Reaching all learners

Abstract

Special education services have come a long way since placing students with learning disabilities in a separate setting away from their peers was the norm. Current practices allow special education students to be educated among their peers in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). One way this is accomplished is by having these students attend classes in a general education classroom with a general education teacher and a special education teacher. While this setting may seem ideal and may appear to allow those with learning challenges to more gainfully access the general education curriculum, this co-teaching inclusion model is not always easy to develop or maintain. Teachers with different personalities, values, experiences, and backgrounds do not always easily attain compatibility in the general education classroom and therefore reaching every learner in the classroom can be challenging. Past practices indicate that certain criteria are needed to successfully create and maintain a beneficial and working co-teaching experience. This narrative case study sought to reveal the opportunities for success in co-teaching classrooms as well as crucial factors in establishing successful partnerships as co-teachers. While many classrooms seek to offer an ideal model, criteria for successful implementation may be lacking. This study offers suggestions for academic success through co-teaching, which directly benefits the diverse learners in inclusion classrooms. Keywords: inclusion, co-teaching, collaboration, compromise, special education, differentiated instruction, special needs, disabilities