At Waterford High, we have many classes of different levels to help everyone learn at their own pace, but there is a group of students who get forgotten in curriculum building: students with disabilities. However, in recent years, more attention has been brought to the special education department, thanks in part to one teacher: Mr. O’Connor.
Students with disabilities at Waterford High are normally put into standard level classes like O’Connor’s marine biology class; however, the environment is not tailored to the specific needs of these students.
O’Connor has been working with Ms. Murphy, the special education teacher, to get a unified science class made in the last couple of years, but O’Connor has been trying to get a class with such a curriculum for his whole career here, about 34 years, which has finally been implemented in the second semester of the 2024-25 school year.
In this new class, students who want to work with the students in Murphy’s class act as peer tutors and walk through science material with them at an appropriate pace. Toppy Topjong, a junior, says that, “the class is fun.”
The peer mentors receive a half year vocational arts credit, not one of the three science credits needed to graduate. These students are also required to create a five-day long lesson plan tailored to present information at the level that these students need.
Fallyn Murray, a freshman mentor, says, “this class has changed my perspective on so many things in life…I’ve never enjoyed a class more.”
The units for this semester have been ecology-based, however, all of the science teachers have said they would like to take part in the class, so depending on who has the most room in their schedule is who can teach any given year. As for the class next year, which will also be in the second semester, Mr. Kane will be running the class alongside Murphy with an earth science focus.
In addition to the teaching opportunity for the students, the class has more field trips than most classes. Currently, the unified science class has been on two field trips to the My Little Ladies Farm and the Salmon River in Colchester.
O’Connor says that “they [the mentored students] have been able to have the science content delivered by peers in a more supportive environment.”
The class is a great experience for both Murphy’s students and their peers, however, the class still has not covered all of the different levels of understanding for its students. Murphy says she is looking forward to student feedback at the end of the year to better know how to “evolve” the program and make it better for everyone in the class.
Even though there is some fine tuning that needs to be done, the class does a wonderful job of including and instructing students at the level that they need. Undoubtedly, this class is a part of O’Connor’s 34 year long legacy at Waterford High. The last thing O’Connor wants people to know about the class is that, “It is the best class and most fun class in the building with field trips, cake, cookies, prizes, and other great experiences together as peers…oh, some science too.”
If you are interested in learning more or joining, talk to Murphy in room 201. Hope to see you there!
