Shadow teacher

A shadow teacher is an individual who provides one on one support to special

needs students to help in the development of their academic, social, and
behavioural skills. He or she assists the student to better perform at some or all
the activities throughout the school day. The student’s IEP team(Special
Educator, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Behaviour Therapist, and
Speech Therapist) makes his individualized goals while the shadow teacher
works on those academic, social, and behavioral goals. Sometimes they also
work on sensory goals in association with the occupational therapist.

For special needs students, the class can either consist of all special students or it
may be an inclusive setup. The class teacher provides instructions to class and
individual students can face difficulties in executing these simple instructions as
per their academic capability. This is where a shadow teacher is needed. Shadow
teacher provides one on one assistance to a particular child and helps him or her
to perform the tasks. Shadow teacher adapts and structures the task according to
the level of need of that particular student.

Prompts

The usage of prompts is a major technique used by a shadow teacher to make

students learn any skill. In this section, I will share my experience in the role of a
shadow teacher in giving prompts to students in 2 types of setting:

1. In a class, where the class teacher is giving instructions to a group of

students
2. In a setting where the students have free time where they are not receiving
any particular instructions from a class teacher

For the first case, some simple instructions from a class teacher can be:

“take out a book from your bags, and open page 70”
“copy from the board”
“write dictation”
“complete worksheets”,
“raise a hand to give the answer”
However, let’s assume that the student is having difficulty in understanding and
executing these instructions. In such cases, the shadow teacher should provide a
physical prompt to the student and make him do the desired behaviour.

This prompt is advisable to be physical rather than verbal.

This is because physical prompts are easy to fade. Once the student masters the
skill, he will get rid of any physical prompting easily. On the other hand, verbal
prompts tend to make the student dependent on the shadow teacher’s
instructions, always.

Shadow teacher has to make sure that the student is understanding and executing
the instructions given by the class teacher. If the student is facing difficulty in
completing certain parts of instruction, then the shadow teacher has to
provide only physical prompt. If the shadow teacher gives a verbal prompt at
this point, then it will be one on one instruction for the child which will defeat
the purpose.There are times when students are not getting any particular
instructions and free to interact with each other (e.g free period, lunchtime, etc).
These time slabs are ideal for developing social skill goals such as

1. Initiating and maintaining communication with other classmates

2. Asking for help

3. Waiting for turn

that are mentioned in IEP. If the student is having difficulty in interpreting the
environment around him and is unable to interact with other kids, the shadow
teacher can provide verbal/nonverbal cues to the student. Shadow teachers can
also identify other peers who are better at communicating and pair the student
with them.

Benefits

At various schools or organizations, shadow teachers take one on one sessions of

their students and work on the weak areas. Some of the benefits, which I have
seen, are as follows:
 1. Shadow teacher works as a bridge between the student and their classmates making
sure to work on various social goals and also sensitizes other students regarding the
need of the autistic child.
2. Shadow teachers can help the class teacher understand, the specific needs of
autistic students, which require more attention. He or she can provide clues about
the kind of language or instructions to which the child is more comfortable and
responsive.
3. Shadow teacher coordinates with the IEP team to meet the individualized need of
the student.
4. Shadow teacher can help behavior therapists to understand the specific difficult
behavior of the child.
5. Shadow teacher can also provide a sensory diet, as needed, to his/her student.
6. A shadow teacher can eventually play an important role in the development of
much-needed confidence in autistic children and help them realize their potential to
work independently in their social environment.

The student benefits from the shadow teacher because ….

 the student follows regular classroom instruction and interaction with his/her peers.
 the student learns to build on his/her strengths and not his/her weaknesses.
 the student receives educational enrichment.

The school benefits by the shadow teacher because there is a collaborative effort to meet the
special needs of the particular student.

The parents benefit because they have daily communication with an adult who knows what is
going on in school and what events are taking place. Additionally, the parents have a sense of
safety and security for their child.

The role of the shadow teacher in the classroom is to help his/her student:

 stay focused;
 participate appropriately in class;
 notify the teacher if he does not understand the material;
 function in an environment where there are many distractions;
 be positive in his/her approach to new tasks; and helping him/her to gain self control.
 improve communication by maintaining eye contact;
 encouraging him/her to ask for help from his/her teachers;
 having him/her share special interests with the children;
 helping him/her to respond appropriately to his/her classmates in social situations;
 seeing that he/she compliments his peers when appropriate;
 prompting him/her to initiate discussions with his/her peers;
 encouraging him/her to learn the interests of his/her classmates.

Being a Shadow Teacher is not an easy-to-run role, because it requires special skills to accompany
SPECIAL CHILD who has disabilities in physical, intellectual, communication and social-emotional
aspects. The study revealed that Shadow Teacher was proven to help improve the performance of
academics, psychosocial and independence of SPECIAL CHILD (Maryola A. Manansala, 2008). In
addition, Shadow Teacher can provide support to the SPECIAL CHILD by helping to fill the gap in
learning procedures; it even helped create academic and psychosocial abilities on SPECIAL CHILD
(Abdul Hamid, 2020).
Shadow Teacher has advantages in terms of understanding the various problems or difficulties
experienced by the SPECIAL CHILD, as well as the technique dealing with the SPECIAL CHILD
students. For example, Shadow Teacher has been trained to help SPECIAL CHILD students while
interacting or communicating with others.

The role of Shadow Teacher in PAUD BIK includes at least the following five educational roles
(Rosyati, 2021):

1. help and teach SPECIAL CHILD during the learning process in class. Thus, the SPECIAL
CHILD students can follow and understand the subject matter described by the teacher, as well as
understand the other non-SPECIAL CHILD students.
2. help SPECIAL CHILD to communicate with teachers and friends around. It is crucial because
not all non-SPECIAL CHILD teachers and students understand the message referred to by the
SPECIAL CHILD while communicating; In other words, Shadow Teacher plays a role like such
a ‘translator’ or spokesman for the SPECIAL CHILD students that the message is able to be
conveyed.
3. give attention and affection to students of SPECIAL CHILD. For example, Shadow Teacher
must be able to be patient when facing various attitudes and behavior of SPECIAL CHILD
students. If Shadow Teachers are unable to be so patient that they scold students, they will
reduce the students’ motivation to learn. It can even be a learning strike.
4. protecting SPECIAL CHILD students from bullying carried out by friends. When there are
students of SPECIAL CHILD being afflicted by their friends, Shadow Teacher must immediately
protect the SPECIAL CHILD students, and give understanding and warnings to non-SPECIAL
CHILD students who are perpetrators of the negotiation. The reality in PAUD BIK shows that
obstacles that are often experienced by Shadow Teacher during the learning process are students
of SPECIAL CHILD experiencing a delay, so that the motivation of learning decreases and the
concentration is disrupted.
5. giving advice and direction can be in the form of directing the SPECIAL CHILD students not to
imitate the behavior of non-SPECIAL CHILD students who are quite poor. This is because
SPECIAL CHILD students tend to easily imitate attitude, words and acts of non-crew friends
around. Shadow Teacher also can advise the SPECIAL CHILD students not to imitate the bad
words spoken by non-SPECIAL CHILD students. Besides, Shadow Teacher should also advise
non-SPECIAL CHILD students who said the bad words.

In undergoing various roles above, Shadow Teacher must actively establish communication,
coordination and collaboration with educators and education staff, especially class teachers.

In undergoing various roles and responsibilities above, Shadow Teacher must implement the
following strategies (Rosyati, 2021):

First, prioritize the mastery of basic skills related to self-development or the Activity of Daily Living
(ADL): SPECIAL CHILD students are able to carry out daily activities independently, without being
assisted by others. For example, wear clothes, shoes, and others. This is one of the Shadow Teacher
roles in the context of helping SPECIAL CHILD students in order to deal with difficulties in meeting
academic, social, emotional and motor norms in everyday life in schools and at home (Macintyre,
2010).
Second, train the SPECIAL CHILD students. For example, train SPECIAL CHILD students in order
to distinguish symbols, shapes and letters; train SPECIAL CHILD students in order to distinguish
vocal and consonant letters. In this case, Shadow Teacher applies modeling techniques. Namely
Shadow Teacher became a model which was later imitated by students of SPECIAL CHILD. This is
one of the Shadow Teacher roles in the context of improving the academic performance of SPECIAL
CHILD students (Maryola A. Manansala, 2008).

Third, utilize science and technology-based learning facilities that suit the needs of SPECIAL CHILD
students. For example, Shadow teacher teaches prayers through modeling techniques and supported
by such Short Video Prayers that SPECIAL CHILD students are interested and motivated to follow
learning.

Fourth, observing the development of SPECIAL CHILD students intensely, both at school and at
home. Related to the problem of SPECIAL CHILD students in school, Shadow Teacher coordinates,
communicates and collaborates with class teachers; while related to the problem of student SPECIAL
CHILD at home, Shadow Teacher coordinates, communicates and collaborates with the guardians or
parents of students. For example, asking for a class teacher to relieve the standard of achievement of
learning goals for certain SPECIAL CHILD students. This is in harmony with Klein’s view which
states that the assessment given by class teachers for SPECIAL CHILD students must be relevant to
the conditions and needs experienced by the SPECIAL CHILD students (M. Diane Klein, 2001).
References
 Abd. Nasir, I. W. (2018). The Experience of Shadow Teachers in Helping Children with Special Needs in
Telogo Patut Elementary School I Gresik. Jurnal Ilmu Keperawatan, 6(1), 1-9.
 Abdul Hamid, H. M.-U. (2020). Role of Shadow Teacher in the provision of Academic and Social
Support for Children with Special Needs at Inclusive Schools. Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(1), 129–
144 .
 Maryola A. Manansala, E. I. (2008). Shadow Teaching Scheme for Children with Autism and Attention
Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder in Regular Schools. Education Quarterly, 66(1), 34-49 .

Role of HM
Principals are considered key actors responsible for operating and directing all administrative
functions of schools successfully and effectively. They have significant responsibilities in maintaining
the effective internal functioning of school systems, representing the school in the community, and
implementing educational policies with precision. Principals also act as role models who improve the
ethical and professional growth of teachers and other professional staff. Ultimately, principals have an
indirect but significant influence on students’ learning by fulfilling their diverse needs and abilities
and legislating and establishing school systems and policies (Leithwood and Jantzi, 2008).

Dyal et al. (1996) noted that a school principal plays a vital role in forming an educational climate,
which provides learning opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. They further
explained that a principal could build a community of learners or allow classrooms, students, and
teachers to act autonomously and reported that school principals’ attitudes, roles, relationships, and
visions are active parts of an inclusive school environment. Moreover, the authors noted that
principals need to follow several steps to facilitate the creation of inclusive schools, writing a strong
mission statement for the success of all children, which relies on the principals’ sense of
responsibility, an initial step toward an inclusive school. Similarly, Cohen (2015) claimed that a
school principal is the most key agent of change in a school, as they are the central actor who
contributes to the creation and promotion of a successful inclusion program.

Inclusive schools involve children with special needs in general classrooms and allow these students
to interact and socialize with their peers in general education (Jackson et al., 2000; Hussain, 2017).
According to Jackson et al. (2000), inclusive education refers to the use of the inclusion method in
education to generate a new type of education characterized by incorporating students with disabilities
into classes at regular schools. Notably, all students benefit from significant, challenging, and
appropriate educational elements and separated teaching methods that address their unique abilities
and needs.

There are significant challenges to ensuring that each individual obtains an equal opportunity for
educational progress worldwide (UNESCO, 2019). LEARNER WITH DISABILITYs might confront
many obstacles during the transition and adaptation processes in regular school settings. These
students need special care and treatment as well as modified curriculum and instruction that meet their
needs and expectations. The absence of these modifications results in several challenges for
LEARNER WITH DISABILITYs, which might include having negative attitudes toward inclusion,
lack of qualified educators, insufficient training courses, and large sizes of classes (Konza, 2008).
Thus, in inclusive schools that integrate LEARNER WITH DISABILITYs with other typical students,
the role of school principals remains critical yet challenging even after the initiation of inclusiveness
(Riehl, 2000).

Hoppey and McLeskey (2013) have indicated that while policies call for inclusive education,
achieving this goal remains complicated and challenging for principals. To work toward that goal,
they suggested school principals should be held accountable for not only managing and organizing
their schools but also promoting the inclusive learning of LEARNER WITH DISABILITY. Principals
also need to take on a number of roles to ensure that their schools are capable of offering the
professional support required to teachers and other professional educators. Principals of inclusive
schools should be those with the skills, knowledge, and qualities to deliver effective leadership.
Without the leadership and support of the principal, schools would struggle to meet the challenging
requirements of providing varied services that meet the needs of diverse student populations.
Therefore, principals must be aware of the requirements of inclusive schools, which should be
effectively established to support teachers and the larger school community. Finally, principals are
expected to consider inclusive practices and strategies to change the culture at inclusive schools and
develop learning communities in their schools (Hoppey and McLeskey, 2013).

Perhaps the most critical role in successful inclusive schools is the role of the principal. The school
principal’s active participation is the single most important predictor of success in implementing
change, improving services, or setting a new course. The school principal is central to facilitating
systemic change and leading faculty to adopt new attitudes and new practices.
What are the roles of principals in successful inclusive schools?

critical leadership actions of HM in an inclusive school

REVIEW THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION BEFORE

LAUNCHING YOUR EFFORTS IN LEADING YOUR SCHOOL THROUGH YOUR
ACTION STEPS. The reason? There are many inaccurate perceptions of inclusion and leaders must
provide a clear definition and guidance to all faculty and parents. It will help you avoid missteps in
the future, save time, money and frustration.
STATE YOUR SUPPORT, CLEARLY AND EXPLICITLY, FOR AN INCLUSIVE
PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE ACROSS ALL CLASSROOMS IN YOUR SCHOOL IN A
FACULTY MEETING OR OTHER GATHERING THAT INVOLVES ALL STAFF
MEMBERS.
The reason? A faculty needs and wants a clear vision of the direction their leader is promoting and his
or her rationale for doing so. A formal opportunity to state your expectations will significantly
increase goal clarity and progress toward implementation. Informal conversations are not as effective
as a formal presentation with clear expectations from the principal leader.
ASSIGN SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF TO GRADE LEVEL OR DEPARTMENT TEAMS,
INSTEAD OF DISABILITY OR PROGRAM-SPECIFIC TEAMS.
The reason? This action quickly demonstrates a philosophy of shared ownership versus separate
responsibility and reiterates that ‘every student is a general education student’. This one change has a
surprisingly rapid and positive impact on your inclusive efforts. The entire faculty recognizes that
segregation of the teaching staff is a silent message that contradicts a verbal commitment to an
inclusive school.
PROVIDE PLANNING TIME FOR TEACHING TEAM OF GENERAL AND SPECIAL
EDUCATORS.
The reason? The lack of common planning time is the most often cited reason that faculties become
frustrated with inclusive efforts. School leaders know that common planning time is an important
prerequisite for successful inclusion. Collaborative teachers must have time to plan instructional
delivery and ways to increase success for diverse learners in the classroom. Without protected
planning time, the full advantage of having two teachers in the same classroom will never be realized.
ENSURE THAT STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES ARE
PARTICIPATING IN ON-GRADE LEVEL GENERAL CURRICULA AND THAT ALL
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS RECEIVE RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT REGARDING CURRICULUM WITH THEIR GENERAL EDUCATION
PEERS.
The reason? Actually, the law requires access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.
“Congress finds…almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of
children with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children
and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the
maximum extent possible, in order to meet developmental goals and, to the maximum extent possible,
the challenging expectations that have been established for all children; and be prepared to lead
productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible” (IDEA 2004). Why is access
to the general curriculum important? Historically, children with special needs only had limited if any
access to the general curriculum. Students with disabilities were taught an alternative curriculum.
Thus, these individuals were not able to progress to their full potential. Now there is one core
curriculum for every student.
COMMUNICATE THAT THE USE OF APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ANY STUDENT WHO REQUIRES THEM IS AN EXPECTED
INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY ACTIVITY IN EVERY CLASSROOM. COMMUNICATE
THAT ANY STUDENT WITH AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) MUST
RECEIVE ALL SPECIFIED ACCOMMODATION AND/OR CURRICULAR
MODIFICATION AND MODIFIED GRADING PROCEDURES AS SPECIFIED IN THE IEP.
It is important to identify appropriate accommodations with students as part of their regular classroom
activities and then to use the accommodations as needed throughout a student’s daily instruction.
Accommodations: provide students with disabilities with equal access to course instruction, materials,
and evaluation, “level the playing field” and minimize the impact of the student’s disability on their
academic performance. When indicated on the student’s IEP the accommodations MUST be provided.
The student should be involved in selecting the best accommodations for their learning style and
needs and teachers should receive staff development on selecting and providing these
accommodations. They typically have a significant and positive impact on student success. Leaders
must make this expectation clear and must periodically monitor to be certain that accommodations are
provided appropriately.
CONVENE MEETINGS WITH GENERAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TO
COMPLETE THE STEP-BY-STEP PLANNING FORMS FOR EACH STUDENT WITH AN
IEP TO BEGIN THE STAFFING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. BE SURE
TO ASK EACH SET OF TEACHERS TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE TIME
IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM FOR EACH STUDENT.
RECOMMENDED: JANUARY-FEBRUARY
The reason? For decades, special education staffing allocations were based on formulas and ratios
without consideration of the actual personal support needs of each individual student. As a result,
students were either undersupported, over-supported or did not receive support at the appropriate
times. The SBS approach to staffing for inclusive schools relies on information regarding individual
student needs to build a schedule. Two outcomes can generally be expected from this process: 1)
student achievement increases because instructional and behavioral support needs are the basis for
staffing — not numbers and 2) the need for staff in inclusive schools is generally less than expected
because many schools are actually over- supporting students or are not using current resources wisely.
USE THE INFORMATION FROM FORMS 1 AND 2 (STEP 7) TO CREATE THE
SCHEDULE OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND PERSONAL SUPPORTS FOR THE NEXT
SCHOOL YEAR. THIS STEP SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN ADVANCE OF THE
CREATION OF THE MASTER SCHEDULE. NOTIFY THE TEACHING STAFF OF THEIR
ASSIGNED STUDENTS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. RECOMMENDED: MARCH-
APRIL
The reason? Just as leaders consider ‘singleton courses’ as a starting point for building the master
schedule, the same logic is true with supports needed for students with IEPs. By simply placing the
staffing for students with IEPs ‘on the board’ first, assistance is targeted for student success,
additional staff may not be needed, resources are used more wisely, and it is much easier to schedule
collaborative planning time for those teachers who will work and teach together in inclusive
classrooms.
TAKE STEPS TO INCLUDE STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN CREATING AN AUTHENTIC
INCLUSIVE SCHOOL. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO SOCIAL INCLUSION BY
CREATING SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS TO DEVELOP
FRIENDSHIPS AND A SENSE OF BELONGING THROUGH SHARED ACTIVITIES. USE
STUDENTS, FACULTY, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY TO PLAN THESE ACTIVITIES.
The reason? While physical inclusion (serving students in their neighborhood schools and in the
general education classroom whenever appropriate) and academic inclusion (including students with
IEPs in the general education curriculum with high expectations and grade-level standards) are critical
aspects of a leader’s role, social inclusion is often neglected. It is assumed that social inclusion or
authentic student-to-student friendships and interactions will ‘automatically’ occur in inclusive
schools, the reality is that adults must purposively plan for these relationships to grow. Parents and
community members should be partners with the school in planning for and carrying out these
opportunities.
PROVIDE DATA SNAPSHOTS OF INCREASES IN TIME STUDENTS SPEND IN THE
GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS AND IN ACHIEVEMENT, ATTENDANCE, AND
GRADUATION TO YOUR FACULTY TWICE EACH YEAR. CELEBRATE YOUR
SUCCESSES AND PLAN FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
The reason? As the saying goes, “what gets measured, gets done!” In addition, leaders know that the
many demands on teachers can seem overwhelming and we often neglect the many opportunities to
reward and celebrate accomplishments. Successful leaders recognize that celebrations cement greater
commitment and contribute to teacher retention! Not only do we plan for implementation of inclusive
practices — we have to plan for sustaining them over time!