The document discusses the author's experience completing an internship at Park View school, which does not provide an inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities. It describes the school's Alternate Program for students with severe learning disabilities, which focuses on individualized and hands-on learning outside the normal classroom. The author observed lessons in the program and saw how teachers work to engage each student according to their specific needs and capabilities. The document also notes challenges for teachers in adapting lessons and a focus in the school district on using more student-centered teaching methods.

1. Melissa
Bullen
Journal
Entry
#5
This
journal
has
taken
me
longer
to
produce
because
Park
View,
the
school
where
I
have
completed
my
internship,
is
not
an
inclusive
environment.
I
do
not
work
with
students
who
are
diagnosed
with
any
learning
disability
in
my
classes.
There
is
however
an
Alternate
School
Program
located
within
the
school.
The
South
Shore
Alternate
School
is
a
South
Shore
County
wide
program
throughout
the
South
Shore
Regional
School
Board.
Because
I
did
not
have
these
students
in
my
classroom,
I
sought
out
one
of
the
teachers
working
in
the
program
at
my
school.
After
meeting
with
a
specialist
in
the
Alternate
Program,
I
discovered
that
this
program
has
some
very
rewarding
moments,
but
also
many
daily
challenges.
Many
of
these
students
suffer
from
severe
learning
disabilities
and
are
therefore
separated
from
large
classes
to
maximize
their
learning
opportunities.
Some
of
the
activities
these
students
do
are
outside
of
the
normal
classroom
environment,
and
include
activities
like
running
the
school
recycling
program.
With
a
supervisor,
groups
of
students
will
learn
basic
skills
by
fulfilling
these
vital
life
skills.
The
students
are
responsible
for
counting
recyclable
bottles
and
placing
them
in
appropriate
bins
for
disposal.
They
learn
how
to
properly
care
for
our
environment
while
setting
an
example
for
all
of
the
school
to
follow.
To
help
with
their
social
integration,
these
students
take
social
walks
around
the
school
to
become
more
interactive
with
the
general
school
population.
I
have
noticed
the
alternate
school
students
on
their
walks
and
how
many
of
the
students
in
the
regular
high
school
program
socialize
with
them.
I
was
impressed
to
see
that
the
students
in
the
regular
program
try
to
include
some
of
the
alternate
school
students
in
their
group
of
friends.
I
also
learned
that
the
students
in
the
alternate
school
program
vary
widely
in
their
capabilities.
Mobility
challenges
are
also
apparent
and
require
a
specialized
assistant
for
students
with
physical
handicaps.
I
discovered
that
another
challenging
aspect
for
these
teachers
is
the
necessity
to
adapt
all
topics
to
meet
the
individual’s
learning
style.
One
of
the
one-­‐on-­‐one
lessons
was
conducted
with
a
young
female
student
and
concerned
subtracting
numbers.
Instead
of
drawing
the
lesson
out
on
the
board,
the
teacher
used
colored
bingo
chips
to
include
the
student
in
a
more
interactive
lesson.
The
student
seemed
to
grasp
the
concept
well
and
seemed
pleased
with
her
progress.
I
believe
that
it
is
important
for
teachers
to
be
as
creative
as
possible
when
discovering
new
and
more
interactive
ways
to
guide
students
that
need
extra
attention
through
the
curriculum.
I
recently
attended
a
day-­‐long
conference
with
all
the
music
teachers
from
our
district.
I
discovered
that
the
curriculum
offers
some
fantastic
ideas
and
new
ways
to
involve
and
engage
students.
The
South
Shore
School
Board
is
not
reinventing
the
wheel
but
is
stressing
that
teachers
need
to
use
more
student
based
activities
in
the
classroom.
The
methods
that
have
been
put
forward
include
activities
where
students
learn
and
interact
with
one
another
rather
than
having
them
sit
through
lectures.
It
is
critical
for
a
teacher
to
involve
all
students
of
all
learning
types
and
abilities
in
the
learning
environment
since
these
methods
can
prove
extremely
difficult
for
those
with
learning
disabilities.
One
of
the
primary
learning
challenges
I
have
noticed
during
my
internship
has
been
rhythm
reading.
I
have
discussed
these
challenges
with
my
cooperating
teacher
and
we
both
agree
that
it

2. is
because
students
struggle
with
arithmetic.
This
struggle
with
arithmetic
is
not
a
new
challenge
and
often
starts
even
before
high
school.
This
stumbling
block
is
clearly
not
being
addressed
early
enough.
So
to
help
this
oversight,
my
cooperating
teacher
and
I
do
at
least
one
rhythm
activity
in
nearly
every
class.
I
have
noticed
this
has
improved
the
students’
ability
to
not
only
read
rhythm
but
make
their
performance
abilities
stronger.
Individualized
learning
is
a
necessity
for
students
with
learning
challenges.
As
a
teacher,
it
is
my
responsibility
to
help
the
student
and
their
parents
develop
a
program
plan
and
then
implement
this
plan
during
the
academic
year.
I
believe
that
it
will
be
important
for
me
to
use
the
various
effective
teaching
methods
I
have
learned
during
my
internship
to
help
accomplish
these
goals.