Michelle+Kuhn

mkuhn@euclid.k12.oh.us 216-797-4381 I am a preschool teacher. I work with 2 1/2 and 3 year olds in Euclid at the Child Development Center. I have been in my classroom for 13 years.
 * Spring, 2012 LRE Study Group **


 * As a result of being involved in this LRE Study Group, **
 * here are three things that I have learned that will enhance my working with young children, especially those with special needs: **
 * Peers are powerful. Inclusion does work.
 * It takes a team to make inclusion work for everyone. (Child, parent, teacher, special education teacher)
 * Individualize all lesson plans to help everyone.
 * Here are two changes I will work toward implementing in my center/classroom: **
 * As I review the QIRT and reflect on myself and my classroom, I will make changes to improve myself and have my classroom rate as "ideal." A little at a time.
 * Use more board-maker pictures for schedules and transitions. This will enhance my visual tools to aide the children throughout the day.
 * One question I still have is this, and this is how I plan to find the answer: **
 * How can we obtain more help for the children with special needs and be more invovled in helping them reach their goals on their IEP?
 * I plan to talk more to the schools district and if possible be invovled in the IEP meeting and/or keep in close communication with the special needs/itinerant teacher.

I just want to say a little about my classroom environment. Looking at it, it has many materials. It works well with the typical children that I have. All materials are easily accessed by the children. I have labels for my centers and labels for the toys. I use a picture schedule, have my rules posted, try and make each child feel wanted and use their picture and I use a behavior board with pictures. I try and balance playing music and having quiet time. I try and adapt my activities already for children at various levels of development. Lesson plans are passed out monthly to the parents. If I knew I would be having a special needs child, here are some things that may need to change.

1. I may need to move some areas to create more than one opening. I only have one way in and one way out of many areas. 2. I may need to cover some shelves so that children do not become over stimulated. 3. I may need to look into special chairs, equipment or weighted vests if it would help the child coming into the room. 4. I may make a necklace with board maker pictures to take with me when we move out of the room to help the children focus. 5. I would like a better soft area for a child to relax. 6. I would like to have an assistant/aide to help me with the group to lower that ratio if I had special needs children. 7. Outside needs lots of work to accomodate certain special needs.

Looking at my curriculum, I try to adapt my art activites to different levels of the children, however, I do not adapt all my activities. I do try and keep in mind that children learn different ways when I create my lessons. What my biggest challenge is being the only adult/teacher child in the classroom. The children do have times that they need to wait for my attention or for their turn.

__CHAPTER 12 __ Here is a brief summary of what you will find in Chapter 12.

1. Invite the family of the special needs child (including the child) before the child starts. Ask questions (great ones in the chapter) regarding the child to get to know the child better. Let the child explore the room while it is empty and briefly talk to the child about how there day will be. 2. Be ready for questions the other children have about the childs "abilities" or differences. Alsok be ready to handle chidlren who speak negative about the special needs child. 3. Activities listed to help the special needs child in the classroom:
 * ways to talk to the children about accepting others
 * having a peer helper/buddy for the special needs child
 * different small and large group activites
 * listing of books about different areas of need
 * a bully activity
 * a woking together idea

This chapter was very informative and made me think of the best way to help children coming into my class along with their parents and the other children.