TL:DR:
- The Grid Method can be effective with all students, including those with IEPs.
- When building a Grid, be proactive in making accommodations ahead of time.
- Both the general education teacher and the special education teacher have an equal role in the classroom.
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, my general education co-teacher and I were ready to embark on our second year of co-teaching together. During our first co-planning session of the school year, she shared with me that she had recently attended a Grid Method training over the summer. Our conversation was filled with the words: self-paced, mastery learning, and differentiation. My co-teacher posed the question, “Do we want to try the Grid Method in our classroom? Or should we wait to see how it goes with my other math classes?” Without hesitating, I exclaimed, “Yes!” Given our conversation and some co-teacher trust, I was ready to dive in. My special education teacher instincts felt like this framework would naturally fit into our practices to support all students, especially students with IEPs.
My special education teacher instincts felt like this framework would naturally fit into our practices to support all students, especially students with IEPs. Click To TweetEmbedded Accommodations
Within our planning process, we quickly learned that we were able to naturally embed the accommodations of students with IEPs into the Grid framework. Accommodations help a student access grade-level curricular content. For our students with learning disabilities, some of the most common accommodations include extended time, chunking, multiple checks for understanding, and opportunities for re-teaching.
Before and during a Grid, we plan a minimum student pace guideline. This builds in extended time for students who need it. While constructing a Grid, we chunk learning opportunities into similar skills with increasing DOK. We start class with a bell work skill review. During bell work, both of us are able to conference with students about their pace and goal set. This process particularly benefits students with executive functioning deficits.
Additionally, mastery learning allows us to ensure students have multiple checks for understanding and re-teaching. Both my co-teacher and I keep a clipboard of answer keys. This allows us to provide students with consistent feedback on a variety of assignments. We both provide feedback and/or re-teaching to students who are nearest in proximity to us at that moment. We like to call this strategy First Responder. It is our goal that an outside observer cannot differentiate the general education teacher from the special education teacher. We both work with a mix of students at any given time and intentionally check in with students with IEPs frequently.
[scroll down to keep reading]
Proactive Modifications
Similarly, my paraprofessional is my “right-hand man” and supports our students with IEPs in a Grid science classroom. While some students with IEPs require accommodations, some students may require more intensive modifications. Modifications change grade-level curricular content. Common modifications for students with learning disabilities include: alternative reading passages, reworded questions or writing prompts, or different assignments with related content.
Based upon this, the science teacher and my paraprofessional have worked hard to construct modified Grids for a smaller group of students with IEPs. Through the collaborative planning process, we have all talked through important standards, curricular non-negotiable items, and skills. Within a modified Grid, instruction and some learning opportunities remain the same from the original Grid. Some learning opportunities may be different and require small group instruction or re-teaching. The balance between original and modified learning opportunities may ebb and flow. Students with a modified Grid will still be assessed through similar projects and assessments as their peers.
Although it may sound counterintuitive, we have found that projects and assessments that have a higher DOK are easier to modify for students. For example, students were assigned a project that required them to construct a model and written response where they needed to apply vocabulary terms. The original project required students to write a three-paragraph response. A modified version required students to construct a model and utilize the same vocabulary from the original project, but apply vocabulary within a one-paragraph response.
A Natural Fit
Differentiation for a wide variety of learners can be a daunting task for any teacher. Moreover, providing necessary support for students with IEPs in a general education classroom can also be a daunting task. My initial instincts have proven to be accurate. A Grid Method classroom does naturally fit into special education practices. It is important that all stakeholders proactively collaborate to implement this natural fit to empower the success of all students.
About Meghan Pahlke
Meghan Pahlke is a 7th Grade Resource Special Education Teacher at Plano Middle School. Throughout her career, she has had the honor to work alongside eight phenomenal co-teacher teammates in math and language arts classes. Co-teaching is her passion, and she is dedicated to supporting teams to co-teach with parity. When she’s not teaching or talking co-teaching shop, she enjoys spending time with her husband and Goldendoodle, Murphy.
