Category Archives: Special Education

Students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): They Really Are Trying!

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Written by Nicole Lehman

According to studies reviewed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 to 5 out of every 100 students in the United States are somewhere in the range of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,” 2018). This means at some point in your ministry, you’ve probably encountered at least one student with FAS in your classroom or in your school. Some of these students may have very recognizable physical characteristics or intellectual disabilities, while others may just appear to be “lazy” and/or “defiant” when it comes to getting homework done—doing well on tests and quizzes, memory work, paying attention, and following instructions. This can be extremely frustrating for you, the teacher: no matter what you do or say, and no matter how many times you try, they just don’t seem to get it! Continue reading →

Labeling Your Students

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Written by Kimberly Rehbaum

This article was originally published in 2015.

Let us know what you think.

  • Can you share an experience (no names, please) when labeling a student resulted in benefits for the student’s learning?
  • Can you share an experience when labeling hurt a student?
  • In your experience, do the advantages of labeling a student outweigh the disadvantages?

The process of labeling is currently one of the most controversial topics in the field of special education. Should students be labeled with such disabilities as autism, ADHD, IDD, and EBD? According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in order to receive public government funding for special education, students must have a label. Some educators believe these labels have more disadvantages than benefits, but I am led to believe that labeling leads to accommodations that will enable students to succeed in academics and understand their specific abilities. Continue reading →

Five Tips to Help Your Struggling Student

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Written by Nicole Lehman

Do you have a student who struggles to pay attention? Who struggles to sit still? Who struggles to grasp a concept because they just can’t concentrate? Do you have more than one of these students in your classroom?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 4.5% of students have a diagnosed learning disability (Fast Facts, 2016). To help them succeed academically, school districts provide 504 Plans or IEPs. What about the students who struggle, yet don’t qualify these plans? What can teachers do to help them succeed without reducing their learning expectations? Continue reading →

Peer Mentoring: A Solution

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Written by Calista Leistekow

Lutheran school educators need an effective instructional strategy to meet the needs of every student, including those with special needs. When the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” and the “No Child Left Behind Act” were enacted in the early 2000s, the inclusion of students with disabilities in the classroom became a requirement and not an exception. This requirement has its rewards. However, the lack of funds, teacher training, and manpower cause many challenges. In WELS schools these challenges are especially prevalent. Our schools may turn students away because we do not have the resources to help them achieve their best. In short, we are losing evangelism opportunities. Continue reading →

Assisting Disruptive Students in Our Classrooms

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Written by Dr. Tracey Enser

As I finish a school year, one of my favorite things to do as a teacher is reflect on my year. I enjoy thinking about the pros and cons and using these to improve for the next year. After talking with many teachers about their pros and cons, a common theme on the con side is the one or two students who demonstrated extreme difficulties with the classroom management plan. The time needed to focus on this student or students affected classroom instruction and caused the teacher to become frustrated and burnt out quickly. This challenge is becoming more prevalent in schools across the United States, including WELS schools. Continue reading →

Is Labeling Your Students for You?

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By: Kimberly Rehbaum

The process of labeling is currently one of the most controversial topics in the field of special education. Should students be labeled with such disabilities as autism, ADHD, IDD, and EBD? According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in order to receive public government funding for special education, students must have a label. Some educators believe these labels have more disadvantages than benefits, but I am led to believe that labeling leads to accommodations that will enable students to succeed in academics and understand their specific abilities. Continue reading →

Making Professional Development Count

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By Dr. John Meyer

The kinds of continuing education activities that most Lutheran teachers prefer are the least likely to help them grow in their skills.

Lutheran teachers prefer continuing their education in the summer through one-shot workshops or courses (figures 1 & 2). That’s not surprising since most Lutheran teachers also report having insufficient time (79%) and money (71%) (figure 3) for sustained continuing education during the academic year.

Recent research reveals, however, that one-shot trainings in the summer are the least effective (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Gulamhussein, 2013). Continue reading →

Best Practices for Inclusion of Disabled Students in the Music Classroom

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by Dale A. Witte

The WELS Elementary and Secondary Music Teacher and Inclusion

Most WELS teachers do not have the luxury of having a special education teacher in their building with them, let alone having one in their classroom (Enser, 2013). Recent graduates of Martin Luther College have had the benefit of access to special education course offerings in which they are taught about students with disabilities and how they can best be served in the WELS Lutheran elementary or secondary school. Future graduates of the recently announced MLC special education major will be much more prepared to educate children with disabilities than veteran teachers have been. Continue reading →

How does your Lutheran school’s continuing education funding measure up?

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2014 Survey Report: Part One

by Dr. John Meyer

Nearly 1,500 Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) teachers responded to the August 2014 continuing education email survey—representing early childhood, elementary, and high school teachers proportionately across all 12 WELS districts (figure 1 and figure 2). Though 74% of WELS teachers reported they planned to take a course and 35% planned to work toward a degree or certificate (2012 survey), less than half carried out their plans (figure 3). They cited lack of time and money as the major reasons (figure 4). This first article examines the survey findings related to lack of money. Continue reading →

Using Classwide Peer Tutoring to Meet the Special Needs of Students in a Lutheran School

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By: Amanda Johnson

Classwide Peer Tutoring is a strategy used to accommodate the needs of all students and can be adapted for use in any classroom with any subject. It consists of two students working in pairs in a tutoring session that typically lasts about 20 minutes for 3-5 times a week. Each student acts as a tutor for half a session and a tutee for the other half. Sessions are scripted so that students of any level can successfully act as tutor. A typical interaction consists of the tutor asking a question and the tutee responding, but it can be adapted to include writing or physical activities. Points and scripted feedback are given by the tutor based on answers. The teacher observes and awards points for groups correctly following procedures (Greenwood, 2001). Continue reading →