The resource teacher : "a teacher who talks to teachers"

Abstract

The article discusses the “A Teacher Who Talks to Teachers” project being conducted at the CÉGEP du Vieux Montréal. The goal of the project is to recognize the needs of teachers who have disabled students in their classrooms. Given the accommodations required to meet the needs of these students, teachers are obliged to delegate some of their responsibilities to special-needs personnel. This new paradigm has raised a number of questions. Naturally, special-needs advisors are able to discuss the adaptations required with teachers. At the CÉGEP du Vieux Montréal, however, they have gone one step further and designated someone to act as a resource teacher; this individual notes the concerns of his or her colleagues and suggests an approach targeted toward the individual educational practices concerned. The resource teacher thus acts as an “interpreter” between the teacher and the special-needs advisors, as well as a sounding board for teachers. The article explains the theoretical framework of the experiment, the roles of all parties involved and the results obtained to date.