To explain the purpose of my unit, I need to introduce some aspects about my students and me. I am a special education teacher who works with a multiage group of students. I teach an average of twelve students ranging in grades two to five. It seems to be the most demanding position in the profession, but also the most rewarding. There is a vast variability in students' needs. More advanced students learn together in mixed-age groups and less developed students are given the time they need to master skills at their own pace. At other times, children are put into groups of different levels of ability so as to learn from each other. The activities and experiences I offer to the students are based on developmental appropriateness, giving emphasis to the particular needs and interests of each child. The aim is to establish regular habits. I start the day with social skills that include supervising them during breakfast and cleaning up afterwards. We also go through the calendar, weather, attendance, homework, and news. The next forty minutes are spent reading to the students. At first, the time to read might be short but as they learn to read, with daily practice, children can sit for up to twenty minutes each day. When the activity demands that I read first, the activity is extended later with discussions, a variety of responses, monitoring, etc. The next forty minutes are used for language arts, integrating science, and some days, social studies. We also use time developing math skills using centers and through individualized approaches. Close to the end of the time of instruction, and according to their behavior I give each child the opportunity to choose his/her own activity. These activities include floor puzzles, legos, and computer.
