TASK 1: CONTEXT FOR LEARNING INFORMATION

About the Placement and Your Role in the Focus Learner’s Instruction
1. Context for Learning
a. Provide information about the context in which you teach so that another educator can
understand your teaching decisions for the instruction in the learning segment.
Address the following:
 Type of setting (e.g., first-grade classroom in an elementary school, resource room,
a home, a job site)
[My student teaching is a special education setting in a K-5 classroom in an elementary school.]
 Where is the school where you are teaching located? (Type an “X” next to the
appropriate description.)1
City: _____
Suburb: _____
Town: ___X__
Rural: _____

 Your role in the focus learner’s instructional program (e.g., teach all academic
subjects plus support a behavioral plan; pull out of general education classroom for
supplementary instruction in reading; part of an instructional team; coordinate
services to the family and model working with the focus learner)
[I provide all the focus for reading and she goes to another special education teacher for math.
She joins her general education class for recess, lunch, gym, music, and art. She does not
require supplemental support.]
 The schedule for instructional time with the focus learner for the learning goal (e.g.,
Tuesdays for 15 minutes; every day for six hours with two hours on reading
instruction)
[The focus learner receives small group instruction daily, 90 minutes for reading and 60 minutes
for math.]
 The primary language of instruction, if other than English (e.g., ASL)
[ English is the primary language for focus learner and reading group.]
b. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher, or student teaching requirements
or expectations (e.g., prescribed reading curriculum) that might affect your planning or
instructional delivery.
[The cooperating teacher uses the same Reading Mastery series that I use for my assignments.
This program is a direct instruction because it is very scripted, and you must follow allow in the
book for the entire lesson. This keeps my focus learner and reading group on task to get the
assignment completed.]

1
 c. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for instruction for the learning
goal. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.
[]
d. If group instruction, describe the size and composition of the group (e.g., 6 special
education learners; 3 learners with IEPs and 23 general education learners).
[The focus learner receives reading instruction with eight other reading students. All eight of
these students have IEPs. Focus learner receives the reading instruction with the other
students. The county reading curriculum and IEP goals align with the focus learner. The reading
goals are closely aligned with those of the focus learner.]
About the Focus Learner
1. Age: 11
2. Grade level:
[ 5th]
3. Primary language (Type an “X” next to the appropriate description or provide information
requested.):
 English: ___X___
 Bilingual in English and other language (please identify): _________________
 Other language (please identify): _________________
4. Describe the disability or disabilities reported on the focus learner’s IEP.
[The focus learner’s IEP documents state that she has a diagnosis of mild to moderate disability.]
5. List any type of augmentative or alternative communication used by the learner (e.g.,
communication boards, signing, AlphaSmart keyboard, optical-character-recognition
devices, speech generation technology).
[None]
6. Describe any behavior management plans relevant to the focus learner.
[The focus learner’s IEP does not include a behavior management plan. She does not exhibit any
behaviors that would need a behavior plan. To increase motivation, focus learner and reading
group can earn Roar bucks daily. These Roar bucks can be spent at the end of the week in the
Roar bucks’ store.]