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    Seager-B-Sped730-M8-Interview-Paper 1

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    of 16
    Field Interview The teacher that I interviewed was Dr. Sue Ann Kline, Dr. Kline works for the Lansing School District, USD 469. Dr. Kline is a special education teacher that has over 30 years of experience as a teacher. She is currently working at the School of New Beginnings, which is an alternative school within the Lansing Schoo! District located at 200 E Mary St. in Lansing, Kansas 66043. For the past three years, Dr. Kline has served special education elementary students grades K-2 with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, As Dr. Kline enters her fourth year in Lansing, she will be serving special education students in grades 6-8 with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, The interview I conducted with Dr. Kline was twenty ‘questions that are attached at the end of this presentation, and the insights gained from the interview were enlightening, as Dr. Kline and I share some of the same philosophies and insights into education special education and general education students (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Teacher Background Dr. Kline is a special education teacher licensed to teach grades K-9, she has taught special education students in grades K-5 for over 30 years, and this upcoming school year will be her first year teaching secondary students in grades 6-8. Prior to working for the Lansing School Disirict, Dr. Kline worked as an autism researcher; she then began working as a special education teacher through the Leavenworth County Cooperative. The Leavenworth County Cooperative dissolved in 2014, in which time Dr. Kline stayed at the alternative School of New Beginnings which became part of the Lansing School District under the dissolution of the Leavenworth County Cooperative. Dr. Kline obtained her bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University in Special Education Leaming Disabilities and in Elementary Education. She then obtained her master’s degree from UMKC in special education with an emphasis in Emotional Disturbance and Behavior Disorders. Dr. Kline then entered the PhD program at Kansas University and eamed her doctorate with an emphasis on special education, behavior disorders, leaming disorders, and autism. After interviewing Dr. Kline, I have seen the importance of obtaining graduate degrees in a variety of special education fields, as this will allow me to meet the educational needs of students that I could and will be working with (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Philosophy of Education Dr. Kline’s philosophy of education is tied closely to my philosophy, which is: all students are capable of leaning, provided that academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs reassessed. Dr. Kline and my philosophy are the same in that problem solving end interventions are necessary components to ensuring that academic, social, emotional, and bbchavioral needs are addressed and updated frequently to ensure that each student is receiving the necessary services and supports to be successful. This point has been one of the comerstone concepts taught throughout this course, and this course and the interview have shown me that these elements are vital component into special education students achieving success in the classroom. One other philosophy that I have in common with Dr. Kline is that I believe that all students should have some form of a functional behavior assessment (FBA) conducted, as this will be another resource and assessment that will address how teachers can better suit the ccucational, social, and emotional needs of the students. Also, Dr. Kline’s philosophy of cducation has changed over the course of her career, as she continues to serve a diverse group of special education students with severe behavioral and emotional needs (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Instructional Strategies ‘There are several different instructional strategies that Dr. Kline uses in the classroom, which inclade: Direct instruction, one-on-one supports, small groups, large groups, station work, whole group discussions, and many other strategies which are dependent upon the lesson or unit being taught, Dr. Kline also strives to develop lessons and activities which are connected with her philosophy of education, but are also connected with IEP goals and benchmarks for each student. Using her philosophy of education and the IEP goals and benchmarks for each student into consideration when designing lesson plans and activities, Dr. Kline is better able to meet the diverse educational, social, and emotional needs of her students. ‘Tying philosophy of education to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of all students is another major objective of this course, and after this interview, I have been able to see the value and importance in designing and delivering instruction (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Services and Accommodations ‘The special education student services end accommodations for students attending the School of New Beginnings where Dr. Kline is a teacher varies from student to student, as this is an alternative school for students with severe emotional and behavioral needs. However, each student has received an FBA and has a behavior plan in place; also the behavioral consultant ‘meets regularly with staff and students, in order to evaluate behavior plans and interventions, A majority of students that Dr. Kline provides services to, have goals in reading, writing, social skills, behavioral, and many other areas to address skill deficits. ‘The services and accommodations that each student in the school receives vary, as it is an alternative school, and it is vital that instructional strategies are differentiated in order to ensure that the educational needs of all students are met in the classroom. Dr. Kline used to provide services to students with Ieaming disorders, and many of the services and accommodations that these students received ‘was reading, writing, mathematics, and social skills. What Dr. Kline shared with me in the interview closely aligns to the content of this course, as educational goals vary for each student, and itis important to take into account behavioral, social, academic, and emotional goals when determining which services and accommodations each student will need to be successful (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Academic Challenges Students attending the school in which Dr. Kline teaches have a variety of academic challenges in the classroom. One factor affecting academics of the students is behavioral challenges, as each student in the school has severe behavioral or emotional disorders. With behavioral challenges, students sometimes miss important lectures and parts of class, which ‘makes it difficult for them to complete assignments and activities. Also, schoo! attendance plays a factor into some of the academic challenges that some students face. Many students miss several days each month for a variety of different reasons, and catching up on the missed instruction is an added challenge for the students who are already facing many challenges already, Students who miss many school days are at an even higher risk, as the gaps in their learning increase even further. Perhaps one of the most significant academic challenges is deciding which curriculum to implement in the classroom, as it needs to meet the educational needs and goals of the diverse groups of students within the classroom and school. When asking Dr. Kline this question, | reflected about what I have learned in this course. I was able to tie these things together, which allowed me to better understand this perspective (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Behavioral Strategies and Supports The School of New Beginnings and other schools in the Lansing School District have many programs to address and reward behavior throughout the school district. Dr. Kline and the teachers in the school have the Behavior Intervention Support Team, or B.LS.T. program, and individualized behavior plans based on FBA’s in place for cach student, and these have been effective in addressing and redirecting student behavior in the classroom and school. Students in the School of New Beginnings are aware of the expectations, rules, and consequences of making bad choices, which has allowed the program to be effective. Also, students attending the school in which Dr. Kline teaches have several behavior rewards and incentive programs in place. Tangibles, contracts, social reinforcements, school wide point system, school store, token economy, and individual recognition are just a few of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, supports and rewards that are used to motivate students in the classroom and school with severe behavioral and emotional challenges. Many of these behavioral strategies discussed in this course are in place in the school where Dr. Kline teaches, which allows me to see the effectiveness and importance of selecting necessary supports and interventions for students with severe behavioral and emotional disorders (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Collaboration and Communication One of the most imperative aspects of working in education is collaboration and communication, between students, teachers, and parents, which is one of the key principles discussed and practiced throughout this course, This was a major point that Dr. Kline discussed uring the interview, as she collaborates and communicates with other educators, parents, and staff members on a daily basis, in order to better serve the educational needs of her students. ‘Teachers that Dr. Kline most frequently collaborates with are teachers who teach the same grade teachers on the same level as her, which would be elementary teachers, Even though she primarily collaborates with clementary teachers, she does communicate and collaborate with secondary teachers as well, since the School of New Beginnings provides services for students in grades K-12, Dr. Kline also discussed communicating with parents and guardians and the ‘methods that she uses to ensure that parents are involved and informed throughout the education process of their students. Emails, daily notes, and phone calls home are the most common methods Dr. Kline and other teachers use to communicate and involve the parents in the educational process. A majority of the parents and guardians in the school district are involved and play a vital role in advocating for their students, which provides an even more supportive learning environment for the students (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). RTI Response to Intervention (RTI) is another important concept that has been discussed and evaluated during this course, and it was also discussed during this interview. The School of New Beginnings does use an RTI program, and since itis an alternative school, itis considered in the tier three category. Dr. Kline also discussed with me that the Lansing School District does have RTI programs in place at each building in the district, I student taught at the Lansing Middle School and RTI was used there, and I was able to have a detailed discussion with Dr. Kline about how the other levels of RTI work. Learning more about RTI in this course and seeing implemented during student teaching, and having a discussion interview about it allowed me to provide another educator with useful insights and information about the RTI program (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). IEP Team Dr. Kline has worked with and participated in IEP teams at different positions that she has held during her tenure as a special education teacher. The IEP team for each student at the School of New Beginnings varies for cach student. The principal reviews IBPs prior to the ‘meetings, and discusses with each teacher any corrections or additions that need to be made prior to the meeting. Other buildings in the district have IEP teams or student success teams that meet prior to IEP meetings to discuss services, accommodations, and interventions to use in order to promote and achieve student success, Dr. Kline also shared with me that in previous positions, they would have pre-IEP meetings which would be used to brainstorm and create IEPs that would best suit the educational goals and needs of each student. The interview with Dr. Kline allowed me to reflect and understand the significant role of IEP teams and pre-meetings that have been discussed in past weeks, as this is a necessary process in order to ensure that effective interventions and educational plans are in place for each student (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Professional Development Professional development is important to Dr. Kline, as she attends many trainings and Workshops throughout the summer months and over the weekends. She is dedicated to learning ‘the newest technologies and methods in order to be the best educator possible for her students. I also share this same philosophy, as I attend additional trainings and mectings to lear about new methods and instructional strategies to use in the classroom. Dr. Kline is also very active in the Couneil for Exceptional Children (CEC) Workshops and she does participate in many online T.ED. programs, Even though professional development is not a major topic in this course, it has been mentioned, and the interview and this course have shown me that professional development is a vital aspect to effective teaching and leadership (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Conclusion Dr. Kline is truly a dedicated special education teacher that strives to meet the educational needs and goals of special education students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. Her philosophy of education and my philosophy share many key points, and both of these also align closely to the concepts and ideas contained within this course. Over the course of this interview and asking the questions, I found myself reflecting on the topics that have been Giscussed over the past several weeks in this course, and I see the importance and significance that each topic plays in the classroom and special education process. The educational needs and goals of special and general education students are very diverse. These needs require many instructional strategies and interventions which will need to be in place in order to serve the best interests ofall students. This course and interview have been invaluable in helping me to see how to use collaboration and communication to be a better advocate and educator for my students (S.A. Kline, personal communication, June 27, 2016). Reference Kline, $.A. (2016, June 27). Personal Interview. Field Interview Questions ‘What is your ttle/position at this school? ._ How did you arrive at this position? 3. What is your educational background? 4. What grade level of students do you teach? How long have you taught this level? How many students are typically in your classroom? . Can you tell me about your philosophy of teaching? 6. How do you strive to interact and meet the diverse educational needs of all students in the classroom? 7. Which teachers/staff members do you collaborate with on a regular basis? What are their positions? 8. Can you explain the process that is used to communicate with parents/guardians? Are parents/guardians actively involved in the educational process of their students? 9. Which instructional practices are used in your classroom the most? Why? 10. Which behavioral strategies are used in your classroom? Are they effective in addressing or redirecting behavior? 11. How do you continue to motivate students that have severe behavioral challenges? 12. Has your educational philosophy changed over the course of your tenure as an educator? 13. Which services or accommodations do a majority of the students in classroom receive? 14, Is Response to Intervention (RTI) used in school/district? 15. What is the most challenging aspect of your position? 16. Besides behavioral challenges, which academic challenges do your students face? 17. Does your building or school district have any PBIS programs in place? 18, Are positive reinforcements used in your building? If so, what are they? 19. Which professional development workshops do you attend? 20. Do members of the IEP team meet prior to IEP meetings in your building? Be Hor Viebs Quest 0 Tukel is your i tle / Qosition. at Pris school? TT Seb Teach 2 degen Seabet fl igfeeet andl's mete Oe if tes caln hated, ee @ Nshich instiuctnnol etatesi

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