Reflection on 3/6/14 Class

I found this talk incredibly interesting and I was really happy that they came to visit our class. I have always been interested in working with at risk students since my father works at an alternative learning center and I have been hearing of that experience my entire life. I found the information that they shared was incredibly important and very helpful suggestions for when I get into teaching more. I can always use more help with classroom management and learning how to make modifications and how to understand my students. Below are some bullet points that I found to be incredibly helpful and wise. I hope to keep these in mind for my future experiences student teaching. Having this on my blog will allow me to easily look back and find some helpful hints when I am struggling to understand a student or how to teach a class.

Shanna

·      Score Program

·      Oversees RTI program

·      Oversees Online courses

·      Works with at risk students

o   Usually environmental issues

o   Potential to achieve as college bound and AP students, but other factors make it difficult

o   Thinking about other things going on rather than academics

o   #1 goal is academic success through counseling, etc.

o   a lot in art courses

o   5-12 grades

o   One or more years behind in credits

o   Absences

o   Two or more years behind in basic skill levels

o   Student is a parent

o   An adjudicated delinquent

o   Many factors for at-risk students

·      Students are not victims: life sucks, move forwards in spite of everything trying to hold you back

·      Majority of at risk students have at risk parents

o   Most of these parents also hate being in their high schools

o   Helps parents work through problems as well

·      Come as you are: I dare you to judge me.

o   Can be a respected professional

·      Treat any and every student as an individual

·      Helps with credit recovery, problems in class, work time, upset students, comfortable environment

·      Gives teachers a place to send students

·      Teachers need to raise students and make them good people in the community

·      Teach how the subject relates to their future

·      Disengaged student: help with what they’re confused about

·      Understand students anger at you is not personal: do not take it home with you

·      Clean slate theory: Move on everyday or every minute

·      Do not make problem about you

·      Stick to policies

·      Stand your ground

·      If a student doesn’t like you, it’s probably because they think you don’t like them

·      Help students move forward

·      Negative consequences don’t help

·      Clear set of rules about consequences

·      Students care about good grades, not bad grades

·      All students want to be successful

Becky  

·                        Special Education

·                        Aspire program

·                        Works with a wide variety of disabilities

·                        Works with STUDENTS

o            These are people who have a disorder or use a wheel chair

§       (a student with autism not an autistic student)

·      Be as educated about the disability as possible when having a student in your class

·      Understand the viewpoints of students and parents

·      Understand that each student is an individual, even if students have the same disability

·      Listen to special education teachers and learn on your own that disabilities may be visible or not. Do not patronize, but understand the differences.

·      Be empathetic towards parents DO NOT pity. Listen to suggestions from parents

·      IEP – individualized education plan

o   Work well for everybody

o   Runs the student’s education

o   Accomodations and modifications

§  Giving students an equal playing field

§  Accommodation helps students do the same work

·      Size (amount of work or number of assignments)

·      Time (amount of time to work on assignment)

·      Input or Teaching strategies (visual, audio, take a video, etc.)

·      Level of Support (peer buddy, mentor, para)

·      Skill Level (e.g. reading material might have to be read to students)

·      Assessment (output, maybe verbal instead of written)

§  Modification helps students do similar work

·      Alternative goals (different project with similar materials depending on student)

·      Substitute curriculum

·      Write what is going on on the whiteboard in front of the classroom and follow each step (checklist)

o   Show one at a time if it is a long list of steps

o   Check frequently that students are following directions

o   Take photographs of process while making the demo piece

·      When asking questions, wait for students to have time to process and find an answer (at least 10 seconds)

·      Teach students how to pay attention

o   Head forward shoulders forward

o   Anything not needed on their work area, put somewhere else

o   Think about setting up the classroom: clutter? Structure? Pay attention to too much stimulation. Make sure pieces are appropriate.

o   Remember each student may pay attention in a different way

o   Timers can work: Pay attention, do this for 5 minutes (kitchen timer)

o   Have students with distractibility issues run errands

·      Grading

o   Follow IEP

o   Go to IEP meetings to understand

o   Work on self-esteem