Observe this week how your cooperating teacher effectively (or ineffectively) teaches the students with special needs in the classroom. Reflect upon the following questions as you post your blog entry.
What modifications or adoptions are made wtihin the course content or curriculum to meet the needs of the individual learner? How does the teacher utilize large group, small group, and/or individualized instruction to meet the learning needs of students? How are student interests and student choice incorporated in to the students' learning opportunities?
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While I was observing, there were several students who were very easily distracted. This can be a serious problem in any class, but especially a math classroom. When I was there, the teacher had me sit in the back and work one-on-one with several students. (She was very happy I was there because it is difficult to work one-on-one and keep the entire class on task.) During a couple of the class periods another adult was in the room and she too spent time working with individuals. Since the class was preparing for MAP testing, the teacher was going over a lot of material they had already covered, but when some of thew kids were having difficulties remembering, she would stop and work some problems until they remembered.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that if a student went up to the teacher with a question, she was always willing to try to help them, and if the student wanted to work a problem in a certain way, the teacher would try to show him or her how to use the equations correctly.
The students I observed all seemed to be doing very well with the content, so the methods that were used appeared to be working.
While observing my class I did notice that a lot of the children have problems sitting still and being able to sit and pat attention to what is goin on. When I was there i noticed the teacher has a little cushion that she gives the students when she notices they are having a hard time sitting still in class they sit on it and it seems have an easier time concentrating.
ReplyDeleteAlso I noticed that there are a few students in her class that leave the room with another teacher and I have never really asked why they leave but im assuming they are getting extra help in certain subjects that she is not able to give them.
Another thing i noticed was she does a lot of group work and partners and we do a lot of sitting on the floor in a circle or we use her carpet squares which is really nice for the kids who cant sit still they get to mova around a little bit more and not be a distraction to any of the other children in class. She has a lot of little activites that help out the kids in so many differnt ways that you dont really notice them being antsy.
Some of the students in the class I observe need a little more help in most subjects like spelling, math, and writing. The teacher often reads their work and checks it over. He wants to make sure that they really understand what the assignment is. With there trouble in math, he has little work books and when the students have a little down time he goes through the problems with them. I really like the way he handles his students and how he treats them. he has respect for each and every one of them even if they have special needs. The class is really varied throughout the day. On one assignment they work together and then maybe later on they work alone on something else, and also at some point they work as a class with the teacher. I really like this becasue it kind of keeps the students interested in the class.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Bonnie...
ReplyDeleteI think it is really great in a math class for the teacher to be willing to go over problems until every student understands. I also really like the fact that the teacher is willing to work the problems in different ways to help the students understand. How do you think you will incorporate your host teachers strategies when you are teaching your math classes??
There are several kids in the English class that I observe who really struggle with paying attention throughout the class, especially during free-writing times. The teacher is really good though about letting those kids come up and work with her, or she would have them come over and sit with me so they could talk through their ideas before writing them down, since that really seemed to help them stay focused on the task. She also allows the kids to work with partners quite a bit as they all seem to get a lot more accomplished when they have someone else with them to bounce ideas off of.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a boy in one of the classes who has a hard time seeing things that are not right next to him, so she allows him to go stand up next to the board to copy down his work, or she will give him a separately typed out sheet of what is being put up on the board.
In reply to Michelle Spenser:
ReplyDeleteThe idea of having kids who struggle with sitting still sit on mats or cushions seems like a great idea. I've helped in a class before that does the same thing and it is amazing how much something as simple as sitting on a mat on the floor can help the kids to behave and stay where they're supposed to.
While I was doing my observing in a second grade class, there were many kids that needed extra help. However, the kids didn't stay in the class to get helps for things, they left and visited other teachers for help. The teacher didn't usually make them do the work they missed because it was also something they need extra help with. On other occasions when they did need to do the work they would have to do it during free time, like recess or when the A+ plus tutors came. They did a lot of free reading time in class, but all the kids were split into groups with other kids that were around the same reading level as each other. The lower groups then all worked together with the teacher. The teacher had a do a lot of balancing.
ReplyDelete@ Danielle Files
ReplyDeleteIn my class I observed, I also had kids that had trouble with math, but intsead of trying to teach one of the harder subjects to all different types of learners, the second grade teachers gave all the kids tests and then split them into lower middle and higher math groups. So the whole second grade is split into groups and they learn with people that learn the same as them. Though I liked this idea, if it isn't possible I really like the teacher you had gave the students their own books to practice on their own.
In my class I observed, the kids were four year olds so they all had a hard time keeping their attention focused on the teacher, and what they were learning. The teachers always did a very good job with keeping their students attention. The teachers did have one student in the class who had an anger issue. If things didn't go his way he would throw a fit, and sometimes get a little violent. The teachers would help him by giving him individual attention to help him get up from nap time, and help with his writing. The teachers had student of the week, and the student got to chose their own snack and their own show and tell object. The students always had choices in what they wanted to do.
ReplyDeleteI have observed my teacher on several occasions on how she handles the many different levels of learning within her classroom. The students' desks are placed in groups of about five in the room. There is one student who is actually very smart, but because the work is so easy for him and he finishes ahead of the other students, he had to be removed from his group and he sits by himself. He still manages to find ways to talk and in any group work project, the teacher is sure to put him into a group where he should be able to not talk the whole time.
ReplyDeleteI have also observed that reading is an area where the class really varies in the level they are at. To help these differences, the teacher sepereates the class into different sections, according to their reading level, and the group they are assigned is the one they will most likely stay in. The books are at the level accordingly to the students level of reading.
In response to Amanda clark:
ReplyDeleteThe fifth grade class that I am observing also seperates into different reading groups according to their level. I think it's interesting that this started even as early as second grade. I wonder if their reading levels would have changed or went up, if they were all kept on the same level longer..
In my observational classroom there are many students who misbehave and are easily distracted. There is also one particular student that seems to be a little bit slower than the others. I notice that my teacher walks around to each individual during their quiet work time and makes sure that they are getting the help that they need. If a student is off task and not doing their work, the teacher will stand at his or her desk until they completely understand what they are suppose to be doing and make sure that everything gets done. I really admire this because it shows that she cares about each of the students grades and that they are understanding exactly what they are suppose to be doing in order to get their work done and on time.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Amanda Clark...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in school I always remember the special needs students leaving the classroom and going to a different classrrom to get extra help. I always thought this was a great idea because it would help meet the needs of the student and the learning they needed. On the other hand it might make the student fell uncomfortable or different. It seems like your teacher balances it well.
There were 16 students in the 1st grade class that I observed and out of all of them there was only one boy who stood out in regards to special needs. He seemed really shy and I asked the teacher about him and her remark was "oh well he is always like that he has a speech problem and will be repeating 1st grade." From that moment on I paid closer attention to how she reacted to him compared to the other students and sadly she pretty much ignored him. At one point they were working on their journals and he really needed help spelling a word and followed her around the room trying to get her attention. I felt so bad for him I asked her if I could help him and she was more than happy to have me sit with him and help him spell his words. I felt like because he was going to repeat the grade level she didn't feel the need to give him special attention. In working with him I found that not only does he have a speech problem he could not write or read and he really didn't even know his alphabet...I asked the teacher if he had a speech therapist and she said "yes, whenever his mom can find time to get him to his appointment." All I could think was that the adults in his life were failing him. By the end of the class he and I became pretty good friends and he was not longer afraid to talk to me...I even found his strength. He loves to draw and he is very good at it.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteI really like the cushion idea, my son has problems with sitting still, his teacher usually places him at the end of the group table with no one sitting behind him so he won't bother someone when he stands up or squirms in his seat. As long as he is able to sit on one foot or stand while doing his work he does fine..in fact he has actually improved this year with sitting still longer than normal. I wonder if a cushion would help him?
I've observed mainly in kindergarten but my host teacher wanted me to see 1st & 2nd grade also. They are all similar in that kids are at all different levels in every subject. 2nd grade kids are normally beginning to even out. In my host teachers classroom, there is a little boy who was in another kindergarten class the year before. I noticed him because he was asking for help from me a little bit more often than the others but my host teacher told me that he does 1st grade in the afternoon because the school wanted to hold him back because he wasn't ready but his parents are seperated so the mom wouldn't sign the papers. It's a sad, sad situation. He's nice and funny and so friendly.
ReplyDeleteThe 1st grade teacher as well as the kindergarten teacher do all that they can to make this smooth and easy for him, yet challenging at the same time. It's hard for me to imagine exactly how well he's doing in 1st grade because he is struggling in kindergarten.
In kindergarten and 1st grade the teacher seperates the kids based on their reading level. This allows students to develop properly. The teachers make sure they are patient and kind to the struggling ones. I found it amazing, I couldn't tell sometimes which groups were struggling at first.
Teachers keep the rules simple and quick. They have songs, sayings and claps that they can do that will get the children's attention. There is a very strong use of motivation and bribery. Students have to 'flip a card' or something when they misbehave. Each student is treated equally.
In response to Sierra Dunn:
ReplyDeleteI COMPLETELY agree & I had that exact same observation of my teacher(s). They gave them assignment, praised/complimented them when they were doing well & also stopped to help those who were struggling. She made sure that all students were taken care of while keeping in mind that each student is at a different comprehensive level.
My teacher seems to have high-achieving students. She does allow the class to move around the room to do classroom, students rarely have to sit in their desk. I think this helps the student feel comfortable in their work environment.
ReplyDelete@Lisa.., that's so sad about the little boy. He should be a priority for the teacher. After repeating the grade he should be a high achieving student. I'm glad you took the time to work with him
ReplyDeleteThe question for today is perfect because I observed a student with special needs today in the class room. He is a 7th grader but he has an aid that comes to class with him. Today he was kind of chatty the teacher asked him to be quiet once. When the students went up to the board, he raised his hand too. When he got up there he really didnt know what he was doing so the teacher asked the class to help him. The students actually enjoyed helping him, they didnt make fun of him or anything. It was nice to see all the students working together. I do not think she has a special lesson for him, rather he just gets help from his aid.
ReplyDelete@ Amanda it seems like your class has tutors or aids come in the classroom just like in mine. Also if they miss any work they usually dnt have to make it up, they just get lots of help
ReplyDeleteThe teacher will allow student to raise their hand to ask for help for certain sections of music. While sight reading she will have them break off into sections to work their part.
ReplyDelete@Nicole Manno
ReplyDeleteI agree that it help student to feel more comfortable. I loved being able to move around.
My teacher really makes sure that people understand the material. She will also work with the student(s) after class just to make sure that they will understand. She will also break it down into the simplest terms and give them examples that they can relate to.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Chelsey Martin...
ReplyDeleteThat has to be so hard to handle four year old children but it seems like your teacher has a great handle on it.
The special needs kids in my teachers class have their own teachers just for them. These tachers are there to help with the kids needs. My teacher doesn't make a big deal of any out burst in their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Lisa.
ReplyDeleteThat was awsome of you to sit and help that speical needs student out. I hope every teacher would take the time to help out every student like you did. :)
With observing a religion class, there are obviously going to be people who disagree with the topic. At one point we talked about how people would react if the girl came to school and she was pregnant. The explained how the teachers made a plan with the girl and supported her in the craziness of a pregnancy. To know that the teachers are willing to help and be supportive of the girl's efforts to stay in school.
ReplyDeleteTo Brianna,
ReplyDeleteThat IS a very sad situation! That would be so hard on the child, and the teachers. It is great that they are willing to work with the student to help him still grow and learn with his classmates!
My teacher does not really have any students in the classroom with special needs, but she does often have to slow down the classroom because there are a couple of boys in the back that do not make an attempt in the classroom. Because the class is a beginning spanish class, the teacher really tries to help them along and she does not want one single person left behind in her classroom. Unfortunately that means that those that are learning and are going at a much faster pace have to suffer because of the kids that are slacking.
ReplyDeleteTo Amanda Clark,
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a good idea to separate different thinking levels especially in math, because math requires a higher thinking most of the time and not everybody is at the same level. My 5th grade teacher was responsible for letting the middle school know of each student's math level so they could put the students in the appropriate classroom but she accidentally picked a number One thinking that was the highest when really a number one means the lowest math level. I was put into the remedial math course and I had no idea, how was I supposed to know? I went through the whole year in the remedial math class until the last couple of weeks of school because that is when we found out that I was in the remedial class. It was pretty upsetting because I didn't learn any of the things that I needed to learn. Education systems need to watch for that stuff and I also think it is the responsibility of my middle school teacher to recognize that my high grades in the remedial class could mean that I should not be in that particular class.
In response to Katie P.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that the teachers at your observation school is willing to be so supportive and willing to help the girl with a situation like that. I went to high school where it was unacceptable to have a girl that was pregnant at school. If we had a girl pregnant at our school, she would eventually take a time of leave from school, and then come back the next year in the same grade that she was in during the time she was pregnant.
How are student interests and student choice incorporated in to the students' learning opportunities?
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I'm observing is excellent at helping her children when they need it; she is even better at recognizing there is a problem to begin with.
So far, the classes I've observed are all gifted, so fairly small. So it's pretty easy t o stop and make time to help the students in need.
A lot of the time the children have 5 or 10 minutes extra time, so she lets them choose some of the logic board games off the shelves to play with and they absolutely love it.
If a child has a question or doesn't understand something, she always stops and answers their question before moving on.
In response to Dana...
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad your teacher notices when her students have problems and is willing to slow down and help them out. I think that is extremely important.
In response to Danielle:
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly not completely sure how I will incorporate what I've observed my host teacher do when I start teaching. I hope that I will be able to find a nice middle ground where I can successfully work one on one with individuals and teach the rest of the class at the relatively same time.
In response to Lisa:
ReplyDeleteYea i thought that was really interesting how she had the children sit on cushions. She gave me a book to read one day while the students were workin on projects its called: Arnie and His School Tools simple sensory sloutions that build success. The author is Jennifer Veehendal. This book was really cute but it had a lot of interesting ideas for children who have a hard time focusing and sitting still in class I would recommend checking it out!
In the class I am observing, there is so much group activity. The teacher explained to me that they do some of their best work when they work together. It helps some of the ones who struggle, and it also improves the kids who know what they are doing. Then they have a discussion afterwards, and he asks the kids questions. He wants them to want to participate so if they tell him the wrong answetr he explains it was a good thought, that he never thought of it that way, and that's awesome critical thinking! That way he doesnt dicourage them, he just explains that he was thinking of another idea. It really does help to get the kids to participate.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Katie P...
ReplyDeletethat is really cool that they discussed that and made a plan! It's awesome getting in on those discussions when so many different kids have many different ideas on the topic!
I observe elementary physical education. It is hard to notice the kids that need extra help in this subject. During my class, I notice as class that was alot larger than the other classes. The teacher told me they put the kids that need extra help in this class. Therefore, they don't feel any different because it is a mixed of kids! I don't know if I argue with it or not because they are just being thrown in a situation where they can be treated differently by other students. At the same time, I believe it is a good idea because they are not getting treated any differently.
ReplyDeleteTo Amanda Clark
ReplyDeleteDo you think it is the right thing to do for the students to make up the work during their free time while the other kids got to play? I don't because it is not fair for them that they need extra help. They should not get punished for this. Tell me what you think!
In my classroom my teacher is a special education teacher for fourth and fifth grade. The way her classroom functions is not typical at all. There are about 3 or 4 different groups of students who come in at certain times during the day. One child has down syndrome and he is invovled in every activity as the other children when he is in the room. These children all have IEPs which I am familiar with from my job, but its helped me to understand it so much more by seeing how it is applied in the classroom. My teacher explained to me that it varies what the kids work on just depending on what they are currently doing in their regular classrooms and what concerning that, they need help with. A lot of the children need help reading and vocab. Some kids need to take tests in a more quiet enviornment, others need time to get away and they come in and play educational games, some of them are on the computer. I really enjoy watching this classroom because it is so much different than I expected.
ReplyDeleteTo Amanda Clark,
ReplyDeleteI think its funny that you wrote about that because I observe in the classroom the kids come to, to get extra help in areas they struggle in. I think its good for the students because one teacher cant individually work with one or two students like the special education teachers can, but because they have a large number of students to continually help.
In the classrooms I have observed, most teachers do recognize all the special needs of students. Since I observed in lower grades, kids are very emotional. I've noticed that some teachers aren't as supportive and encouraging to those students that get upset often. This makes sense because if it's an everyday thing, the chilldren could begin to do it for attention.
ReplyDeleteOn a more severe note, children with special needs have an assistant or classroom aid that help them thru activities and the student bounces between a regular classroom and the special needs room.
Today during recess a young boy was hit in the ear with a rubber ball. He began to cry and rub his ear as if it was in a lot of pain. The teacher walked up to him and said, "It didn't hurt THAT bad. Get over it and get back in the game." I was shocked to hear this because this was a 1st grade student; very fragile. But I would understand the teacher reacting that way if he was dramatic on a daily basis. I would have been more gentle and comforting.
The teacher I'm observing doesn't seem to have any special needs students. But at the school, they have a class period devoted to allowing the students who need help in a certain area to visit a teacher who can help them out. It also allows students who are further ahead to get with a more advanced teacher and work ahead.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Lisa.
ReplyDeleteI was really saddened to read about the little boy in your class. No child deserves to held back simply because no one wants to take the time to try and work with them. I'm really glad that you're trying to get to know the litte boy and try and help him.
Well, the teacher that I observed has a lot of special needs studenmts in her classroom. THe beginning of the day she has one kid who sits in for announcments and colors until the special needs teacher comes in to get him. She has his own folder of coloring pages and seems to already have the calss at a level of understanding to not pay attention to him if he is having a bad day. Some other kids in her class that have special needs in certain areas she makes sure to go around and ask if they understand or need help, and make sure they pay attention during lessons. She doesn't treat them differently during the lesson just pays more attention to them when it is over and they are working on their assignment. During groups she makes sure to sit by them or keep them paying attention, I think this helped becuase it made them aware she is there to help them not make them feel 'dumb', for a lack of better terms.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brianna Youngberg:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading you're commented about the young kid at recess, I couldn't help but wonder if the teacher told you she has issues with that child a lot, or if you asked. It seems to be too that was a little harsh.
The teacher has the students go into groups to compare homework and write on a whiteboard the problem to present to the class. The students seem to like this because you are not alone to talk in front of the class and if you didn't understand a problem you can see how other classmates did it
ReplyDeletein response to Anna Harkins....
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea to have a time where the students can ask questions and get help if they need it. Also if students are trying to get ahead that is great for them as well