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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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Tina.Ginglo Classroom Management, Diverse Learning Needs

Break Cards

At times last month, it was a challenge to manage some of the behaviours demonstrated in my classroom.  I have some students who have difficulty focusing and completing tasks even when I have supported their learning with modifications and/or accommodations.   Each evening I would drive home trying to think of a new plan for settling these students so they are not disturbing lessons and the other students’ learning.   Through conversations with resource teachers, research and trial and error, I think I have found a keeper!   At least it seems to be working in our classroom community…so far:)

It was recommended that I provide “break cards” to the students in my class who struggle with staying on task.  These students would start the morning with 2-3 break cards and they would be able to hand me a break card whenever they wanted to take a break from their assigned activities.   At first I didn’t like the idea.  What about the other students in the class who work hard and stay focused throughout the day?  Shouldn’t they deserve break cards as well?   Of course they do!  So I decided to provide “break cards” for everyone!

I feel that breaks should be earned.  At my discretion, I give break cards to students throughout the morning and again in the afternoon.  My decision to provide break cards varies from student to student.  I know that 10 minutes of sustained learning for some students is equivalent to 20 or 30 minutes for other students.  Each break card provides students with 10 minutes of “free time” in the classroom.  But, to avoid the possibility of students wandering aimlessly during their break and disturbing others, the breaks must be spent at one of the centers set up throughout our classroom.  I try to have a center for most learning styles.  For example, since we are doing strong and stable structures in science, I have set up a Lego table, for the kinesthetic learner.  I have music and books on tape for the auditory and musical learner, of course there are the two computers in my classroom, and my favourite, a cut and paste centre (which I call the arts and crafts table…after all this is grade 3!).

I am encouraging students to use their break cards wisely.  Some students choose to use their break card immediately. Others choose to save their cards until they have 20 or 30 minutes saved up.  I am thinking that I am going to have to create a new “rule” that students can only use 2 break cards in any given time.  Also, I need to create a planning board with pocket cards for the centers to avoid the arguments that arise when more than 2 people want access to the computers during their break.

We have only been using break cards for a short time.  Perhaps the novelty will wear off in time.  One way or another, I will check in and let you know if this strategy was sustainable in a few weeks from now:)