4A

Interview Reflection

Mary Garcia

ESE 634 Education-Based Collaborative Relationships

John Mendez

June 7, 2021

Interview Reflection

The interview on the IEP process among students with disabilities was conducted on two teachers, a general and a special teacher, who engage in educating students with disabilities. The interviewee included Mr.James Mitchell, the general teacher, and Ms. Alice Goodin, the special education teacher. The interview took approximately thirty minutes for each participant. They were interviewed differently to allow confidentiality and freedom to articulate various aspects or opinions on the given topics without the fear of being judged by their colleagues.

The two teachers were identified through enquiring from the school's principal. As a researcher, I had to seek permission from the school administration to conduct the interview. Therefore, I was provided with the special education and general teachers who engaged in teaching special education students. Mr. Mitchell was identified as the most collaborating and effective general teacher dealing with helping students with disabilities. After engaging and interacting with all the available teachers, I decided to include Mr. Mitchell. He was easy to talk to and interested in understanding the well-being of special education students.

Similarly, the special education teacher was selected. Gender equality was considered during the selection process, thus choosing Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Goodin. Teachers were contacted through face-to-face interactions. They were informed of the intended interviews a week before the interview. This was to obtain their consent, ensure that they were okay with the idea, and allow them time to prepare for the same.

The interview process involved visiting the school and having a sit down with the teachers. Initially, I had planned to film the entire process. However, I realized that the interviewees did not like the attention of being filmed. Therefore, I recorded the whole interview using an audio recorder. The greatest challenge during the interview was the mode of recording. Filming the interview would have been better for me to get the teachers' reactions from both their words and physical expressions. Another challenge was getting these teachers off their duties. Considering their busy schedules, I was forced to interview in the evening instead of in the morning as I had previously planned. Interacting with teachers dealing with special education students allowed me to understand the significance of IEP to students. Also, it enhanced my knowledge on ensuring that students with disabilities get the same learning privileges as their peers without disabilities. Comprehending students with disabilities and their challenges is essential for promoting their learning (Understanding Special Education, 2009). Generally, it enlightened me on the best ways to treat and handle individuals with disabilities. As well as understand the role of different teachers in the lives of students with disabilities.

Reference

Understanding Special Education. (2009). Understanding the Student Study Team (SST). https://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/student-study-team.html