Being thoughtfully Included into all Gen. Ed Classes

Having my daughter Included thoughtfully in all General Education Classrooms with a Gen.Ed Teacher teaching her, has not always been easy for everyone to understand what it really 'looks like' or how it is done. 


For me it is about teaching one teacher at a time, one principal at a time. Having my daughter included in a general education classroom has always been important to me since before she was even of age to attend Kindergarten! When it was time for her to attend a "regular classroom" which seems to be the terminology most people use...."a regular class". Yeah...for "regular kids!" My daughter is a regular kiddo and is entitled to be in any class anyone else is allowed. It's basically simple like that! 


Mariah has been attending the same school for over 9 years now! Many of the same teachers are still at this campus, which is a good thing! That means all the teachers are aware of Mariah being a student with Down syndrome on their campus and each year they knew she could possibly be one of the students on their list of students for the year. I know some teachers hold their breath and had their fingers crossed that my daughter would NOT be on their class list. There have also been some really wonderful teachers that have actually asked and wanted to have my daughter in their class. It's those teachers that volunteer and request to have those extra special students included in their General Education Classrooms that I want to praise and THANK~!


Mr. Allagood is one of those teachers that actually had Mariah in his Math Special class a few years ago. I did an observation of him teaching Math Special (which at our school it was an extra dose of Math for all students) with Mariah in his class. The way he teaches and the way he talks to parents is what makes him a great teacher.


I just saw it listed on the outside school sign that Mr. Allagood is our TEACHER OF THE YEAR at Stephen Foster Elementary! I knew he was all along for several years! He is that kind of teacher that really takes an interest in all his students and will freely talk to the parents. He even talks to the parents whose children are not even in his class! That is a sign of teacher that just practices good communication no matter who you are!


Mariah has had some really lovely teachers that have taken on the task of working with Mariah over the years and helping Mariah reach her IEP goals and more. Some teachers had no problem communicating to me in her planner or on her school papers. Then there of course have been some teachers that always seemed to just give the most minimal of communication or actually none and actually seemed too busy to bother with Mariah's mom, and sometimes with Mariah too! Those are the teachers that still need help with the whole inclusion thing and believing in all their students they are given each school year. 


Some of Mariah's teachers that seemed to do inclusion  the best were the ones that were open with me as a partner in my daughters learning and education. These are the teachers that welcomed me to come into their classrooms as a volunteer. These are the teachers that wrote in her planner or emailed me to keep me up-to-date on what she did that day. Having a teacher you can talk with and ask questions to, so you both can help your child is so important to making inclusion work best. It's also what makes education better for all students and parents! 


Mr. Allagood and others have made Mariah's Inclusion in all general education classes what it is today because of the communication & collaboration that has to take place to make it work right. If this piece is missing, then it leaves the parent partner out of the process. If the parent isn't part of the process on a regular basis and is left out, the parent doesn't get the whole picture of how a day of learning or a week of learning or even an entire month's worth of learning went or how they can help on the other end, which is at home. The homework piece struggles and what the child is actually learning while in school the  parent is left to just trust that things are going OK without really knowing what is going on in class each day. 


When classwork isn't brought home or their isn't any homework given...that is a clear indication that not much is happening at school everyday. If my daughter didn't have homework sent home, she still had HOME Schoolwork to do! I created my own for her to do, daily! I became a part-time home school mom...because I had to and because Mariah needed so much help!


My being able to have good communication on a daily, weekly and monthly basis is what has helped me the most in being a full partner in my daugher's inclusive education. I'm sure the teachers and the principal have had their talks about 'this mom's emails & written communication' over the years as there have been many notes & emails back and forth! Thank goodness for being able to BLOG my thoughts now! Now I can share with others what has helped or not helped me with having Mariah thoughtfully included in all General Education classes at her school. 


Mariah is part of the general ed curriculum and is exposed to grade level academics. Is she on grade level work and can she pass the grade level State exams? The answer is yes and no....yes she is able to do some of the grade level work if presented to her in small bites with audio, visual, manipulatives and alternate ways of presenting to her the content. She cognitively is behind what her same age classmates are so easily able to do, but she absolutely does understand if presented to her in a different way or even repeated and worded differently. She gets all the extra supports and accommodations she needs so that it levels the playing field for her. She is ABLE and very much CAPABLE of learning grade level academics...is small bits & pieces. 


Inclusion is not so easy for those teachers that have an outdated mind-set about it, or an attitude that they didn't become a teacher to teacher 'those kinds of students'. It's those teachers that have the most difficult time with Inclusion.....mainly because they don't believe in the Child first of all (because they have a certain type of disability) and they don't believe in Inclusion or know what Inclusion is! It's those teachers that absolutely should have training on how to create an inclusive classroom for all students. Today we have Differential Instruction and the classrooms are now being set up to provide learning for all sorts of 'learners'. Classrooms are now being set up so teachers are able to teach ALL students.


Mariah has made wonderful gains in her education because of being Included into the LRE~Least Restrictive Environment which is a regular classroom. She has made some really nice friends over the years because of being Included in Gen.Ed classes.


I support Inclusion for all students into the General Education classrooms. But it is a learning process to make it happen the right way for our little ones. It's one person at a time you have to help along the way in how to make it work and how to do it right. It includes good communication & collaboration on a regular basis.


Mr. Allagood started out as Mariah's Math Special teacher a few years ago and then last year he was just her Science teacher. Nine weeks into the school year last year, Mariah was switched to be in his class as her full homeroom teacher. She had another teacher that refused to provide any type of communication with me as a partner in my daughters education, no that wasn't good, or fun to deal with at all for me. This is now Mariah's 2nd year with Mr. Allagood being her main homeroom & Science teacher. He is the best at daily communication and letting me know how her day went. He emails me everyday and gives me just a little snippet of what she did in school that day and any accommodations to the lessons. Because of his daily little snippet emails of what she did in school that day...at home I am then able to have conversations with my daughter about school and carry her classroom lessons over at home. Knowing what goes on at school, helps parents at home and gives us peace of mind that our children are being taught and included in the lessons and learning wonderful things everyday! Thank you Mr. Allagood for not being afraid to email me and communicate with me on a daily basis! It has been a dream come true for this mom!


This blog was created with Mr. Allagood in mind and in honor of him as an awesome, fantastic, wonderful, understanding, easy to talk to, flexible, caring and involved teacher that wants and allows parents to be involved partners in education. Mr. Allagood is Teacher of the Year at her school this year for a reason! He is doing something right and other teachers would benefit if they took notes on how he works with his students and their parents! 


THANK YOU Mr. Allagood for being such a great teacher and making Mariah's 5th grade school years the most packed with learning! You will be a hard act to follow for sure!


This BLOG is for you!

Letter #6 ....from Alanah

Dear Mariah, 
What I learned from having you in my class is that just because you're a little bit different doesn't mean you should be treated differently. Even though you have down syndrome you're just like everyone else inside no matter what anyone says or thinks. 


In the beginning of the year I was trying to avoid you but I was wrong and rude and now I realize what a good person you are. 


I wish I could see you next year.


Your Friend,
Alanah G.


Stephen Foster Elementary
Mr. Jeffrery Allagood's 5th Grade Class 2010-2011

Aniah ~ Breaking down STEREOTYPES 4 Kids w/Down syndrome!!! YEAH ANIAH!!!

Aniah ~ Breaking down STEREOTYPES 4 Kids w/Down syndrome!!! YEAH ANIAH!!!

http://childrensdiagnostic.org/2011/10/4-year-old-breaks-down-stereotypes-for-kids-with-down-syndrome/


Aniah is Mariah's 'little sister'!!! 


You go Little Princess....you let the whole world know how it really is today!!


Congratulations Jeannette...it's a beautiful story as you both are!

Letter #5 ....from Patrick

Dear Mariah,
I learned that people with Down syndrome aren't different from us. Don't judge people by what they look like. Also you need to treat people with disabilities nice! I also learned that you need to be friendly to people with Down syndrome. You need to help them with things.


Your friend,
Patrick


5th Grade 2010-2011
Stephen Foster Elementary
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Letter #4 ....from Todd S.

Dear Mariah,  
I learned from you that you're a friend but you're more than that. You are a Special Friend! You're fun, nice and full of energy. You are the best friend a person can ever have!


You make me feel like I can accomplish any goal because you inspire me. 


You are the most improved in this class. You can make a difference. So keep on trying your best and you will have a great year. 


You can do so many things like play soccer, kickball and basketball. 


You're the Best Friend ever!


From,
Todd S.


June 9th, 2011

Letter #3 ....from Devin

Dear Mariah,
With you in my class I have learned a lot like not to be mean to people with disabilities. Over the years, I have seen people get made fun of because they have disabilities and it even hurts me. 


So bye Mariah, I will miss you. 
I also learned to help people with disabilities. 
I will never forget you.
Nobody else will either.


From, 
Devin


June 9th, 2011
Mr. Jeffrey Allagood's 5th Grade Homeroom Class

Letter #2 ....from Edward

Dear Mariah,


What I learned from having Mariah in my class is that she is creative. She is very smart and intelligent. 


She taught me how to be helpful. She taught me that I can help anyone.


I learned from Mariah that anyone can do the same thing as others as long as you try!

Time 4 Learning = Compass Learning Odyssey SAME SAME!!

Compass Learning Odyssey Program is simply thee BEST for home academic learning & education! The way I learned about this wonderful computer program was when Mariah was first introduced to it at Stephen Foster Elementary school years ago. Both Time4Learning & Compass Learning Odyssey are exactly the same program! Same Same! http://compasslearningodyssey.broward.k12.fl.us/childu/index.html
http://www.time4learning.com/


Parents can pay a SMALL...very SMALL INVESTMENT of just $20 per month to have the complete use of the exact same Compass Learning Odyssey program many of our Children are using in their schools. Many times if your Child is using it at school, the school can help you access it for home use just by using their school student ID number! Really...try it!! 


Mariah LOVES this program and has always liked this program as her Homework supplement over the years. The same at school, she loves using the Odyssey program at school as well. Some people call it at school the Compass Learning program. No matter what name...they are all the same program.


I especially like the record keeping and the DATA it provides, because it tracks all the actual academic work she has been doing all along.


Please take the time to look at this and if your Child isn't bringing home any classwork or isn't being given any homework....this is your answer for providing them a wonderful program for learning!


Post me some feedback if you are already a Time4Learning FAN!
GREAT GREAT GREAT PROGRAM FOR LEARNING!!

CLICK HERE --> www.time4learning.com

Letter #1 from Lissette M.

What I learned from having Mariah in my class was that even though someone is different you treat them the way you want to be treated. 


At first I couldn't quite understand what Mariah was going through. 


Mariah has been such an inspiration to me. I hope in the future I'll see her again. Till then good luck Mariah!


Your Friend,


Lissette M.
June 1st, 2011