University of Dayton Transition to Teaching

Jamie Linenkugel

Jamie Linenkugel
Former T2T participant and current Cincinnati Public School Teacher

As the teacher of a self-contained Intermediate Multiple Disabilities unit in Cincinnati Public Schools, I wanted to ensure that my students were included as much as possible with their peers. While they attend specials with this class, I strongly believed that they needed more exposure and interaction. Luckily, a general education 4/5 combo teacher agreed! Little did I know that she has a child with a disability and knew too well how much children with special needs thrive on inclusion. Therefore, we arranged our schedules such that my class joins her class for Science each day for 45 minutes. As effective collaboration is key, we plan lessons together and co-teach, alternating days for leading the lesson and supporting all students at all times. Our school is a Kagan cooperative learning environment, so we implement these fun and interactive activities daily. My students love it and ask about science each morning! What's even cooler is that the typical peers are learning social awareness and compassion as they are taking my students under their wings at this time.