“Shadowing” Itinerant ECSE Teachers: A Descriptive Study of Itinerant Teacher Activities

Abstract

In an effort to document the responsibilities and professional activities of itinerant early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers, five teachers were asked to participate in an observational study in which they were observed and their behaviors coded. Observations occurred at three different times during the year, during three-week cycles. Trained observers used the Classroom Visit Observation Form (CVOF, adapted from the Home Visit Observation Form, McBride & Peterson, 1997) to code the nature of itinerant teachers' activities when visiting selected target children enrolled in community-based early childhood programs. Results indicate that despite recommendations from the field for itinerant early childhood special education teachers to provide consultative services, the participants of this study rarely engaged in consultation and interacted primarily with children. These results also were validated through the participating teachers' responses in structured journals documenting their activities.