5/5/2016
Topic:
Students With Disabilities
Erin Wright
|
I had a student with Emotional Disturbance who barely talked to her classmates in the year before and didn't talk to her teachers at all. She had severe anxiety and was way behind in reading. At the beginning of Kindergarten, she knew her letter sounds, but by the end of the year, a push for her to talk and read led to more anxiety and she would run away when someone offered to read to her. She'd shut down and didn't even know what she knew at the beginning of the year.
I started working with her in first grade and stopped pushing her to read at a first grade level. I also stopped forcing interactions. I continued to offer to read to her and within a few months, she would bring me stacks of books to read. By the end of the year, she could read some words and knew her letter sounds again. I worked with her again in second grade and by the end of that year, she'd nearly caught up to her peers. She just needed someone to understand her anxiety and not force situations that triggered it. She needed to be able to learn at the pace where she felt comfortable (with a little nudging). |
5/8/2016
Topic:
Tools And Strategies
Erin Wright
|
I've used graphic organizers and grouping practices regularly. In AVID training, we learned a lot about Cornell notes and I think it's extremely important to teach students how to take notes. The basic Cornell note can be modified to meet different needs for each student, but it provides an excellent framework and routine to help them document information they learn, either in class or from books or videos.
Grouping practices do need close monitoring, but there is so much that can be done to differentiate learning using stations for groups. You can teach the same topic in the same amount of time providing multiple possibilities for product. Students who have trouble learning visually can be placed into a small group with a project that centers around movement or sound. In smaller groups, students tend to feel less lost in the crowd and have a chance to voice their thoughts without feeling too intimidated. |
5/8/2016
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
Erin Wright
|
I had a student who, due to emotional issues and severe anxiety, had been left behind completely in her Kindergarten class. I had her in second grade and the students were supposed to present a poem to a small group, using effective expression. Sadly, while her peers were busy practicing their poem over and over, this little girl was struggling to read each word.
Since the task they were supposed to be demonstrating had nothing to do with reading ability and everything to do with expression, I worked with her individually and read with her until she became fluent with her short lines of poetry. Her expression was brilliant and I may never have known that if I hadn't been aware of her issues with reading. |