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1. List what you learned about each of the characters in the case. What do you think
is motivating the thoughts and actions of each of the characters?
Mary is a very soft-spoken and sensitive teacher who wants to help the students reach
their full potential and understands the world of special education and all the different
disorders that fall under its umbrella. She is able to look at test scores and decipher what
a student struggles with as well as tries her hardest to help each individual be successful
in the general education curriculum. I believe that the reason why Mary does allow Helen
to over step her boundaries is because she wants to please her co-worker. She doesnt
want to have an awkward working environment and wants to believe that Helen will
begin to see that there is a problem.
Helen is a product of teaching to the test. She aims her classroom standards based on how
students need to perform on the district assessments and graduation tests. She is very
opinionated and believes she is the general education teacher and its her way or no way.
When it comes to children with learning disabilities, she feels that accommodations for
one student only make other students feel like they accommodations as well. She feels a
learning disability is not an excuse to perform poorly on a test. Helen is driven and
motivated by students performance on district assessment. She enjoys when the school
can praise her for the students scores and she feels that because of this, her teaching
method is great and will work for any student.
2. What are the issues and problems in the case? Discuss the common problems and
issues faced in co-teaching. What steps are required to establish successful coteaching relationships?
There are two issues that are dominant in this case. The first being that of ego and the
second is lack of confidence and willingness to stand up for what you believe in. The
problems that arise from these two issues trickle down and really affect Jim the most.
However the solution isnt fixing Jim or finding a way for Jim to pass the class, it lies on
collaboration and getting Helen and Mary on the same page, working together for the
common good of all the students.
When looking at the issue of ego, as we find Helen to have a big ego when it comes to
her teaching philosophy, the problem we face all to commonly in the classroom is that of
reinforcement. Helen may have students complaining in the beginning of the year about
how hard her class is, however, she doesnt make things easier for anyone and at the end
of the year, students are thanking her for pushing them. When the district scores come
back for language, all her students have done well and that proves to Helen that how
she teaches is effective and thus her students get the results expected of them. Helen also
claims that, Educated people must be able to spell. She is not able to admit that there
are disabilities that limit some peoples ability to do so or that there are programs out
there that help those who have difficulties. Another problem that stems from Helens ego
is that of collaboration. She refers to everyone in her classroom as her students not
their students this means that she take responsibility of everyone in the classroom

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except, those who need more support. She hands them off to Mary very quickly however,
will not allow Mary to do any adaptive teaching to the lesson to suit the needs of the
student because that would deviate away from her system. This is a problem I have seen a
lot when working with older teachers who are very much stuck in their ways. Change is
scary for everyone, but teaching isnt about you and what you say, its about what is
received from the student and how the students are able to apply it later in life.
The other problem faced in this scenario is that of lack of confidence. Mary sees that
Helen is going to run the classroom and really doesnt want or need assistance from Mary
until there is an issue with a student involving and IEP. Helen doesnt require Marys help
and to decrease a chance of a fight or hostility in the room, Mary does what Helen asks of
her. When things start to go south for Jim, Mary tries everything in her power to help Jim
before taking the problem to Helen to discuss how they can help Jim. However, once
again, Helen doesnt want to budge and Mary is forced to see Jim slip away in class. She
doesnt feel that she can do anything to support him for Helen has already made up her
mind. For a teacher who valued the relationships she formed with her students and the
fact that her classroom was a safe and welcoming place for students with disabilities,
Mary now feels that she has failed Jim and is trying to make it right instead of doing it
correctly from the beginning.
Some common concerns faced in co-teaching are collaborating on adequate planning,
having support from administration, finding the right resources, programming the right
professional development that will aid in co-teaching skills, and willingness of teachers
to be involved in co-teaching
The following points are used to help aid a successful co-teaching classroom.
1. Deciding who is responsible for students in the classroom and when those
responsibilities change
2. Establishing grading guidelines
3. Setting classroom management expectations
4. Creating specific physical space (i.e. desk and chair) for each teacher
5. Informing students that they have two teachers and that they have the same
authority
6. Involving parents when planning and establishing a collaborative teaching
arrangement Setting aside time to co-plan (at least 45 minutes per week)
3. When is it appropriate to make instructional accommodations? Modifications?
Discuss techniques for modifying instructional methods and materials. What
instructional accommodations and modifications in spelling did Mary make for
Jim? Were they effective? Why or why not?
It is appropriate to make instructional accommodations when the specific needs of the
student with a disability require them to be more successful in the classroom using the
general education curriculum. You modify the general education curriculum when you
are changing the expectation of the curriculum for the student based on their educational
needs from the disability. Modifications are needed when the students disability hinders

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their ability to participate in the general education curriculum to meet the standards set
before them. You can modify instructional methods by eliminating a standard you are
supposed to teach in the scope and sequence of the lesson. You can also tailor the lesson
to a student based on their reading level instead of their grade level. If you are doing a
writing lesson, you may allow a student to use a computer to complete the assignment.
For Mary, she began by decreasing the amount of words given to Jim each day, half one
day and half the next. She also helped him make flashcards to study. When that did not
work, she gave him fewer words each day over the course of the week to reach all the
words and taught him rules about the structure of the words. She even had him write the
word over and over again to help with motor memory. All of these accommodations did
not work for Jim for after all these attempts to help him; he still failed the tests each
week. These accommodations were not helpful for when looking back at his district test
scores, Jim was significantly below grade level for spelling. For being a senior, Jims
grade equivalent for language arts was 4.6 and 1.8 in spelling. The English language was
clearly a struggle for Jim.
4. Discuss the importance and benefits of communication and collaboration that
promote interaction with students, parents, and school and community personnel.
Active listening as well as action promotes open communication, collaboration, and
interaction with students, parents, and school and community personnel. The key to
keeping a good working environment strong is to keep the energy in the room open and
uplifting as much as possible. You have to understand that people are going to irritate you
at times and not do exactly as you had planned but you have to discuss these minor
annoyances when they happen before things get into a bad funk. You have to listen to
what everyone is staying including the students. Reaching out to the student when you
notice things begin to get hard it crucial to build that trusting relationship with them. Also
reaching out to the parents when students begin to act different is important to get
background information to help the student out. Keeping everyone in the know about
what a student is dealing with is also helpful so that everyone can be as supportive as
they can when things are tough.