Tomorrow I will be teaching the handicapped class. I haven’t met them and no idea about their status. The person in-charge told me to be the T1 tomorrow.
Any suggestions on how to run a 45 minute class for the first time?
Thank you!
EDIT:
So sorry if I used the wrong word. The term used by one of the teachers probably stuck while I was writing the post.
I didn’t think it will come in as offensive right away as I am also a parent of a handicapped. Hence, I deal with the situation on a daily basis and try my best to help my child. It’s no easy task.
Again, sorry about it.
16 comments
You definitely need to know more and what kind of students you are teaching.
If they have cognition issues, then usually flash card recognition, karuta, or simple direction/simon says works well.
Depending on their disabillities some of them may not really be able to participate and/or zone in and out. The lesson may also simple stop for random play time / outbursts. Follow the lead of whichever teacher is in charge of taking care of them usually. Also be prepared for more physical contact / touching than other classes.
Probably worth saying what level you teach…
An ES special needs class is pretty different to a JHS one.
Well I wouldn’t call them the handicapped class for starters…
Is this a class you will be teaching every day, every week, only once? What ages? Do they have any English skills, what handicapping conditions are involved…? Lots you can do, but it would help to know a little more. Regardless, though, we should be able to generate some ideas to get you started. (Speech pathologist and special ed teacher here)
Define “the handicapped class”.
Do you have a Sped. license? If the answer is no, then say “no thanks” and find a job that’s not willing to exploit you and put an already vulnerable group of children in an unethical and potentially dangerous situation.
I have been thrown into the special needs classes before. Keep it simple, keep it light, and keep your expectations low. Have fun, keep your English basic, and never judge.
Obviously you don’t have any training or qualifications for this. I’m not sure that is legal. Being T1 without a license is illegal, working with special needs students without being specifically qualified? Get out of that nonsense before they get you sued.
Special Needs: have a learning problem or disability that make it more difficult for them to learn than most children their age
or
Physically challenged: disabled in a way that prevents you from using part of your body properly; perhaps vision or sensory issues, can not do games that involve much movement
Which one? If the first one, then they really should have told you their level. Maybe they are 3 years behind similar aged students…or 5 years behind….You need to know. Then adjust lesson to lower level accordingly.
Also, as an add-on, it is disgusting that the school would suddenly put an untrained person in a special needs (NOT handicapped) class as special needs students need specialized lessons.
I do T1 for the special needs class once a week there is always 2 or more teachers in the class. Just keep it simple mainly games. Gesture games is always fun. Very easy bingos. Some fun songs to start the class.
I actually really enjoy my special needs class I’ll take them over some of my regular classes. The special needs teachers and students really seem to enjoy themselves.
If its your first class with them, you could just do a really easy intro about yourself and your country. Lots of flashcards and pictures, get the students talking about what they see, they other JTE can help you and direct them. Afterwards a bingo game using words you used in your intro class.
I just taught special needs today keep if simple, keep the game rules simple, lots of movement if you can. Card games, touch games for young learners and try to find out if they separate the grades. In one of my schools there are days when I only have to teach grades 1-3 and on other days grades 4-6. So try finding that out if you can so you can plan out your lesson according to thier level
For special education classes you’re probably just better of over preparing and organising games and activities for a wide range of situations.
I volunteer teach two classes per week at the local junior high, and the first time I went I pretty much made a lesson plan for very small school aged children, then another plan for a little higher maybe 4th grade, then another lesson for more advanced students where we sang about different countries and their names.
In the end I just used whatever the kids seemed to enjoy, because that’s the main goal more than anything else, and now I got a good handle on the level required.
Stop apologizing for using the term handicapped. It’s an incredibly PC term already. They are literally handicapped. It’s not as though you called them retarded, but even that is fine. Their abilities are literally retarded. They are retarded, they are handicapped.
There’s no point in apologizing for it, because in a year or 2 you’ll have to apologize for saying “differently abled”, and it’s only because people keeping apologizing for no reason.
Western schools are already trying to phase out the phase “English as a Second Language” as not PC enough, in exchange for “English as Another Language” You can’t appease crazy people, so stop giving them more ground.
As for your question, it’d be better if you knew if they were mentally or physically retarded, or both, and to what degree. You could aim for more games and visuals, but some may not be able to move very well. Some may not be able to grasp what the rest can. Others may be aggressive, or defiant. There are a lot of variables. All I can say is plan something open ended that doesn’t involve too much movement. Good luck.
Handicapped physically or mentally? elementary, middle school, high school?
try playing 神経衰弱 with shapes/animals.