**Teachers**

juliebug1997

I'm in new territory now.  I've got a student who is ED and I'm trying very hard to keep him motivated and keep positive for him but it's a struggle.  Mainly, he takes forever on a test and I don't feel like I can really take it from him but I can keep gently prodding him.  It took him 40 minutes to take today's vocabulary test--25 minutes more than every other student.I have generally not had any Spec. Ed. or ED students before (very rarely) and there's nothing in his IEP.  Do I just keep prodding him and hope that he decides to complete it quicker?  I don't want to feel like I'm nagging him but so far I'm having to prod him to finish everything--not just tests (he will pretty much take an extra 20-30 minutes to finish every assigment).  I really like this student and want him to be successful but I'm not sure how in this instance.  The IEP was no help so I wanted to ask some of you on here. 

almoyo

Have you checked to see if he has a BIP? If so, this should provide some insight about that particular student's behavior tendencies and the way it should be treated. By the time they get to secondary school, many students have been conditioned to respond to certain actions.If not, your SAC teacher should be a good resource for advice.

juliebug1997

Then I need to ask for the BIP because everything I have in his folder says IEP and it's all about his core classes but not too much to do with his behavior.  It's not that he's getting violent (I doubt he could hurt a fly), but I want something other than the silent, semi-stony stare I'm getting.

almoyo

There are all different kinds of ED kids. I had one last year whose BIP goals included trying to get the kid to interact with others because he was just so shy. Some students have BIP goals designed specifically to get them to turn in classwork.

juliebug1997

Thanks, Allison.  I will see what I can find out from his SAC.

almoyo

You're welcome.If I don't get to teach kids, I can at least pass along what I've learned about teaching kids. (Two of my favorite go-to people last year teaching MS SPED were the SAC teacher and the school psychologist.)

amberpro

I agree with pp to check on a BIP, but I've had kids whose IEPs have said, "Turn in hmwk 2 out of 5 days," so you might want to document this problem and bring it up at his next ARD. In reality, not all modifications you need to make for students are going to be specified in the IEP.  I would give him extra time, but also shorten the assignment or allow for oral administration on certain things (maybe a trusted student buddy that always finishes early can help).   Do you teach a tested subject?  If so, check on his testing accomodations, too.  For example, if a student in my class takes TAKS-M, they only have 3 answer choices and the questions are throughout the story instead of at the end.  It is not listed in their IEP, but I allow them these modifications on their assignments in class as well. ED kids are challenging, and oftentimes the least little thing will set them off.  Just get to know the kid and take it from there.  Good luck and I hope this helped. 

juliebug1997

Amber,He doesn't have modified assignments or shortened assignments on his IEP.  Also, I teach Latin so, no, I don't teach a tested subject.

amberpro

Even if it's not on his IEP, I'd do it anyway. What needs to be done doesn't always make it into the plan. You need to find a way he gets what he needs out of the class without disrupting your other students' learning. Of course, I teach elementary so I know it's very different than a foreign language. I'd just document so maybe the modifications you make off the record can be put on the record at his next ARD.