Diverse Learning Needs

November 23, 2011November 25, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Assessment, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Diverse Learning Needs, Interviews, Learning About Your Students

Parent/Teacher Interviews: Connecting, Celebrating, Planning, Supporting

Samantha’s experience with parent/teacher interviews was powerful and resonated with my view of the important partnership we share with our students’ care-givers.

This year I structured my interviews in order to connect, celebrate, plan, and support both students and parents. In each interview I made sure to:

CONNECT: Catching up with parents after our Curriculum Night was a nice way to begin our interview. With each one I tried to express how grateful I was for their involvement in their child’s life and encouraged them to share how things were going outside of school (homework, clubs, sports, hobbies, etc.). I also had parents share their thoughts and feelings about their child’s progress.

CELEBRATE: We celebrated their child’s strengths, progress, and special or important accomplishments thus far.

PLAN: Based on the child’s progress, their strengths, and needs, we created a “next steps” by choosing one or two goals and deciding on some strategies we (student, parent, and teacher) could use to help the child accomplish each goal.

SUPPORT: I offered some resources and advice for both parents and students that could be used to support the plan we decided to put into action.

I had one of the most successful interview experiences of my career which was spectacular! However, when all is said and done, it’s the unexpected moments that empower and inspire me most. I’d like to share one such moment that solidified my belief that we can be agents of change to our students in ways we might not have imagined.

I have a student in my class who spent a great deal of time in the principal’s office during his previous six years at the school. “Good luck” was the response I got when teachers saw the name on my class list (a reaction which is one of my greatest pet peeves). This of course, only sparked my interest and motivation to bring about positive change. The funny thing is that it took very little effort to witness a complete turn-around in behaviour, focus, and attitude toward learning! I attributed it to a structured but engaging classroom environment, a lot of positive feedback, and regularly connecting with his mom with respect to his work and behaviour. During our interview I had the pleasure of sharing and celebrating all the progress and success the student had demonstrated and together, we planned our next steps/goals. At one point, the student’s mother hugged him tightly and filled his face with kisses. She began to tear up and said, “You can’t imagine what it is for a mother to continuously hear negative comments and be called into the school every other day to deal with problems. Since the beginning of this year, he comes home happy to show me his agenda with all the positive notes you write. He believes you like him and is eager to be his best self. At home, he is an amazing kid. I hardly recognize him. I cannot begin to thank you enough.” I quickly reminded her of the factors I attributed to his progress. “I really do feel that he’s more mature and ready for a change”. But she nodded in disagreement and said, “He believes you really like him. That’s all it took.”

Needless to say, as exhausting as interviews are, hearing that from his mom completely made my day.

November 23, 2011November 25, 2011 Roz.Geridis Assessment, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context, Planning, Professional Learning and Growth

Combined Grade Planning

Like Alison’s Blog on Meaningful Connections, I too have a combined grade (5/6) and have to find common curriculum connections within both grades. I recently have been able to attend a multi day board workshop on planning Science and Social Studies for a combined grade classrooms. After one session, I volunteered to take on the challenge of becoming a Demo Classroom to discuss my planning process with a group of colleagues and have my class lesson as a demo to allow the opportunity for my colleagues to see how the planning is implemented.

Although I was a little nervous to find the connections, the experience to have one on one time with a board instructional leader was very valuable to my professional learning. I also was able to take the new skills learned and implement them to other areas of the curriculum. The main idea is to find connections between the each grade’s curriculum. Sometimes it is a research skill or an investigation, I also have found connections in the big ideas or concepts in the overall expectations. Remembering Science and Social Studies curriculum are related to topics, you look to find ways to teach the skills and tools needed in combined lessons to allow students to complete some individual or grade group work related to each student’s grade topic.

I also look for ways to combine expectations within my lessons. For example, one lesson I took the kids out for a community walk. While the grade 5s looked for (and took pictures of) areas of concern within the community, the grade 6s went into a Sobey’s, looked for imported food and recorded the data on a chart (country of export and what the product was). The grade 6 students were encouraged to find products from a variety of countries. We then took the information gathered for both grades; the grade 5s selected one area of concern and wrote a letter to City Hall describing the location, what the concern was, and how to fix the concern. The grade 6s completed a research project (in pairs) of a country from the list developed in Sobey’s which Canada imports products from.

Another combined lesson was looking at Immigration and how it affects Canadian Trade. I used the Frayer Model defining immigration, what it looks like, what it doesn’t look like, and examples of how it affects Canada’s trade. I need to highlight, I am just short of 2/3 of the class having an IEP with the range from gifted to learning disabilities. All the students did great on all of these activities and one reason was the activities were connected to their community and their families. Giving the students real life context really does help to engage and make the connections for their learning.

With the many needs in my class and teaching lessons combined, I was worried the students might not have understood the concepts. When I used an exit card for assessment (or assess in any other way) the students have shown me their understanding of the new knowledge and their ability to learn and apply new concepts in a very busy classroom. There are many ways to connect combined curriculum but you do have to think outside the box and sometimes away from the resources provided by your school. I do still look at the resources and team plan with my colleagues. But when I team plan, I take the time to find connections ahead of time so I am ready to expand the team planning ideas into both grades.

November 9, 2011 Erin.Grewar Assessment, Building Inclusion, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning About Your Students

Connecting Through Mini-Conferences

In my last blog, I talked about trying to get students to meaningfully assess how and what they learned. As a crucial follow-up, I make sure to spend some one-on-one time with every student to discuss their progress throughout the term. As a rotary teacher who sees three classes of 30 plus students a day for 42 minutes (a full-time teacher would then see approx 180), I find that it’s challenging to establish a personal relationship with each one of them. Ensuring that I build in the time to sit down and talk to each one of them is a must. I plan around an activity (usually French skits) where students are focused, self-directed and engaged to minimize interruptions with questions. Over the course of the week, I spend between 3 to 5 minutes (not nearly enough I know), where we have each other’s undivided atttention talking about their results for the term, their strong points as students and concrete, realistic steps they could take to improve. Finally, it is also a great opportunity to just shoot the breeze. It’s been my experience that students respond more positively to this individual attention and it allows them to more fully appreciate and understand their mark on their report card. Most importantly, it allows for each of you to connect on a personal level.

November 4, 2011November 4, 2011 Alison.Board Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Meaningful Connections

Learning in a classroom has its challenges and restrictions, especially for a diverse group of learners who like a hands on approach. I often hear adults say that they would rather do something than read about it. Children likely feel the same way, though don’t express it in those words. Experiences like a visit to the Apple Store (as Carmen blogged earlier), are opportunities that connect the student’s learning with a realistic context. Some excursions are very controlled and are presented as a program, but an excursion that connects learning in the classroom with a real context or environment is more meaningful for the learner.

When planning for a combined grade one and two class, I looked for commonalities in the curriculum that could be approached similarly or in the same context. At the time of planning, I was also reading a variety of articles that ranged in subject from nature deficiency in children to mindfulness in the classroom. I came across one article that demonstrated the value of science notebooks for observation and inquiry. So, in September every student in my classroom received a blank notebook that was introduced as a “field journal”. Every week our class takes our science lesson outside with field journals to observe what we have learned in a real world setting. The children date each entry and record their observations and questions using pictures and words. A ravine that is located within a block from our school provides a rich context when looking for signs of the water cycle or evidence of the sun’s energy. We have also carried our journals around the school to find examples of energy use and consumption by tracking how many classrooms use their lights, some lights, or rely only on the light from the windows. The use of the field journals is effective because they are purposeful and the children are investigating their environment with specific intent. When we discuss their observations back in the classroom, the children learn from each other as their perspectives or findings differ. Often, new questions arise, which leads to more investigation or research.

Although it has only been two months since the introduction of field journals, it has become routine to our science program and the children look forward to applying the knowledge acquired in the classroom to their own natural and constructed surroundings. The journals integrate concepts and skills that we learn from other areas of the curriculum such as language, visual arts, and mathematics. But best of all, the children are visibly engaged in their learning while making meaningful connections to their world.

November 2, 2011November 2, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Weaving Inspiration Into the Curriculum

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is the creativity and inspiration we can weave into the curriculum to bring deep and meaningful learning experiences for our students (and ourselves!). This past week my class enjoyed an art lesson integrated with media, oral communication, and writing expectations. It served as a perfect example of how students become more engaged when our lessons are filled with what inspires us.

A friend of mine emailed me a phenomenal video depicting the sheer beauty, simplicity, and breath-taking scenery found in nature around the world. It moved me deeply and I knew I had to somehow share it with my students in a meaningful way. I decided to use it as the foundation for an art lesson. We have been exploring cool and warm colours, texture, and patterns. We watched the video and had a class discussion using sensory prompts (I see…, I hear…, I feel…, I smell…). The descriptions were profound and all the students were eager to share their thoughts and feelings!

Next, students chose an aspect of nature (ocean, rainforest, sunset, etc.) to create a frame for a sensory poem using warm/cool colours and different textured paper.

Lastly, using a template as a guide, students created their sensory poem. Students were encouraged to experiment with word choice and powerful images to portray their scene. I cannot begin to describe how excited and proud they were to share their art and poetry with me and each other! At the end of the experience, they asked to watch the video again. I gladly shared it once more and silently thanked my friend for the inspiration that created a beautiful teaching opportunity.

Rainforest

plants, rivers, animals

I see butterflies and nature everywhere

beautiful, colourful, fresh

I smell the fresh scent after rainfall

creeping, crawling, flying

I hear peace and quiet

silence, beauty, nature

I feel at home in the rainforest

Rainforest

November 1, 2011November 1, 2011 Sangeeta.McAuley Building Inclusion, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning About Your Students, Wellness

One student at a time…

Sometimes when I look at my students, I wonder: how can I meet the needs of everyone?

Will I be able to support the student who is feeling bullied or the student who struggles to grip a pencil? Will I figure out the best way to explain to a parent that we are focusing on inclusion and gender equality when that may be contrary to how she was educated?

And the answer that comes to mind is definite: not every minute of every day.

But…I can start with one student at a time.

Take “Matthew”. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and takes medication daily to help him manage impulse control and the challenges he has with filtering his thoughts. Matthew’s medication is time-released and so the first few hours of the morning are very difficult for him until things start to ‘kick in’, as he calls it.

So, I tried a few things. I gave him time to do something hands-on when he first came in, but he became frustrated. I used my gym time first thing in the morning to help him work through some of his excess energy, but it seemed to distract him more.

Then last week, I decided to make a morning message for him. I recorded a personal greeting that gave him information about what we would be doing that morning and how he might be successful in those tasks. As he listens, it helps him to access an inner voice he knows he has, but he just can’t hear yet.

Of course, there is no magic answer for Matthew or for any of my kids for that matter. Like us, they will have up and down days and sometimes things won’t work. But maybe if I take on one student at a time, I can start to meet their needs…and mine.

October 24, 2011October 24, 2011 Erin.Grewar Assessment, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Diverse Learning Needs

“Targeting” Reflection Through Self-Assessment

As reporting time is fast approaching, I’ve always found it vital that students not only have an idea of where they stand (based on marked assignments) but that they understand how they got there. You would think that with criteria fully explained through various assessment tools and ongoing feedback, students would have a clear idea of their progress. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes they tend to exclusively focus on the mark. Instead of always receiving feedback from the teacher, what is sometimes equally, if not occasionally more productive, is to provide an opportunity to analyze themselves as learners.

I find that using the “Bullseye-Hit or Miss?” questionnaire (see attachment ErinSelf-assment term 1), is effective since the concept of the bullseye in graphic form is engaging on a visual level. I’ve also discovered that for both the students and myself, it communicates a clear perspective without them being subjected to in-depth “reflecting”. Before returning it to me, I give them a chance to compare and discuss with a friend. Getting input from a partner they feel comfortable with tends to result in a more insightful action plan in the final part of the questionnaire. Once collected, I hang on to these to use in out one-on-one student conferences. More on that in my next blog.

October 20, 2011October 20, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Finding Opportunities for Learning Outside the Classroom

This week we participated in an excellent real world learning experience outside the classroom (and it was almost free!). My Grade5/6 class has been exploring biographies, memoirs, and looking at the features and format of recounts. We have also been using our MacBooks to support our learning in various ways. An opportunity arose to bring the two together by visiting an Apple store to learn how to create an iMovie in the form of a biography about each student. The entire trip, including transportation, came to $1.50 per student. It ended up being a meaningful, incredibly fun, and real world learning experience for everyone!

This year, our division is committed to creating as many of these powerful learning opportunities as possible for our students because the enthusiasm, eagerness, and results we see back in the classroom support the belief that applying concepts and new learning to real life experiences is what creates long-term understanding.

When you begin to explore all the possibilities to have students apply classroom learning and experience in a real world setting, with a little creativity and investigation, it’s amazing how many opportunities are out there! The only expense our students had was the bus trip to the Apple store for $1.50. In return they received lessons and support from a team at Apple, a free t-shirt, the opportunity to use the latest technology to create their iMovie, and a certificate of participation in the program! It can’t get better than that!

Students working with the crew at Apple

Students watching their video biographies!

October 17, 2011 Roz.Geridis Communication Tools, Communication with Parents and Guardians, Diverse Learning Needs, Homework, Interviews

Connecting with Parents

As the busy school year develops, parent communication is very important. All parent(s) want to know what his/her child is learning at school. Having a 5/6 all boys class made me find ways to involve the boys and open the communication for the family and to the school. To describe my class a little, it all boys with over half of my class on IEPs; 1 gifted, 2 HSP kids, 1 Aspergers, some identified LD and some still on the wait list for an assessment. Also, many boys have anxiety which some have been medically diagnosed and others are not. Agendas are a routine we are working to develop both for parents to read and for students to use them.

Communication I have used:

– started a bi-weekly newsletter, written by the students;

The writers are a job assignment and hands regularly go up to take on the job. I do give some content to include such as curriculum information, projects and areas of curriculum we are working on. The writers are able to add their content also and I do give a final approval. Once edited and published, I was impressed that the boys all took them home, not one was left in the classroom!

– meetings for IEP;

Most of my parents requested a meeting to develop the IEP so I had to find some time to meet with approximately half of my class. I scheduled all meetings with student entry time as an end time and gave parents 20 minutes to discuss the IEPs. This allowed me to meet with all parents who had requested a meeting, leaving me enough time to input the added information into the student’s IEP. I did keep in mind if parents had other concerns to discuss, another meeting would have to be scheduled.

– use of the agenda;

Many parents have asked for me to communicate through the agenda. At times, it seems like limited communication, I still take the time to develop a routine where students place their agenda on my desk and I initial every morning. I do not sign agendas at the end of the day as I am trying to help the students to build the routine of utilizing the agenda. I do give agenda time at the end of the day and write on the board the evening’s homework and reminders. The students are aware I will look at the agendas the next day therefore the routine is beginning to develop. If there is a need to write a note in the agenda at the end of the day, I do so.

– phone calls home;

Although there are limited phones and phone lines in the large school I am in, I have developed a routine. I take one prep period a week to make phone calls giving parents an update. I try to call every parent once a month. If there are no concerns from myself or the parents, I start to give strategies to help with homework routine and learning skills. I also inquire about items getting home and inform parents about the class newsletter used as my way to keep parents updated.

– parent meetings;

Many parents have been calling to set up meetings. I am in an involved parent community; this is the norm in my school. Again, due to the early start of the year, I schedule the meetings with an entry time as the end point (i.e. 20 minutes before school or at the end of lunch). Some of my parents are colleagues and I do schedule those meetings for after school. All meetings have gone over 20 minutes but we are also discussing education related issues not just the colleague’s child.

– email;

I do not give out my email unless it is asked for. If parents do email me, my email reply consists of a simple acknowledgement of the concern and asking to set up a phone call meeting or face to face meeting to discuss the concern. Email is very easy to misunderstand and often I am in rush to read all my emails and do not have the time to finely craft an email response to a parent’s concern. If you do decide to use email, please save your email in draft and take another look, either a few hours later or the next day. Often, a discussion with an experienced colleague or time away from the concern gives us a different perspective.

What I have done are just examples of parent communication and have changed for me based on the school I am in or the students in my class. In some schools I have seen parents daily, even in upper junior grades, regular parent communication is quick. You have to do what works for you and your community. Most of all, remember to document your parent communication. Get some labels, print off a sheet with all the students name, record the parent communication and stick it on a paper in your communication binder.

October 12, 2011October 17, 2011 Samantha.Perrin Building Inclusion, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning About Your Students

Slowing Down and Creating Goals

“Go Slow, Go Deep” – Tina’s words have been resonating in my head since I read her last post and over the past couple of weeks. I find myself repeating them to myself daily in response to everything from delivering my lessons in math, teaching the students how to sustain reading effectively during independent reading time, to working through our class agreements and routines.

After reading those words, I found myself reflecting on how intently I work to developing class lessons, routines and climate, and how there are always times when a few students don’t seem to transfer the learning from the class lesson to their individual work or conduct. It can be frustrating trying to figure out why the students are missing it: Was it because I am moving through the lesson too quickly? Were the expectations clear? Was it because Jimmy was squirming too much in front of Tommy? Maybe I’m not engaging them… or is it the material?

Then I remember the words … Go Slow, Go Deep…

After some reflection, I remembered that in order to go deep with my students, what they are doing has to be meaningful to them (even when the subject area isn’t every students interest), and that time needs to be given to hook the students into what they are learning and reflect on what they are supposed to be getting out of a certain activity or lessons (their learning goal). I usually draw upon student interests to make my lessons fun but not all students are passionate about all areas of the curriculum all of the time, and rather than spend all my time scouring the internet for more fun teaching ideas, I need to find a sustainable way for the students to buy in, and go deep:

Inspired by Jim’s inclusion activity about developing Goals/Strengths/Beliefs ( Heart And Art of Teaching and Learning, p.36), I adapted the activity to have students communicate their learning goals for several learning tasks and we have begun this for a number of activities and subject areas.

Before and during lessons I have started to include time for developing goals with my students for what I hope them to learn by the end of the lesson and I have the students share what they think the final outcome should look like. Sometimes that means that a lesson that was originally intended to take one period will now take two, or even be spread out over the week. These goals are communicated on the whiteboard or chart paper for the students’ reference and so that the students can begin to self-regulate more. I hope that by putting in the extra teaching time now, by mid-year the students will be in the habit of viewing their lessons as a ‘goal’ with a defined outcome that they want to achieve.

I hope that by taking more time to developing goals with the students, it won’t matter as much that Jimmy was particularly squirmy one day or that Ari was counting the ceiling tiles instead of paying attention to what a Level 4 Journal entry looks like. It will matter less because our goals will be visible, available and referred to regularly and eventually (hopefully) it will sink in. One of my goals for this year is to continue taking the time to make goals with my students so that they may develop it as a habit that is internalized, routine and oriented towards success.