Inclusion in Elementary Schools: Observing Special Needs Classrooms

Abstract

Course name Instructor’s name Assignment due date Field Experience Observation and Reflection Inclusion in elementary schools offers special needs children the opportunity to gain behavioral and academic skills that match their education levels. An effective inclusion program must match the needs of the learners and the resources available for implementation in a particular school or classroom. Three types of special education classrooms included in this paper are a resource room, a self-contained classroom, and a co-taught classroom. The resource room is or students who spend most of their time in the general classroom and only receive specific instruction in a separate location (Apple et al., 2022). A self-contained special education classroom is for students whose needs limit their ability to learn in the general classroom and they require additional specialized support. In a co-taught classroom, a general and a special education teacher work alongside each other in the same classroom. The current reflective paper summarizes the objective and subjective observations of three different classroom settings showing how inclusion is achieved in a special needs resource room, a self-contained classroom, and a co-taught classroom Resource Room The site for the special education resource room was at Chappell Elementary School that provides additional instruction for learners based on their needs. In a resource room for special education students, the learners spend most of their time in a general education classroom and receive further support in small groups (Apple et al., 2022). The resource room allows teachers to focus on a particular area of learning where a few students may be facing difficulties. My observation at Chappell Elementary School was for a group of grade four students being taught algebra. The class was on Thursday November 6, 2025 in the afternoon and involved one teacher and four students learning algebra. The teacher introduced the lesson by introducing the input and output table that would be the main tool she would be using for the lesson. She provided a table for each students before the beginning of the lesson and defined the input and output as they related to the lesson. Additionally, she used group and individual instruction by showing how the group can use the table in algebra and allowing them to practice. In the group activity, the teacher demonstrated the key aspects of the table, the rules, and how students would use the tool for the lesson. After 10 minutes of describing how the tool works, she provided individual tasks for the students where they were expected to complete the equation, x3+2=11. Each student completed their task individually and the teacher inspected their work while providing assistance to one of the learners who was stuck on the problem. She showed the student how the task related to the previous examples they had done in the classroom and the calculations involved in the problem. By the end of the lesson, the students had understood the algebraic calculations involving the number 3 as indicated by their feedback. The teacher allowed two of the students in her resource room to advance to a resource table with the number 4 as she continued to guide the other learners. During the lesson, the teacher spent most of the time with two students who faced more difficulties in the topic while allowing the other learners to practice more complex problems. My observations in the special education resource room demonstrated a greater opportunity for individualized instruction than what students have in a general education classroom. Since there were only four students, it was possible for the teacher to inspect the work of each learner and make observations on their progress. I felt that it was easy for the teacher to monitor each student’s activity and make the lesson as productive as possible for all learners. For example, she noted that two of the students required greater support in algebra than the others and was able to provide more assistance in this area. A resource room targets students requiring additional support in a specific subject or topic such as reading or algebra as I observed in the classroom. The teacher was able to guide the learners with individualized assistance that matches their abilities and specific needs in the classroom. I found the resource room instrumental in advancing special education since it offers students the opportunity to understand concepts in areas where they need specialized support. The strategies used in the classroom may differ from the method the teacher used in the general education classroom where there are more learners in each class. My observation is that teaching four students gave the teacher more flexibility in the methods and tools she used for the lesson. The input and output table used the lesson targeted students who had difficulties understanding the overall concept of algebra in the general education classroom. The teacher effectively used the tool to bridge the gap in the learners’ comprehension of the subject and prepared them for the next lesson. With this tool, she demonstrated the concept to the group for about a quarter of the lesson and used the remaining time to provide individualized instruction. The flexibility of the resource room provides teachers more time to target the weak areas of each student and provide the assistance they need (Apple et al., 2022). During the lesson, the teacher allowed two of the students to practice with more advanced examples depending on their skill levels on the topic. The resource room was an opportunity for the students to learn algebra in a more individualized setting than the general education classroom. One of the ways I would make the classroom different is by using more visual aids for the two students who faced greater difficulties during the lesson. I would introduce a video showing how students should complete the algebra table to target students who would benefit from an alternative instruction approach. Self-Contained Classroom The self-contained special education classroom provides teachers the opportunity for a more individualized interaction with students than a general education classroom. It is meant for special education students where they spend most of the time in a classroom that meets their needs. The low student-staff ratio ensures that teachers can monitor learners more closely and provide assistance where needed (Apple et al., 2022). I observed the self-contained special education classroom at McPherson Elementary School where the teacher and an assistance provided instruction on a science topic divided into two lessons. The observation was on Thursday November 13, 2025 in the morning and the students were taught to classify living and non-living things. With a flexible setup and two adults monitoring ten students, the students were able to adjust from group to individual tasks easily during the lesson. The classroom had workstations with materials intended to provide an easy transition between lesson activities and ensure access to learning materials. At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher greeted each of the student by name and introduced the topic of the lesson, “Living and nonliving things.” Using real objects in the classroom, he asked the students to identify which was living between a piece of paper and an actual plant. I noted that the teacher brought an anchor chart for the lesson that would facilitate learning and transition to the next lesson on the topic. The chart indicated the characteristics of living things including the need for food and water and students were expected to complete it with other items added to the list. My observation for the lesson was that the students received support for guided practice from both the teacher and his assistant. They provided cards with objects where the learners were expected to group them as either living or nonliving things. All students completed the task individually and each provided an example of the cards they placed in a category during the whole group activity. It was interesting to experience how the classroom provided the teacher freedom to modify the lesson for students. Differentiation increased the effectiveness of the lesson and ensured that students received the assistance they needed. In one case, I observed that the teacher gave fewer cards to one of the students who had challenges completing the guided activity. He allowed the learner to sort the pictures at his own pace and I felt that the approach increased the productivity of the lesson. Changing the sitting arrangements provided flexibility and made learning more interesting for the students. With an assistant monitoring the movement of students in the classroom during the lesson, the teacher was able to make learning more interesting and effectively achieved its objectives. The special education self-contained classroom setup requires learners to spend most of their time away from the general education classroom (Weber et al., 2025). The teacher was able to create an interesting learning environment that made science enjoyable for the learners. They practices with real objects and successfully classified living and nonliving things in a flexible environment. I found the flexible organization of furniture effective in facilitating the transition to different activities during the lesson. The physical environment played an important role in ensuring that the teacher completed the activities planned for the lesson. With the support of the assistance, it was easy for the students to move safely from one station to another with minimal risk of injuries. Having more than one adult in the classroom improved the learning outcomes for the lesson and ensured the students’ wellbeing. One of the things I would handle differently in the classroom would be to increase the amount of time I spend with individualized instruction for the learners. I would ensure that students have all the resources and support they need depending on their needs and abilities. While all the students in the self-contained classroom require more support than learners in a general...