SpEd Kids Don't Matter Here

Many of the students who are classified as special education happen to be black and all hang out together in his classroom during lunch period and at various points throughout the day. They all have the same haircut, wear the same clothes and drop the "n" bomb in casual conversation. My cooperating teacher doesn't seem to mind. I guess they feel ostracized and are trying to hold onto whatever sense of identity they can among this sea of high achieving white kids. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The B-mountain High school has a culture of high achievement and is known as a "good" school. I get a feeling of stuffiness and pretentiousness in the school climate. Many of the general education teachers have made it clear that I am not allowed to teach in their class. I can only observe from a distance. The head of personnel, the woman who made the arrangements seems to think that I can fulfill my student teaching requirement by creating lesson plans, that I would only present to my professor and not to the class. The whole point of student teaching is to teach. It's obnoxious of her to relegate me to such a low standing. I feel demeaned by the way this school seeks to utilize me to proctor exams and provide free labor in their theatre, but will not allow me to teach (the real reason I came to the school in the first place).