Managing the Fall-out

IMG_4631Why does he get to play with the fidget spinner?  Why does Tommy get extra time to finish his test? Why can Marigold listen to music? Why can Johnny walk around whenever he wants to and I can’t?

I have put out enough of these IEP-related fires to wonder why educational administrators so seldom address the ancillary challenges posed by liberal provisions within IEP’s.  When we allow certain students toys and behavioral freedoms on-demand,  we automatically create a climate where other students demand their fair share of the fun. IEPs create special problems for classrooms and classroom management, and we should approach these problems with professional developments and training. New teachers especially may need guidance to help them teach the idea that fair is not necessarily equal.

Eduhonesty: Fair is not equal can be a tough sell. Kids believe in fairness and will demand it at an early age. Schools teach fairness. As Junko plays with her glue dots, other students want their own dots. The teacher can’t say, “Well, Junko is special.” Aside from vital privacy questions, she might as well paint a social target on the poor girl’s forehead. (Incidentally, those IEPs are supposed to be private, but free use of fidget toys like glue dots will out our Junkos without a single word said.)

As fidget toys and special behavioral allowances expand their daily use through IEP provisions, new teachers should be given help managing problems created by those provisions. Johnny’s special permission to walk around the classroom, Junko’s anxiety dots, and Marigolds headphones create jealousy. We need to acknowledge this fact and provide training to teachers flummoxed by the growing influx of individual freedoms within the classroom.