What Special Ed Students Want You to Know

I have been in the special ed business almost 6 years now. This time of year, the honeymoon has worn off and behaviors start to spike. Teacher frustrations with academics tend to go up as well when you realize that little Johnny doesn't remember the material you went over a billion times already. During this tense time of year, I have realized the commonalities many of my students face. Most of these have come from true heart-to-heart conversations I have had with my students over my years of teaching. I have listed all of the ones that I feel educators need to be reminded of from time to time. Some of these may seem obvious, but some have truly taken me awhile to fully understand. I am hoping you will be able to take away some insight to the struggles some of your special ed students face.

Special ed students want you to know:

• I promise, I really did learn the material. When I say I can't remember, I mean it. I know it is there somewhere, but I just cannot seem to grasp the memory. It's like having a filing cabinet for a brain. The files are in there, but I just can't seem to open the drawer. It gets stuck from time to time and I need your help opening it.
• Sometimes I misbehave because it is better to be sent to the office and be labeled a trouble maker than it is for my peers to decide that I am dumb.
• Sometimes I misbehave because I am dealing with such big and powerful emotions from tragedies in my life that school becomes insignificant. I know that it is your whole world, but I just cannot deal with it some days.
• When I say that I am upset over something, please do not tell me it is "not a big deal." It may seem like I am overreacting, but this is my reality and my perception of the situation. You not taking it seriously just upsets me more. I need you to empathize and have my back.
• I know your job is to get me college ready, but that may not be my future. Please help me become a good person and citizen because that will be far more valuable to me in the future than academics will.
• When I have a hard time focusing, I am not doing it on purpose. Please redirect me kindly and quietly instead of calling me out in front of my peers. I hate being embarrassed for something that I cannot control.
• Sometimes you are the only stable person in my life. Thank you for always being there for me.

Middle School Students and Anxiety

I once had a student who was scared of birds and airplanes.

Walking across campus was tough. Recess was tough. Lunch (we had no cafeteria) was tougher, and field trips? Especially our week long camping trip? Let's just say we both learned a lot about how to deal with stress.  This student didn't have any traumatic memories or stories linked to birds or airplanes. Instead, it was a symptom of her anxiety disorder. 

Teachers have a lot of demands placed on them in the United States today. Meeting benchmarks, planning, differentiation, parent concerns, dealing with administration, professional development, it goes on and on. 

What we sometimes forget however, is that our students are also under an increased demand to perform both in and out of school. This has caused an increase in both diagnosed and undiagnosed anxiety disorders, particularly for students in grades 5-8.  Anxiety is a huge category of specific disorders. Some examples include general anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, separation anxiety, post traumatic stress or selective mutism. 

At the beginning of the year, and periodically throughout, I sit with my homeroom and we do a check in to see what anxieties and pressures they are feeling. We generate an anchor chart of strategies to deal with anxiety at school and at home. This chart is displayed in the classroom throughout the year and added to as we go. Building a strong and supportive classroom community, where mistakes are okay, goes a long way in helping students who feel anxious. 

Anxiety often has a physical impact on a student. This can range from headaches or stomachaches, bloody noses, tingling, heavy breathing,  fainting, nausea, crying, or hives. If a student is experiencing any of these things, it's important not to dismiss them. 

A copy of these teaching strategies as well as the free graphic organizer I use to help students NOTE their thinking can be found here: Teaching Strategies for Anxious Students

8 Teaching Strategies for Dealing with Anxious Students

Teach deep breathing techniques. This is particularly helpful before a test or presentation.

Teach students to NOTE their thoughts. Notice what they are thinking, Observe how they are feeling, Think about a solution, Enact a plan. I keep a stack of graphic organizers in the corner of my classroom. Students can grab one to help if they want to. I always let students who use the organizer give it to me to be shredded if they wish. 

Giving a prearranged signal when a child is about to be called on.  

Presenting oral reports in front of the teacher alone. Alternately, letting a student with selective mutism record their presentation at home for submission. 

Giving a signal before going over instructions. Students who are anxious about missing information will find this particularly helpful.   

Working with the student to determine a "safe person". This is an adult OR peer that can help the student refocus or put a situation into perspective. 

Explain any changes in schedule or procedure. This will often require repetition

Make sure that students with anxiety are not seated next to the "chatty ones". Students who fear getting in trouble will be more focused on disassociating themselves from their neighbors than on class content.