I make an honest effort to address the needs for ALL students to experience pride and success in the classroom and in life. I am working toward my classroom becoming more and more student-centered. Promoting a community (or family) type atmosphere the learning environment becomes about relationships, communication, expectations, respect, and trust. Students sit at tables, rather than desks, and work together throughout the day. All supplies are considered "community" and must be taken care of as a whole. Students collaborate throughout the day, and learn to accept, tolerate, support and encourage one another. This practice has taken away some of the competitiveness out of the classroom.
Unfortunately, I do not always have multicultural information, materials, or resources available for all subjects or activities. I try to incorporate family, home, and school, but I do not always include the community. Educating myself on my students' cultures and heritages will continue to evolve with my students.
One easy way I can become more involved in my students' communities is to attend festivals and celebrations within the school community zone area. I have to make it a priority to begin to include more multicultural resources in my classroom. When I am asked my philosophy of teaching, I often stumble on my response. There is a statement in this chapter that really spoke to me and I would like to adopt it as the philosophy of my classroom and me..."Teachers vary their teaching styles to accommodate and affirm learning styles, employ flexible grouping, collaborate more with students, and focus more on creating a climate that is cooperative and family-like." I think this sums up my goal of the type of teacher I strive to be.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Mathematics
Math is the first subject I teach each day. This has been my practice for many years, since many of my young students' minds are tired after lunch. Manipulatives are readily available for students, especially students with special needs. I use manipulatives to introduce and reinforce math skills. My students love when we play math games, such as "Go Fish Money" or "I Have Who Has". Cooperative learning has been effective in my classroom. Often, I overhear students helping or trying to "teach" their peers the concepts. I also pair a high achieving student with a low performing peer for five minutes of flash cards of basic addition and subtraction facts. Students enjoy this time together and they are very supportive of one another. In addition, with every concept I try to address different learning styles with a variety of instructional deliveries and practices.
My school does not offer an instructional intervention for math. We put a huge focus on reading, while math does not seem to get the same attention. I would love to see a program to address ways to improve recall and retention of math facts, especially in the younger grades. I have not taught my students to self-monitor in math. This is definitely an area that I need to improve. Many students struggle to solve word problems. My modeling and teaching is not always enough for some students.
I would love to have a support system for a math intervention program at our school. Sharing my concerns with the administrative team may put this into action. I must educate myself on effective ways to teach students to self-monitor strategies. The book offers some good suggestions and one I plan to revise for my autistic student to help him self-monitor his self control issues. I LOVE the SRSD five-step process for solving one-step addition and subtraction word problems (p. 214). This would have to be something that I would need to teach, model, and practice regularly for students to gain the confidence to use it independently. Some students would benefit from having the steps posted on their desk during math instruction.
My school does not offer an instructional intervention for math. We put a huge focus on reading, while math does not seem to get the same attention. I would love to see a program to address ways to improve recall and retention of math facts, especially in the younger grades. I have not taught my students to self-monitor in math. This is definitely an area that I need to improve. Many students struggle to solve word problems. My modeling and teaching is not always enough for some students.
I would love to have a support system for a math intervention program at our school. Sharing my concerns with the administrative team may put this into action. I must educate myself on effective ways to teach students to self-monitor strategies. The book offers some good suggestions and one I plan to revise for my autistic student to help him self-monitor his self control issues. I LOVE the SRSD five-step process for solving one-step addition and subtraction word problems (p. 214). This would have to be something that I would need to teach, model, and practice regularly for students to gain the confidence to use it independently. Some students would benefit from having the steps posted on their desk during math instruction.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Webliography
Resources for Assisting Students in the Classroom
1. Math Activities by Strand
211 math activities for second grade skills. The concepts are organized into categories. The questions will increase in difficulty as the student's ability improves.
2. Grand Slam Math
Interactive program designed to help students become better at solving word problems. The questions start out easy get a little harder as the game progresses.
3. A Plus Math
This website was developed to help students improve math skills interactively. Children can visit the game room (a favorite!), practice and create flash cards, print or complete on-line worksheets, and there is a Homework Helper that checks math solutions.
4. Cool Math 4 Kids
An amusement park of math, games, and more- especially designed for fun, fun, FUN! Different links for teachers and parents. Also, this site as lessons and practice activities.
5. Houghton Mifflin Test Prep
Test Quest! This site encourages students to become better test-takers. Second grade math skills are broken down into twelve chapters.
6. Reading is Fundamental
Read along animated stories and songs. Many story choices offered in Spanish with traditional children's songs from Latin America. Highlights the word as it's being read aloud.
7. Readers Theater
A second grade teacher, Ms. Gurian, has lots of FREE scripts available. Readers Theater is a wonderful way to increase oral language and reading fluency skills.
8. The Reading Lady
This is a must have favorites site for any elementary reading teacher! Laura Kemp, a devoted teacher and administrator has a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and resources that she shares for FREE! Her links are comprehension, author studies, poetry, Six Trait Writing, assessment, readers theater, and documents.
9. Reading Rockets
Offers strategies, lessons, activities and ideas designed to help young children learn to READ. This site can be overwhelming since it offers so much, but it is worth spending some time discovering and sharing with peers and families.
10. Starfall
A free website to teach children to learn to read with phonics. It targets preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. However, I still have second graders and ELL students that benefit from this site.
11. Vocabulary Games and Resources
Vocabulary is FUN! Vocabulary.co.il is a leading vocabulary website worldwide with the best flash online word games. The vocabulary games include an online word search, an online crossword puzzle, and hangman online (HangMouse). In addition, it has many ELL options. It is a great tool for whole class lessons on smart boards or individual computers for students.
12. HangARoo
A kid's version of Wheel of Fortune. Students guess the hidden phrase, which is excellent for word exposure and build vocabulary. There are various levels to complete.
13. Compass Learning Odyssey
CompassLearning delivers standards aligned PreK-12 curricula that provides interactive, self-paced, challenging, and engaging activities. Activities promote exploration, individual and cooperative learning, problem solving, reflection, and real-world connections. This is NOT a free site, my district subscribes to the CompassLearning services. We have had wonderful results with this program.
The link to the site below allows you to sample some activities.
14. BrainPop Jr.
Provides educational short movies for K-3 students. Homework help, leveled quizzes, games and activities to engage students. A wonderful activating strategy across the curriculum. There is a subscription for access to the site. However, they do offer a free "movie of the week".
15. Fun Brain
Online educational games for kids of all ages. Great for reading and math learning games. The best part is that students do not realize that are actually practicing necessary academic skills in order to score points in the games.
16. Prepdog
Test taking practice for 2-10th grade. Question format is similar to MAP and PASS. The tests are formatted by RIT bands based on MAP data. Three levels are offered (advanced, proficient, and basic) in reading, math, language arts, and science. I use this to fill a five to ten minute gaps in the daily schedule. Students can also do it in small groups, with a partner, individually, or at home.
17. Intervention Central
This site offers many academic and behavioral interventions. This is a HOW TO site for ideas and strategies to encourage and motivate academics and behaviors in the classroom. It also offers practical ideas for rewards. Downloads are available with manuals to walk through the process or strategies.
18. ADD in School
Classroom interventions for teaching students with ADHD. The site is divided into elementary and Junior/High school ages. It explains the six different types of ADHD and offers strategies to assist with specific behaviors. They even provide diet plans if a parent chooses not to medicate their child. As a parent of a child with ADHD this site has given me the gift of understanding how and why she behaves the way she does.
19. National Geographic Kids
Features different people, animals, and places each month with facts, games, activities, and related videos and photographs. Excellent when teaching nonfiction reading, animals, plants, and nature.
20. San Diego Kids
Play games, make crafts, and perform science experiments. Also, find out about different jobs at the zoo. This is a wonderful tool to use to engage children who love science, but maybe not reading. They will explore for hours and are unaware of how much reading they are actually doing!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Assisted Technology
Interactive white boards have greatly affected how I deliver instruction. I use the Promethean Board all day, every day. It allows me to engage my students visually and kinesthetically. Advances in technology also changed the way students experience learning in and out of the classroom. The Boardmarker data base is extensive and extremely helpful for special needs students. My autistic students rely on the pictures for comfort of knowing what to expect next, communication, and clear expectations of desired behavior. I utilize many of the educational and learning tools to increase knowledge and skills, for example mind mapping (wordle.net); virtual vocabulary games (ewordgames.com); and electronic flashcards (coolmath4kids.com). One way that I have had success with sensory technology tools is for students to create a picture story. Last year, my second graders researched different habitats. They recorded facts, such as climate, plants and animals that live there, and other interesting information about six different habitats. We then went to the computer lab and students selected clip art images (I had placed LOTS of options in folders to limit choices and control time) and inserted into a Picture Story format. Students then had to select fonts, colors, and backgrounds for the images. They typed the name of the habitat on each slide. Finally, students used individual microphones to record the facts into the photo story. Their favorite part was viewing the final product and hearing their voices on the computer! As a treat, I emailed each photo story to their parents for the whole family to enjoy such an involved project. The feedback I received was very positive. Many of the photo stories were forwarded to extended family members and friends.
I was unaware of the all the resources and software available for assisted technology in the classroom. In my teaching experience, I have not had the opportunity to teach a physically disabled student. This chapter taught (especially Table 13.1) of all the different ways assistive technology can be incorporated in the classroom. This chapter made me feel a little bit like I was in the dark about the various needs of some children.
After reading the information in chapter 13, I realize the many opportunities to further incorporate technology into my instruction, especially in writing. Technology is constantly improving, therefore it is important that I keep proficient in technology. In this day and age, I strive to learn the technology WITH my students rather than playing catch up to them.
I was unaware of the all the resources and software available for assisted technology in the classroom. In my teaching experience, I have not had the opportunity to teach a physically disabled student. This chapter taught (especially Table 13.1) of all the different ways assistive technology can be incorporated in the classroom. This chapter made me feel a little bit like I was in the dark about the various needs of some children.
After reading the information in chapter 13, I realize the many opportunities to further incorporate technology into my instruction, especially in writing. Technology is constantly improving, therefore it is important that I keep proficient in technology. In this day and age, I strive to learn the technology WITH my students rather than playing catch up to them.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Written Expression
Ironically, the chapter on writing has my mind all over the place. Instead of paragraphs this week I am going to create lists, which is usually how I plan my forum writing for the week.
Things I feel I am teaching well in writing...
1. Teaching the steps of the writing process
2. Modeling written expression in different genres or formats
3. Providing various opportunities for student reflections and summaries across the curriculum
4. Clearly explaining and modeling Editor's Checklist (grade appropriate material)
5. Introducing, exposing, and encouraging vocabulary development
Things that need improvement in my writing instruction...
1. Be more consistent and frequent writing through the entire process
2. Not sure I always provide QUALITY writing lessons- when time is tight, writing may be cut from the day's activities
3. Using graphic organizers for students to plan writing- I've found this confuses my lower level students (They want to write complete sentences on organizers or copy phrases/thoughts as sentences in paragraph)
4. Conferencing with individual students
5. Grading- My thoughts are writing assessments are subjective. I only grade writing with rubrics, but I am much more rigorous with higher achieving students. This makes me worry that I am not being consistent and fair to ALL students.
How I plan to improve...
1. Provide more frequent opportunities for students to carry a piece through the entire writing process
2. Value the writing block and show my enthusiasm while modeling writing- This gives me time to share personal details with the students, which allows me to connect with them. I could also find more opportunities to write in other subjects since time can be an issue. However, this is not usually creative writing.
3. Spend more time teaching and modeling how to properly use graphic organizers
4. Figure out and stick to a conferencing schedule that is realistic
5. Research and collaborate with my peers to determine the best and most FAIR way to assess student writing (in addition to the rubric)
Things I feel I am teaching well in writing...
1. Teaching the steps of the writing process
2. Modeling written expression in different genres or formats
3. Providing various opportunities for student reflections and summaries across the curriculum
4. Clearly explaining and modeling Editor's Checklist (grade appropriate material)
5. Introducing, exposing, and encouraging vocabulary development
Things that need improvement in my writing instruction...
1. Be more consistent and frequent writing through the entire process
2. Not sure I always provide QUALITY writing lessons- when time is tight, writing may be cut from the day's activities
3. Using graphic organizers for students to plan writing- I've found this confuses my lower level students (They want to write complete sentences on organizers or copy phrases/thoughts as sentences in paragraph)
4. Conferencing with individual students
5. Grading- My thoughts are writing assessments are subjective. I only grade writing with rubrics, but I am much more rigorous with higher achieving students. This makes me worry that I am not being consistent and fair to ALL students.
How I plan to improve...
1. Provide more frequent opportunities for students to carry a piece through the entire writing process
2. Value the writing block and show my enthusiasm while modeling writing- This gives me time to share personal details with the students, which allows me to connect with them. I could also find more opportunities to write in other subjects since time can be an issue. However, this is not usually creative writing.
3. Spend more time teaching and modeling how to properly use graphic organizers
4. Figure out and stick to a conferencing schedule that is realistic
5. Research and collaborate with my peers to determine the best and most FAIR way to assess student writing (in addition to the rubric)
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Reading Comprehension
Reading is my favorite subject to teach. Surely, it has something to do with my own reading obsession. The past two weeks I have been staying up to 1:00 in the morning reading a trilogy. It is not healthy to deprive myself of the much needed sleep required to face 21 second graders every day!
Things I am doing well in the classroom...
I use a variety of graphic organizers, not only in reading but across the curriculum. As a visual learner myself, I know the power that this simple tool has for learning and organizing information. To help my students with summarizing I follow Jan Richardson's method of S-W-B-S (Somebody, Wanted, But, So). This is a very simple way for young students to compose a summary statement, since they so often want to tell every detail. I teach this method during the first month of school and we use it all year. It may look like: Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she was not allowed, so a fairy god mother helped her. As the year progresses, students develop the ability to create richer summary statements and begins to look like: Grace wanted to play Peter Pan in her school play, but her friends told her she was a black girl, so she there was no way she could be Peter Pan. Her mother told her she could do anything she wanted if she worked hard enough for it. So, Grace practiced very hard and was picked to play Peter Pan by her friends.
Even though I know the importance of graphic organizers I do not provide them enough for my students. During self-selected reading time, I do not hold my students accountable for what they are reading. I provide some cooperative learning opportunities in my classroom, but they are usually in science or social studies. In the past, it has been difficult to monitor all the groups efficiently. Some of my students still struggle to read, which makes it very challenging for them to keep up with their group. All of the research states that this type of learning is authentic, meaningful, and deeper so this is something that I must figure out
I really like the Table 7.4 (on pages 164) to address the need to hold my students accountable during self-selected reading. I could make this into a child friendly chart for students to keep at their desks for them to write responses after finishing a book. I would also send this home for parents to use as they read with their child in the evenings. I must make more of an effort to provide graphic organizers and have them readily available for students. I think the best way for me to get over the hurdle of using cooperative groups in reading would be to have training. This is a topic I am going to look into for a summer project. I feel like if I had a better understanding of how to address each child's individual needs in this type of group setting then I would use it much more often in my class.
Things I am doing well in the classroom...
I use a variety of graphic organizers, not only in reading but across the curriculum. As a visual learner myself, I know the power that this simple tool has for learning and organizing information. To help my students with summarizing I follow Jan Richardson's method of S-W-B-S (Somebody, Wanted, But, So). This is a very simple way for young students to compose a summary statement, since they so often want to tell every detail. I teach this method during the first month of school and we use it all year. It may look like: Cinderella wanted to go to the ball, but she was not allowed, so a fairy god mother helped her. As the year progresses, students develop the ability to create richer summary statements and begins to look like: Grace wanted to play Peter Pan in her school play, but her friends told her she was a black girl, so she there was no way she could be Peter Pan. Her mother told her she could do anything she wanted if she worked hard enough for it. So, Grace practiced very hard and was picked to play Peter Pan by her friends.
Even though I know the importance of graphic organizers I do not provide them enough for my students. During self-selected reading time, I do not hold my students accountable for what they are reading. I provide some cooperative learning opportunities in my classroom, but they are usually in science or social studies. In the past, it has been difficult to monitor all the groups efficiently. Some of my students still struggle to read, which makes it very challenging for them to keep up with their group. All of the research states that this type of learning is authentic, meaningful, and deeper so this is something that I must figure out
I really like the Table 7.4 (on pages 164) to address the need to hold my students accountable during self-selected reading. I could make this into a child friendly chart for students to keep at their desks for them to write responses after finishing a book. I would also send this home for parents to use as they read with their child in the evenings. I must make more of an effort to provide graphic organizers and have them readily available for students. I think the best way for me to get over the hurdle of using cooperative groups in reading would be to have training. This is a topic I am going to look into for a summer project. I feel like if I had a better understanding of how to address each child's individual needs in this type of group setting then I would use it much more often in my class.
Reading Instruction
When teaching a child with CLDE, my teaching strength is developing oral language development. Once a month, I require every student to present an oral language report to the class. The topics are assigned at the beginning of the year, and include students' interests and reflections of topics learned in class. The students must bring some type of visual (photograph, illustration, prop, etc) and discuss four things about the topic. This month, the assignment is to select a president (other than Washington or Lincoln since we do an in-depth study of each) and tell classmates four facts about the president. During the month of February in our morning community meeting, I read fun facts about four presidents each day. The oral language report is due at the end of the month so this gives them the opportunity to hear about all of the presidents before making their selection. However, many times the parents encourage the children to do their favorite president. Three times a year, I video the students giving their oral language reports. I can email these to parents, post to my class website, share with my peers, and use for documenting a student's growth over the year. Another thing I do to develop oral language and build reading fluency is Readers Theater. Small groups of students receive scripts on Monday and practice daily for a performance on Friday. In order to differentiate, the scripts vary from group to group according to reading ability.
I feel like a do a combination of modified-guided reading, read naturally, reciprocal teaching, and collaborative strategic reading. I am not sure that a mixture of strategies is always a good thing for all students. Of course, I am always eager to try something new with my students in hopes that it will improve reading fluency and comprehension. However, is it best to follow the same routine to provide students with that safe, knowing sense of what to expect?
I LOVED the idea of students recording their thoughts in a learning log. It is suggested as a technique for collaborative strategic reading, but I feel it could be useful with any reading strategy. This is something I would like to incorporate immediately in my classroom. I think it would also be helpful for the teacher to respond to student's reflections to provide feedback. BUT, here I go again...do I bring something new to this group of students or wait for next year and start at the beginning of the year? Can you tell how much I struggle with my issue in the last paragraph?????
I feel like a do a combination of modified-guided reading, read naturally, reciprocal teaching, and collaborative strategic reading. I am not sure that a mixture of strategies is always a good thing for all students. Of course, I am always eager to try something new with my students in hopes that it will improve reading fluency and comprehension. However, is it best to follow the same routine to provide students with that safe, knowing sense of what to expect?
I LOVED the idea of students recording their thoughts in a learning log. It is suggested as a technique for collaborative strategic reading, but I feel it could be useful with any reading strategy. This is something I would like to incorporate immediately in my classroom. I think it would also be helpful for the teacher to respond to student's reflections to provide feedback. BUT, here I go again...do I bring something new to this group of students or wait for next year and start at the beginning of the year? Can you tell how much I struggle with my issue in the last paragraph?????
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Disability Assessment
This is a topic I can relate to as a teacher and a mother. My daughter has been undergoing a full battery of psychological evaluations. Just this afternoon, we meet with the doctors and were informed that she is a learning disability, as well as ADHD. For the past two years, we have been searching for answers as to why school is so difficult for her. Her teachers openly expressed concern for her lack of progress in the classroom. At first, the pediatrician dismissed our concerns, then the school district screened her and her IQ came back in the high average range and felt she was performing to her ability, therefore no further testing was needed. This is a frustrating roller coaster to be on...knowing something is amiss, but no one taking us seriously or addressing our concerns. I felt like she was slipping through the cracks before my very eyes! I knew in my heart, as an educator and mom, that there was a disconnect in her learning process. We finally had her privately tested and the results left me with mixed feelings of relief and sadness. The cost of private testing is astronomical! What would have happened to my daughter's educational experience if we had been unable to afford this service?
Okay, now to my assigned task...
Determining whether a child should be screened or tested for a disability can sometimes be a slippery slope. Since I work with younger children it is often hard for parents to hear upsetting news for the first time. Knowing this, I try to collect as much data as possible before discussing my desire to take a child through the A-Team process. At the beginning of the year I make contact with each family through surveys and email or phone communication. This allows me to better understand a child through the parents' eyes. If I already see signs of academic or behavior issues, I alert the family members at this time. If the students declines or fails to make the expected progress I contact the parents when I begin to notice a gap in learning. During these conversations I offer suggestions on how to help the student at home. My class website has many links and activities for parents to try at home. In addition, I explain to them the strategies I am trying in the classroom. Informal and formal observations, progress monitoring, and detailed record keeping help me to address my concerns with the parents. The website AIMSweb is very helpful for parents, teachers, and administrators to see a student's current track of progress and the goal line of where we want them to be. (You do have to be a member to use this site- our district provides our memberships.) The data can be graphed, which makes a wonderful visual aid in a conference. I have found some helpful websites for accommodations, such as:
http://www.ldat.org/ld_info/accommodations.html
http://www.cpt.fsu.edu/ese/pdf/t3_list.pdf
I am still a hard copy kind of girl, so I print out ideas and keep them in a folder.
There are times when I feel extremely defeated (and defensive) when trying to have a student assessed for special needs. I feel like I have to go in front of the A-Team and fight for a child to, even, be screened. It baffles me that as a state we assess every student in second grade (and when funds are available in fourth and sixth grade) identify students for the Gifted and Talented program. Not only do students get those two weeks of testing, but if they partially qualify they are tested several more times to try and see if they can qualify. However, the system is so hesitant to test a child for a disability. I realize this is to protect the student, but I do not make the decision to proceed without substantial evidence. Of all the students I have recommended only two did not qualify for resource. Elementary teachers spend a great deal of time with students and with experience can identify problems. By the time we go to our first A-Team meeting, in most cases, I have the parents full support. This is a topic I feel very passionate about...just ask my administrators!
It is very difficult to be on the other side of the table, not as a teacher but a mother. This experience has and will continue to make me more empathetic toward my student's families considering and going through this process. Hearing your child has any type of deficit is difficult, but this is not always a bad thing. As a teacher, I will continue to help each individual student grow and succeed, regardless of the challenges they face. We have to find the strengths of students and build upon them. It is hard for me to address my passion as a weakness. With every passing year, I find myself becoming more and more of a student advocate. I will fight for what I believe is best for each student.
Okay, now to my assigned task...
Determining whether a child should be screened or tested for a disability can sometimes be a slippery slope. Since I work with younger children it is often hard for parents to hear upsetting news for the first time. Knowing this, I try to collect as much data as possible before discussing my desire to take a child through the A-Team process. At the beginning of the year I make contact with each family through surveys and email or phone communication. This allows me to better understand a child through the parents' eyes. If I already see signs of academic or behavior issues, I alert the family members at this time. If the students declines or fails to make the expected progress I contact the parents when I begin to notice a gap in learning. During these conversations I offer suggestions on how to help the student at home. My class website has many links and activities for parents to try at home. In addition, I explain to them the strategies I am trying in the classroom. Informal and formal observations, progress monitoring, and detailed record keeping help me to address my concerns with the parents. The website AIMSweb is very helpful for parents, teachers, and administrators to see a student's current track of progress and the goal line of where we want them to be. (You do have to be a member to use this site- our district provides our memberships.) The data can be graphed, which makes a wonderful visual aid in a conference. I have found some helpful websites for accommodations, such as:
http://www.ldat.org/ld_info/accommodations.html
http://www.cpt.fsu.edu/ese/pdf/t3_list.pdf
I am still a hard copy kind of girl, so I print out ideas and keep them in a folder.
There are times when I feel extremely defeated (and defensive) when trying to have a student assessed for special needs. I feel like I have to go in front of the A-Team and fight for a child to, even, be screened. It baffles me that as a state we assess every student in second grade (and when funds are available in fourth and sixth grade) identify students for the Gifted and Talented program. Not only do students get those two weeks of testing, but if they partially qualify they are tested several more times to try and see if they can qualify. However, the system is so hesitant to test a child for a disability. I realize this is to protect the student, but I do not make the decision to proceed without substantial evidence. Of all the students I have recommended only two did not qualify for resource. Elementary teachers spend a great deal of time with students and with experience can identify problems. By the time we go to our first A-Team meeting, in most cases, I have the parents full support. This is a topic I feel very passionate about...just ask my administrators!
It is very difficult to be on the other side of the table, not as a teacher but a mother. This experience has and will continue to make me more empathetic toward my student's families considering and going through this process. Hearing your child has any type of deficit is difficult, but this is not always a bad thing. As a teacher, I will continue to help each individual student grow and succeed, regardless of the challenges they face. We have to find the strengths of students and build upon them. It is hard for me to address my passion as a weakness. With every passing year, I find myself becoming more and more of a student advocate. I will fight for what I believe is best for each student.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Classroom Management
Praising positive behavior seems to work better for me rather than focusing on negative behaviors. I have never heard the term positive behavior supports (PBS) before, but this is basically my motto in the classroom. My first principal was a firm believer that you spent the first two weeks of school establishing rules, routines, and procedures. She wanted us to concentrate this time on making clear expectations so that meaningful learning, especially since it was a Title 1 school, take could place the rest of the year. I have continued this process ever since and have had very few discipline issues in my classroom. Throughout the day, I display a digital timer on the Promethean board. The countdown really helps students learn to manage their time. Another term I had not heard before was tootling. Every spring, when students begin to tire of one another's company, I display a caterpillar titled "Watch Me Grow". Every time a student is kind to someone, they place a circle (caterpillar body part) on the wall with a note of praise. Second graders really get into this and it encourages good citizenship, which is a second grade social studies standard. Students, teachers, and visitors to our building enjoy seeing our sense of community.
Currently, I am experiencing some turbulence with smooth transitions, such as packing up in the afternoons. Students are eager to talk and relax at the end of the day, but we go to recess at this time and end up having to shave time off the outside time. As students and I get comfortable with each other, I ease up on the procedures and after a while it shows. The mornings run smooth as silk, but after lunch my students become lively. I admire teachers that can implement a token economy for the entire class. This seems like such an overwhelming process, therefore I shy away from it. I have used it in the past for a special needs child, and it was extremely effective. One child is very manageable, however monitoring 24 students every behavior seems like an exhausting system of classroom management.
A quote I keep on my desk says "Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?" This is placed here to remind me that my attitude affects every student in the classroom. I LOVE the idea of the Color Wheel and plan on creating one, on the poster maker, for my classroom. This should help my class with transitions, as well as reiterate the other procedures that may have not been enforced as strictly as needed. In addition, the Daily Point Sheet on page 129 is a wonderful tool to use to monitor a student who is experiencing behavior issues. I am using a much simpler version of this right now with a student, but really like the details covered in this chart.
Currently, I am experiencing some turbulence with smooth transitions, such as packing up in the afternoons. Students are eager to talk and relax at the end of the day, but we go to recess at this time and end up having to shave time off the outside time. As students and I get comfortable with each other, I ease up on the procedures and after a while it shows. The mornings run smooth as silk, but after lunch my students become lively. I admire teachers that can implement a token economy for the entire class. This seems like such an overwhelming process, therefore I shy away from it. I have used it in the past for a special needs child, and it was extremely effective. One child is very manageable, however monitoring 24 students every behavior seems like an exhausting system of classroom management.
A quote I keep on my desk says "Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?" This is placed here to remind me that my attitude affects every student in the classroom. I LOVE the idea of the Color Wheel and plan on creating one, on the poster maker, for my classroom. This should help my class with transitions, as well as reiterate the other procedures that may have not been enforced as strictly as needed. In addition, the Daily Point Sheet on page 129 is a wonderful tool to use to monitor a student who is experiencing behavior issues. I am using a much simpler version of this right now with a student, but really like the details covered in this chart.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Low-Incidence Disabilities
Working with low-incidence disabled children can be very satisfying, and yet extremely challenging. A successful intervention I have used is providing opportunities to communicate or respond in ways other than verbally or in writing. A previous student required that I make extreme modifications to the curriculum, so that she could respond using pictures. She also needed several breaks during "work time", so we developed a token economy for her. She was rewarded for her behavior and work, which allowed her to earn time to do an activity that she enjoyed. I also provide consistent prompts, cues, and feedback with visual supports. The autistic student I have this year makes noises constantly, so he has signs taped onto his desk as reminders. The signs are shaped like traffic signs and say "STOP" and "QUIET ZONE". I have learned through experience that all of my autistic students prefer to work independently rather than in a group setting. They take on different roles during group work, which may be "supervising" or a different activity in a quiet corner of the classroom.
It is so difficult to determine if a low-incidence disabled student is retaining and using their knowledge. One autistic student was very inconsistent in her assessments, which led me to believe that she knew more than she could always show. I struggled with this all year. A personal goal is to further educate myself about special education disabilities and the laws that pertain to them. However, researching takes a considerable amount of time.
It is important to have students in the LRE, but careful consideration must be taken to ensure quality learning can take place for ALL students. Two of the five autistic children I have taught are now in self-contained settings. The reason for both stemmed from high frustration of the rigorous academic expectations that lead to disruptive behaviors. Building a trusting relationship with the LID is the first step toward getting an accurate picture of the student's knowledge. Being CONSISTENT and firm helps to build that safety for autistic students. Every year and LID child teaches me how to be a more effective teacher. I struggle with finding "extra" time in my day to research information. However, I am fully aware that taking the time on weekends and late nights help to make a more successful year.
It is so difficult to determine if a low-incidence disabled student is retaining and using their knowledge. One autistic student was very inconsistent in her assessments, which led me to believe that she knew more than she could always show. I struggled with this all year. A personal goal is to further educate myself about special education disabilities and the laws that pertain to them. However, researching takes a considerable amount of time.
It is important to have students in the LRE, but careful consideration must be taken to ensure quality learning can take place for ALL students. Two of the five autistic children I have taught are now in self-contained settings. The reason for both stemmed from high frustration of the rigorous academic expectations that lead to disruptive behaviors. Building a trusting relationship with the LID is the first step toward getting an accurate picture of the student's knowledge. Being CONSISTENT and firm helps to build that safety for autistic students. Every year and LID child teaches me how to be a more effective teacher. I struggle with finding "extra" time in my day to research information. However, I am fully aware that taking the time on weekends and late nights help to make a more successful year.
HIgh-Incidence Disabilities
In my twelve years of teaching I have taught many students with a high-incident disability. I am constantly searching for new practices to try with all of my students, but especially for a student with a disability. Two things that consistently work with students is providing accessible instructional materials and providing extra time to complete assignments. Technology promotes and engages learning, which is why I attempt to incorporate it throughout lessons. By regularly using technology, I provide many visual and auditory representations of the information. I want learning to be authentic and meaningful so I avoid assigning meaningless activities, such as copying spelling words three times each. In addition, I provide repeated opportunities for students to grasp the concepts or skills. Working closely with the family members, since they know the child the best, reduces some of the time it takes to figure out what practices will be most effective. In addition, I have learned that rules and procedures may have to be adjusted for some students.
I admit that I do not implement RTI (reading) as aggressively as I should. Since the classroom teachers are responsible for teaching this, it is hard to always dedicate the allotted amount of time for only three students. Currently, I am working with a set of parents who refuse to medicate their child for ADHD and any resource services. They feel that he will be able to catch up to his peers and "rise above this challenge". His previous teachers have tried to retain this child for the past two years, but the parents refuse this, as well. It has been a frustrating struggle for me to respect their point of view since I see how hard school is for their child, academically and socially. Deciding when a student should be referred for screening can be a difficult decision. One thing I want to try and avoid is over-identifying students for referral services.
Determining the appropriate strategy for each individual student is a trial-and-error process. Patience and understanding are crucial when teaching high-incidence disabled students. Collaboration is so important for a student's success in school. I need to make a better effort to communicate with the resource, speech, and behavioral specialists at my school. This course is helping me to see the value in RTI, so that students are not being overly referred for services. When dealing with parents, I must practice humility and empathize with their choices. I have to accept that it is not my position to change a parent's mind about the well-being of their child.
I admit that I do not implement RTI (reading) as aggressively as I should. Since the classroom teachers are responsible for teaching this, it is hard to always dedicate the allotted amount of time for only three students. Currently, I am working with a set of parents who refuse to medicate their child for ADHD and any resource services. They feel that he will be able to catch up to his peers and "rise above this challenge". His previous teachers have tried to retain this child for the past two years, but the parents refuse this, as well. It has been a frustrating struggle for me to respect their point of view since I see how hard school is for their child, academically and socially. Deciding when a student should be referred for screening can be a difficult decision. One thing I want to try and avoid is over-identifying students for referral services.
Determining the appropriate strategy for each individual student is a trial-and-error process. Patience and understanding are crucial when teaching high-incidence disabled students. Collaboration is so important for a student's success in school. I need to make a better effort to communicate with the resource, speech, and behavioral specialists at my school. This course is helping me to see the value in RTI, so that students are not being overly referred for services. When dealing with parents, I must practice humility and empathize with their choices. I have to accept that it is not my position to change a parent's mind about the well-being of their child.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Collaboration
Last year, I became very familiar with the process of collaboration. I had a student who was mainstreamed into my class for several portions of the day. She spent the remainder of her day in a Neuro Self-Contained classroom. At a very early age she had been diagnosed with autism. The collaborative team (or A-Team) consisted of the principal, district autism specialist, district office representative, district special education coordinator, speech therapist, occupational therapist, special education teacher, related arts teacher, the parents, three advocates (autism, legal, and parent advocates), and myself. I loved the statement in the book stating that "no one person is considered to be the expert; the expectation is that everyone has expertise to contribute and that individuals can learn from each other."This captured my feelings of our collaboration as we decided what was best for this particular child. My interpersonal skills were greatly improved throughout the year. I was expected to show strengths in all four categories of effective collaboration. Two areas that I excelled in were being facilitative and personal. During the course of the year I developed a relationship with the parents. In the past, the parents felt that no one in the school was hearing them. I felt it was important to be empathetic to their needs and wants. The parents had strong views, opinions, and concerns about their daughter's education. I collected an enormous amount of data on the student's academic and behavior progress in the general ed setting. Using the parents as my ally, I was able to determine what strategies would be most effective in the classroom. The student had very limited verbal abilities, as well as writing skills. Therefore, I made extensive accommodations for every aspect of the curriculum. In order for her to respond to a question, she was given three picture cards to select an answer. Every day I would email the parents the results of her one-to-one assessments. A paraprofessional assisted the child in the classroom, although her main objective was to redirect behavior while I was responsible for the educational component. The A-Team provided me endless support, suggestions, strategies, and information in order for me to be the best teacher I could be for not only this student, but my entire class. This year-long experience was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding tasks of my teaching career.
At times, collaborating and depending on others can be difficult. In the meetings I was intimated by the number of people I had to present my case to each month, but the team of advocates made me extremely uncomfortable. I was unfamiliar with the specifics of special education law, specifically IDEA and FAPE. It was up to me to educate myself, as much as possible, on the details that pertained to this situation. The advocates were well versed in the rights and laws, and it was hard for me to defend myself when questioned on legalities. I pride myself on my willingness to try new things, but I become defensive when I feel like someone is attacking something I feel is going well. Something else I could improve in all parts of my life is my responsive listening. When I do not agree with what someone is saying I find myself already thinking of my rebuttal and not actually listening to their argument. It is probable that I am missing key points in the conversation. If I am close to the person, I interrupt during the conversation. Another issue I struggle with is avoiding conflict. Confrontation makes me nervous, stressed, and tense.
I believe that there is always room for improvement when collaborating with others. Each situation is different, so one must figure out how to build on each other's strengths. Every opportunity will present will new and different challenges. I will continue to educate myself on special education laws and provisions. However, this is an overwhelming amount of information so I could make a "cheat sheet" with terms and short definitions to keep handy for reference. In addition, maintaining sensitivity to the families is an area that I would like to further develop. Presently, my own child is undergoing testing for a learning delay and it feels different to be on the other end of the spectrum. I hear my "teacher voice" telling me the rational things, but my "mom voice" tells me what I know in my heart. This too is an experience that will make me a better educator. The more experiences and knowledge I have, the more comfortable I will become with handling conflict. Being too sensitive is something I address every day and will likely be a life-long struggle. Being confident in my choices, decisions. and actions ease some of the sensitivity. Therefore, I must continue to educate myself and trust my instincts.
At times, collaborating and depending on others can be difficult. In the meetings I was intimated by the number of people I had to present my case to each month, but the team of advocates made me extremely uncomfortable. I was unfamiliar with the specifics of special education law, specifically IDEA and FAPE. It was up to me to educate myself, as much as possible, on the details that pertained to this situation. The advocates were well versed in the rights and laws, and it was hard for me to defend myself when questioned on legalities. I pride myself on my willingness to try new things, but I become defensive when I feel like someone is attacking something I feel is going well. Something else I could improve in all parts of my life is my responsive listening. When I do not agree with what someone is saying I find myself already thinking of my rebuttal and not actually listening to their argument. It is probable that I am missing key points in the conversation. If I am close to the person, I interrupt during the conversation. Another issue I struggle with is avoiding conflict. Confrontation makes me nervous, stressed, and tense.
I believe that there is always room for improvement when collaborating with others. Each situation is different, so one must figure out how to build on each other's strengths. Every opportunity will present will new and different challenges. I will continue to educate myself on special education laws and provisions. However, this is an overwhelming amount of information so I could make a "cheat sheet" with terms and short definitions to keep handy for reference. In addition, maintaining sensitivity to the families is an area that I would like to further develop. Presently, my own child is undergoing testing for a learning delay and it feels different to be on the other end of the spectrum. I hear my "teacher voice" telling me the rational things, but my "mom voice" tells me what I know in my heart. This too is an experience that will make me a better educator. The more experiences and knowledge I have, the more comfortable I will become with handling conflict. Being too sensitive is something I address every day and will likely be a life-long struggle. Being confident in my choices, decisions. and actions ease some of the sensitivity. Therefore, I must continue to educate myself and trust my instincts.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
RTI
My principal is an advocate of the RTI reading program. Our school implemented RTI in kindergarten four years ago. Two years ago, first grade began using RTI. This is the first year we have done it second grade. Before using RTI, I would identify struggling readers and experiment with alternative ways of presenting the material. RTI has not taken the place of trying new strategies with students, but it quickly identifies low achievers. I continue to address student's individual needs with peer reading or tutoring, small-group lessons and literacy centers. All of my students have strengths and weaknesses that must be addressed for quality learning to occur. The Greenville County School District uses a website called AIMSweb to record, track, and reflect student RTI data. We benchmark every student (universal screening) three times a year. The RTI groups are fluid as students gain or fall in reading achievement. Currently, my RTI group consists of three students, which I progress monitor every five days. All three students have been in RTI since K5. One student is beginning to show measurable progress while the other two have demonstrated little growth. Since there is an established pattern of a learning (reading) difficulty, the two underachieving students are in the A-Team process. One student just qualified for resource today and the other one is very likely going to qualify for a processing delay.
An area that I could improve on is using SBR practices in all aspects of teaching. When I encounter a challenging student or concept the first resource I use are my peers. Although they offer wonderful suggestions, they are not always scientifically based. I am constantly searching for new ideas and strategies to use in my classroom, but I do not always research the validity of the methods. The RTI program we use only addresses reading fluency. Some students can read above average, but reading comprehension may be difficult for them. A student's word recall is different than what they understand about the text. Another improvement for my school or district would be to implement a RTI program for math. I also believe that RTI should be used as a "pull-out" program. At my school, the general education teachers conduct RTI groups daily for 20-30 minutes. This can total almost two and half hours of a school week that the majority of the class must do independent assignments and can not interrupt the teacher. In my opinion, this feels like an injustice to the non-RTI students.
In the future, I will invest more time and energy into researching SBR to use in my classroom. Reading Rockets is a website that I do not use often enough. It provides a wealth of knowledge for strategies and modifications for grade level specific reading activities. Reading Rockets can help me to better address students who are weak in reading comprehension. The RTI program we use is considered "teacher proof", which means we follow a script. There is very little wiggle room on the daily lessons. Unfortunately, the teachers do not have the freedom to adjust the lessons as we see fit. I can take my concerns and suggestions for improving RTI to my principal, but she also has a small amount of control over the RTI program. Funding determines a great deal of how RTI is used in the district. Hopefully as the economy improves, RTI can be a "pull-out" program and we can add a math RTI to identify students who struggle with math concepts or reasoning.
An area that I could improve on is using SBR practices in all aspects of teaching. When I encounter a challenging student or concept the first resource I use are my peers. Although they offer wonderful suggestions, they are not always scientifically based. I am constantly searching for new ideas and strategies to use in my classroom, but I do not always research the validity of the methods. The RTI program we use only addresses reading fluency. Some students can read above average, but reading comprehension may be difficult for them. A student's word recall is different than what they understand about the text. Another improvement for my school or district would be to implement a RTI program for math. I also believe that RTI should be used as a "pull-out" program. At my school, the general education teachers conduct RTI groups daily for 20-30 minutes. This can total almost two and half hours of a school week that the majority of the class must do independent assignments and can not interrupt the teacher. In my opinion, this feels like an injustice to the non-RTI students.
In the future, I will invest more time and energy into researching SBR to use in my classroom. Reading Rockets is a website that I do not use often enough. It provides a wealth of knowledge for strategies and modifications for grade level specific reading activities. Reading Rockets can help me to better address students who are weak in reading comprehension. The RTI program we use is considered "teacher proof", which means we follow a script. There is very little wiggle room on the daily lessons. Unfortunately, the teachers do not have the freedom to adjust the lessons as we see fit. I can take my concerns and suggestions for improving RTI to my principal, but she also has a small amount of control over the RTI program. Funding determines a great deal of how RTI is used in the district. Hopefully as the economy improves, RTI can be a "pull-out" program and we can add a math RTI to identify students who struggle with math concepts or reasoning.
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