one of the hardest
things for teachers to do,

especially when you're sitting
in that IEP meeting and the

conversation is is a little
tense or there really is a major

issue that you're you're
discussing it's very hard

sometimes to to say yeah, I
don't know Right Like and to,

and to look at another teacher
in the meeting and say I don't

know what he, what do you got?

I don't know how, what do you
got?

I don't know how to answer this
question or I don't know how to

address this.

And I think that when we are
willing to be open and honest

with each other as human beings,
it helps everybody in the

process, everybody in the
process.

And so what I would say to the
parent is keep in mind that this

teacher probably did not have a
whole lot of exposure to

students with disabilities.

Now, you can blame whoever you
want to for it, you can blame

the pre-service program, you can
blame the district, you can

blame the governor, whatever but
the fact right in front of you

is at this moment in time,
there's probably some things

that are lacking, and so what's
necessary is to see parents come

alongside and have some
compassion, but then, at the

same time, you hold each other
up.

Speaker 2: Right.

Speaker 1: So let's not make it
about the parent versus the

teacher and actually be that
that IEP team.

There is absolutely nothing
that suggests that our special

education population is going to
shrink Right.

It's just becoming more and
more and there's more and more

students in our general Oops I
hit the table In our general

education classrooms that need
more support, and I think that's

something that, as educators,
as parents, it needs to be at

the forefront of our
conversations.

I think, when it comes to our
kids with special needs, that

there's a lot of students that
have an IEP that will go on to

live full lives.

They'll go, they'll get jobs,
they'll have families.

It's not because they have an
IEP that they're on the severe

side, and a lot of it is just
again needing a little bit extra

support.

And so, as I was saying, we're
talking about this article and

the teachers not being
positioned, or feeling that

they're not positioned, to be as
effective as they can be.

Again, it's another one of
those things that you look at

here.

So it's here in front of us.

We can talk about how to
minimize that moving forward,

but what do we do right now and
I would challenge anybody

listening to this if you're a
parent that has a child that is

receiving special education
services in the inclusion

setting, special education
services in the inclusion

setting that go into it with the
idea that you want to support

that teacher.

Teachers be willing to ask each
other questions.

You know, if you're a gen ed
teacher that is doing the

inclusion thing, spend some time
and have a conversation with

this special education co-teach
teacher that's coming in with

you, with this special education
co-teach teacher that's coming

in with you.

Bounce ideas off of each other.

Reach out to other special
education teachers, see what

they're doing Like.

One of the best things you can
do Is keep communication open

and serve each other, because
when we start serving each other

, then the weight of feeling
inept or the weight of feeling I

have no idea what I'm doing the
weight of it lessens, because

not that you automatically know
more, but you got somebody

walking it with you.

Speaker 2: Absolutely.

Speaker 1: And so the winner in
that scenario are the students.

And so, anyway, this whole
article went on to say and I

think I already said this, but
I'll button it up is that not

only are the special education
students missing out, the

general education students, the
typical developing, are missing

out.

The general education students,
the typical developing, are

missing out.

Teacher burnout is at an
all-time high.

What we can't change is we
can't change pre-service

programs, we can't change what
these colleges teach.

We can't, you know, do the whole
?

I dream a genie blink thing and
make people just know stuff.

Speaker 2: That'd be cool if we
could.

Speaker 1: Wouldn't it?

But instead, here's what we get
to do Be compassionate, walk

side by side with teachers and
parents Doesn't mean that every

conversation is going to be a
happy one, doesn't mean that

they always turn out well, but
nothing, nothing can be better

than a room full of people that
genuinely care for this

particular student, and I think
that if you really care about

them and you want to see them do
their best, you're going to ask

questions.

Speaker 2: Right, I agree.

Speaker 1: Yeah, and so that's
where it always starts is asking

questions.

So parents love your teachers,
ask them questions, be

supportive Teachers, be willing
to say I don't but I'll find out

.

Right, we can't take it all
personal.

We can't get flustered because
we don't know, because we're

always going to have things that
we don't know.

I've never met I've met, some
great teachers.

I my first handful of years I
got, I got to work with some

fantastic teachers and I learned
a ton from them.

But they didn't get everything
right all the time, and neither

do the parents.

So we have to keep that in mind
when we're talking about a

situation, when we're talking
about a setting that could be

very volatile.

Compassion smushes all that
down.

People don't get to see what
I'm doing with my hands, laura

Only you.

You're so lucky.

Speaker 2: Yes, you're fanning,
you're trying to fan me.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm like
flapping like a bird.

So anything else that you would
like to add to this, mrs Curtis

?

Speaker 2: No, I just like what
you said about that two-way

street of communication and
mutual respect and understanding

.

Do your best to try to
understand what the teacher's

saying, do your best to try to
understand what the parent is

saying and, like you said, the
child's going to benefit and

that's what we're supposed to be
here for.

Speaker 1: Yeah, the stinking
kids.

All right.

Well, if you don't have
anything else, I'm going to go

ahead and turn this off, you
good?

Speaker 2: I'm good.

Speaker 1: All right, so you can
check us out on social medias A

few of them, the Facebooks and
the Instagrams and if you have

any questions, comments,
concerns, you can shoot them to

us through those avenues.

Or you can email us at
lifeinthieptribe at gmailcom.

Did I say it right?

Life in the IEP tribe.

It's probably a lot easier just
to go to the Facebook thing,

click a button and send us a
message Instead of remembering

that super long.

Speaker 2: I mean, it's just the
name, plus, that's true.

Speaker 1: Okay, well, and so
until next time I'm Jared with

my wife Laura and we're saying
goodbye, goodbye.