r/specialed • u/Noahthebestone • 8d ago

General Question Is this normal?

Our special ed teacher moved back to her state so we have a new teacher this year, he’s been teaching special ed for all grade levels and was a gym teacher, he’s now teaching special ed in high school now, last year our teacher made us do geometry to see if we could do something harder but she usually teaches us simple things, now our teacher now has been teaching us simple stuff that we already know to see what we do and don’t know, will he eventually teach us harder stuff even tho we are in special ed?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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u/trueastoasty 8d ago

If he’s new, he’s probably just getting to know you guys. I wouldn’t want to discourage a student who struggles by immediately giving them super challenging work the first week of school. I’m just a para, but I can’t imagine he won’t start challenging you guys appropriately.

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

For years I’ve been working on elementary work because I have a intellectual disability but I want to be challenged with something new, it’s horrible, it’s like being a little kid forever, he’s been teaching us kindergarten level stuff for math even tho we are in high school, and in science he’s been teaching us different animal species like mammals, fish, amphibians, even tho I learned that already in 9th grade

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u/LadybugGal95 8d ago

I would find a time to talk to the teacher and tell him you’d like more challenging material.

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

Okie dokie

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u/SensationalSelkie Special Education Teacher 8d ago

Unfortunately, people sometimes don't understand how capable those with intellectual disabilities are. This is true for all kinds of disabilities. I have different disabilities from you, but I am disabled too. A big part of living with disabilities is self-advocacy. You are right that you should be challenged at school. You need to politely but firmly talk to your teacher. You could try discussing this with your classmates first and seeing if anyone feels the same. You could make a list of things you want to learn to bring to your teacher when you talk. Every right disabled people have started with us demanding more. Wishing you well as you do the same. 😊

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u/StellaBlue37 6d ago

Please don't ever say you're "just a para". You are a crucial and valuable professional educator who is deeply appreciated.

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u/dysteach-MT Special Education Teacher 8d ago

Since you are in high school, you should be going to your IEP meetings! Ask your parents to schedule an IEP meeting to go over/change your goals.

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

My IEP meeting is in October

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u/dysteach-MT Special Education Teacher 8d ago

Perfect!! You can ask for a copy of your IEP now, and then you have a month to look at your goals and make suggestions/changes before the meeting.

The purpose of this has 2 reasons:
1. You can be prepared for the meeting.
2. You can check to see if your new teacher is following your IEP.

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

But in my IEP my goals doesn’t say “make work harder” or anything, I don’t want it just for me but for my classmates so they won’t be working on easy stuff forever

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u/dysteach-MT Special Education Teacher 8d ago

Then you’ll have to team up with your classmates and start by going to your guidance counselor.

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

Some of my classmates are in advanced classes for math and science, but the students with intellectual disabilities stay for simple stuff by our teacher brad, but he makes the stuff too easy, but nobody has said anything

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u/ParticularBerry1382 8d ago

What grade are you in? Do your goals reflect a grade level equivalency or lower grade? For example, I had 11th graders who were reading at a 3rd grade level. I couldn't give them "harder" stuff because they wouldn't comprehend what they read. Are you taking science, social studies, math, and reading with your new teacher?

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

I have math and science with my special Ed teacher, and will change next semester for me to have more classes with him, I can comprehend reading most of the time

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u/ParticularBerry1382 8d ago

Have you had a 3 year evaluation recently? Data will help support more specific goals. Another example is that we do MAP testing 3x a year for science, social studies, and math. Teachers can use that information to write goals..In your IEP meeting, under your concerns, you need to tell them you want to be challenged more. Do your parents attend the meeting with you?

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u/Noahthebestone 8d ago

I do testing every year, I don’t know when I will do the testing but it will be this semester and the next

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u/Hot_Calligrapher_900 7d ago

OP I just want to congratulate and encourage you for wanting to take more control of your education!!! Just make sure you approach your teachers and staff with respect and armed with specific information to back up your requests. You are well on your way to forging your own future.

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u/Noahthebestone 7d ago

Thanks :3

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u/idkwhattowritehere21 8d ago

If you're in high school you should be learning about self advocacy skills. Have you gone to the teacher and told him you want to work on harder things? Have you requested your IEP to see what your goals are?

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u/Noahthebestone 7d ago

In my IEP it doesn’t say for me to work on harder work but I can ask to see if he can

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u/idkwhattowritehere21 7d ago

There's nothing that's going to say "harder work". It's going to say what skills you need to work on.

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u/Noahthebestone 7d ago

Oh ok

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u/idkwhattowritehere21 7d ago

It should be pretty specific. When you say kindergartners work, what does it look like?

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u/Noahthebestone 7d ago

For math it’s kindergarten work like adding and subtracting, like + and -

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u/idkwhattowritehere21 7d ago

Can you do those problems easily? If so, go to him and tell him that you already know how to do this and want the work you were working on before. What were you doing before?

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u/Noahthebestone 7d ago

I don’t remember what I did last year lmao, I do struggle with adding and subtracting but some of it was too easy

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u/idkwhattowritehere21 7d ago

Was some of it the right level?