The Relevant Classroom by Eric Hardie

Author:Eric Hardie
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781416627708
Publisher: ASCD
Published: 2019-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Change the Environment to Change the Learner

Brenna Lamprey, a 5th grade teacher, and Beth Reilly, a preschool special education teacher, paired up to meet the needs of both older and younger students. After learning about autism spectrum disorders, the grade 5 students began to visit with the preschool students. The 5th graders were challenged to plan lessons to meet the developmental needs of the younger students. The older students then helped prepare some of the younger students to participate in a Special Olympics program by attending their physical education class once a week to help them develop their skills. The ideas continued to build, with guest speakers coming into the class to talk about other disabilities, students engaging in a research project, and finally, students planning a schoolwide Exceptional Students Week.

While the work had a very positive impact for the preschool students, it was equally influential on the 5th graders. According to Lamprey and Reilly, "16 out of 21 fifth-grade students increased their scores on the empathy survey given at the beginning and end of the school year. Some even doubled their score. The impact that the buddies had on each other not only changed attitudes and biases, but had a positive effect on their daily interactions with younger children, peers, and adults" (Lamprey & Reilly, 2016).

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