What is teaching high school science to special education students like? For me, teaching science to special education students has meant hearing phrases such as:
"You know the day you lost me was when you said, "Hi, my name is Ms. Lau."
"I'm only in Grade 9 math. I can't do this." (from a Grade 10 student said with arms crossed and while putting down the pencil)
"SHUT UP! Let's just take our notes and then we can have our free time.""What's the point of this?
It's not like I'm ever going to use this."
"Are we going to the lab today?" (said in the hopes of being able to do something besides writing notes and completing worksheets)
Teaching high school science to special education students has meant seeing students place headphones over their ears in the hopes of having some distraction from the drone of science talk. It has meant taking up to half of a 75 minute period waiting for the students to be quiet so that a lesson can be taught. It has mean standing over individual students prodding them to focus at the assignment at hand even when the rest of the class is in chaos. It has meant knowing that although notes are being copied and texts are being read but there is no connection or stimulation of the mind going on. My personal experience of teaching high school science to special education students often seems bleak. It is hard to fathom that actual learning could take place amidst the resistance to the science material.
