Teamwork with Teacher’s Aides
Teacher’s aides play an important part in the integration of students with disabilities. The M&R teacher sets priorities and allocates the teacher’s aide’s time, and also sees that the classroom teacher takes responsibility for the teacher’s aide’s work in the classroom. The teacher’s aide must not be seen strictly as a tutor for the student with disabilities, but as someone to help in any number of ways to facilitate the general operation of the classroom.
The teacher’s aide is responsible to the teacher,not to the M&R teacher while in the classroom. So it’s up to the teacher, once the program is initiated, to make sure that the teacher’s aide knows what she wants her to do.
M&R teachers must include teacher’s aides in planning strategies for students. Since teacher’s aides are in the classroom with the student, they often have insights and information that can contribute to the problem-solving task. At the high school level, teacher’s aides are used to support students as they go to regular classes throughout the school. They also play a major role in community access and employment programs for students with severe disabilities. Teacher’s aides are most often the staff member to accompany a student on work placements. In situations where there is only one M&R teacher in the school, the teacher’s aide is a source of moral support for the teacher: “It helps a lot, having a teacher’s aide, because then you’re not there all by yourself. At least you have somebody else there who knows how hard you’re working.”
Teamwork with Parents
M&R teachers view parents in much the same way they do regular class teachers. They recognize that parents are critical to students’ success in school, so they must cooperate with and involve parents. However, like teachers, parents bring unique personalities and levels of expectation to the relationship.
