I have noticed lately that students within Colonie
Central High School generally do not come into contact with special needs students
on a daily basis. As a result, I investigated how these children are receiving
the assistance to achieve a happy, educated, and enjoyable high school
experience. On December eleventh I sat down with Mrs. Nielsen, Art/ Special Education
Internship teacher, to talk about Colonies Central High School’s special needs
curriculum. The art room was full of laughter and students working on a still
life. The warmly lighted room went well with the snowy weather outside. Mrs.
Nielsen fixed her sweater, and smiled warmly as the interview began.
In the past children
with disabilities were hidden from the outside world. However current
advancements have led to an educational system supporting disable children
across the nation. In Colonie Central High School we include courses such as
Education Support Services, Adaptive PE, Career Exploration Internship Program,
and an Art/ Special Education Internship. In addition, summer Special ED camp is
provided to stop the relapse of knowledge and skill sets.
According to Mrs. Nielsen, “One of things people do
not realize is that a lot of our special need kids are involved, it is part of
their IEPs that they have maintenance programs in the summer so they do not regress,
and we have a really phenomenal program that is six weeks long”. This type of
curriculum covers necessary academics with a twist.
“One of things that we do that is extra special is
every year we pretend we are going to a different country, and then all the
things that we do revolve around it” she said. For example, the art work, literature, and
field trips revolve around one country. One year, these children got to eat at
an authentic Chinese restaurant since they were studying about China. Although
this camp covers summer education, throughout the school year special needs
kids are offered plenty of classes to maintain skill sets, learn life skills,
and find long lasting jobs through internships.
Life Skills functions as an important foundation class
within Special ED curriculum. This group contains a specific group of special
needs students. It includes, how to deal
with people, how to handle situations, how to handle yourself in public, and
simple manners and educate. Although manners seem minimal to us, “it gets you a
long way in the world” she said.
The job site program, starting around tenth grade,
helps kids intern at local job sites. The lower levels of Special ED get to pick
from a vast amount of jobs, around a certain radius of the school. Every
quarter they intern at a different location. The goal of the job site class is
to provide lasting and fulfilling jobs. It successfully manages to place kids
at local businesses, after graduation.
The Art/ Special Education Internship course creates
a community atmosphere. The participants, who help these children, objective is
to help the student their assigned to work independently, yet certain kids rely
on their interns more since they are not capable of completing assignments by
themselves.
This
level of interaction creates a lasting relationship between the interns and
students. It is not atypical to enter first period and see a boy blowing one of
the girl’s noses when she needs to a tissue. “They just clean her up and put
her back” said Nielsen. Not only do participants interact with these students
in this class alone. Interns take time out of their lunch or use a free periods
to be with them.
Mrs. Nielsen explained to me why this curriculum
benefits these children, and how it not only impacts the child. It results in
permeant changes to the interns who work with them on a daily basis. “When they
start helping our life skills kids, they suddenly start turning around. They do
not get in trouble as much because they are doing something valuable” said,
Nielsen. Racheal Shave, a senior, works with these kids in the Art/ Special Ed
Internship said the experience has given her patience and a new perspective. According to Racheal Shave, “I have learned to
look at people and realize you do not know what is going on in someone’s life.
Whether it is a person with a disability, or person who has a brother or sister
with a disability, or a parent with a child with a disability” “And you never
know what they go through on a daily basis because it is tough” she said. This experience helped her learn how to help
the kids she always had a soft spot for. She always felt these kids deserved
better attention and love from people. Racheal explained to me how she is love
with everything about them, and how they taught her to “love as much as she
can” because their hearts never get smaller.
In addition, Mrs. Nielsen said these programs help
each child function to the best of their abilities, and it gives “them as
authentic high school experience as they are able to experience within whatever
limitations that they might have” she said.
Her
goal as a teacher is to see her students be successful. “I do not care what type of student I am
teaching. I want to see them grow as both a person, or in knowledge, or the way
they see the world”, said Nielsen.
Her perspective carries over into
her passion and involvement within these children’s lives.
Colonie
Central High School’s Special Ed curriculum impact students, teachers, and the
community. The amount of care and love given to these students is remarkable,
yet the assistance given to Special ED children is unappreciated to the
remaining school body. Therefore, when asked what she would say to the kids at
Colonie High school about kids with disabilities Mrs. Nielsen said “They are
kids. They might act a little bit younger than you, but they are kids.”
