I am not an associate

I am a special education teacher in a school that believes to the inclusive classroom. That me that special education students have their classes in the regular education setting and the special ed teacher co-teaches the class with the teacher. Students are spread out in different subjects as if they are regular education students.

During the beginning of the year I sit down and look at the schedules of all of the sped students in the high school and see when they are in a social studies class. I than set my schedule based on the number of sped students in classes and how needy those students are. If I am not in a class with a student I make sure that they receive their accommodations and I am there for them if they need tests read or what ever.

This year I have scheduled myself to be in 4th hour Government on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, I am in American History on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have also scheduled myself to be in 8th period American history with the same teacher.

Now I am there to co-teach these classes. We have that understanding with the teachers in our school. We are know through out the state of Iowa as a leading school when it comes to special education. If there is a movie being shown or students are doing presentations I do not need to be there.

Any way yesterday and today in American history students are doing presentations on their choice of presidential candidates. I have been in the class the last couple of days working with the students helping them do research on these candidates. So yesterday and today I should not have had to be in the classroom. I can there for go to another class to observe or get paper work done.

during 4th period I decided to go to government class and during 8th period I decided that I needed to work on writing a recent IEP that I needed to get typed up.
The teacher decided to throw a fit that I wasn't in the classroom. She said that I needed to be there to make sure that the students have their notebooks out and are taking notes during the presentations. I told her that I am not there for discipline reasons and that she could have done the same thing.

I went to 8th period today and the students are doing the same thing, presentations. The teacher told the class that I was going to walk around the room making sure that they were taking notes. Keep in mind there are 5 sped students in this class out of 27 students. I walk around the classroom once and then left the room. I had better things to get done. So she threw another fit today. She said that I am scheduled to be in this class every day and that I should be there every day, even if we are watching a movie or what.

I talked to our principal to make sure that I was understanding the correct concept. He agreed with me and told me that he thinks he needs to reiterate with all regular ed teachers what exactly the roles of special ed teachers are in the classroom.

I have had difficulties with this teacher in the past. She is a very anal teacher. She has been here for two years now and is having trouble with our concept of special ed.

There are other teachers here where I get right in and teach almost every day. Other schools have come here to observe and they can't tell which teacher is the regular ed teacher or the sped teacher.

I guess I am just a little frustrated

Any way