Some parents are very involved in setting goals for their children, wanting their children to be included in regular programs and activities as much as possible.
The IEP is generally written with both short and long term goals and may be adjusted frequently. If something in the program is not working, the classroom teacher and M&R teacher revise the program. Flexibility is important.
Assistance through various stages: Regular classroom teachers of children with special needs almost always need assistance in modifying programs and instruction. The methods and resource teacher is a strong support in these areas.
The M&R teacher helps select appropriate materials, and organizes them so they can be used effectively. The classroom teacher keeps the M&R teacher informed on the usefulness of the materials.
The M&R teacher helps the classroom teacher to identify the student’s learning style; using this information, he or she helps select the best methods of teaching the student. He or she may even help out in the classroom when the regular teacher first puts a new, specialized program into action. In some cases, the M&R teacher may work in the classroom with the student on an ongoing basis to meet the student’s needs.
The classroom teacher implements the programs or methods recommended by the M&R teacher, and reports any success or failure. If the M&R teacher has been working one-on-one with the student in the classroom, the classroom teacher watches and discusses the strategies and methods in order to carry them over into other classroom activities.
Together the M&R and classroom teachers decide on evaluation procedures where appropriate and organize a schedule for evaluation. The classroom teacher does any testing and keeps a record of procedures used. The test results are used as a guide in revising the IEP if needed.
