What joy it would be to have a classroom filled with super organized, eager-to-learn, overly obedient, little angels who can’t wait to get started diagramming sentences and long division, but that is not the true classroom. The true classroom is a hodge podge of little faces. Some eager to learn, some wanting to learn but struggling, some who find it impossible to stay seated for more than five minutes, and some just watching the clock!
To effectively choose teaching methods and help students learn, you must first know something about whom you are teaching. Your students will come from very different backgrounds and have various learning needs. You may have students that graduated from high school when they were 16 and are still minors. Or you may have students that have been out of school for 20 or 30 years. Some students may have grown up in the college town, while others may be from across the globe and speak a completely different native language. Some students may have gone to schools without honors or advanced placement science and math courses, while others may have never been encouraged to pursue science or math at all.
What do you do to meet the needs of all the students in the classroom? It’s a challenging task to look for teaching strategies that will be helpful in attending to the needs of all my students.
Keep Parents Informed& Involved. It is so important to keep all lines of communication open. Parents need to know what is going on with their child (even if the news isn’t always positive).Meeting with the parents and or previous teachers before the school year begins will help establish not only a working relationship but can give you some insight on the child and his/her needs.
Get Help!Don’t be afraid to seek outside help from other teachers, professionals, internet, etc. There are so many valuable resources out there. Use them!
Find Ways to Maintain Patience & Understanding. Be patient, compassionate, and understanding. I know this is easier said than done. There are days when we can just pull our hair out! Take a deep breath, count to ten, remove yourself from the situation, whatever it takes to calm down and then move forward.
There have been many times I have had to ask my neighboring teacher to watch my class while I excused myself to the ladies room just to regroup. It makes a difference. Just that minute or two allows me to regroup and return to the classroom ready to try again.
Stay True to YourRules& Expectations. Be consistent in your approach and expectations. This is very important for students who have ADD/ADHD or behavioral problems. They need a structured schedule that (as much as possible) remains the same every day. Keep rules simple and consequences clear. Be sure to follow through.
Setting simple small goals for students who struggle academically will offer the opportunities for students to succeed.
Behavioral charts or goals do work but be careful not to fall into “rewarding for every good behavior.” I have done this and the students tend to expect a reward for doing what they should have been doing all along.
Rewards should not be prizes or trinket. Extra time looking at a favorite book, sitting in teacher’s chair, being messenger, those types of rewards will help you stay away from the “where is my prize” trap.
Facilitate & Celebrate Success. Create learning situations that allow students to succeed. Keep in mind success isn’t always in the shape of an A. Success for some students can be a perfect C or just spelling one really challenging word right on the test.
Once a child gets a taste of success, they will want to experience it more and more. Be sure to make a big deal out of each success, whether great or small.
Knowledge about students will enable you to refine lectures, class discussions, comments, illustrations, and activities so that they are more effective learning experiences. References to student interests, backgrounds, knowledge, and even anxieties can make the class seem more personal and the material more accessible.
Not all students will have the same background in your field. By assessing students’ comprehension levels of the subject, you can modify your own teaching to fit their needs. By customizing your course to students’ needs, you can teach more efficiently and effectively.
Your first step will be to find out more about your students. On the first day of class, hand out a questionnaire. You should find out what previous classes students have had in your field and related subjects. You can list basic terminology you expect students to understand, and ask students to mark the words they do not understand or feel uncomfortable with. Ask your students if their attendance or participation in class and on assignments will be affected by their religion, disability, or any other unique situation. Leave an area for students to write down any special accommodations they may need for learning disabilities, work or family obligations, etc.
You can findprofessional development training on teachingstudents with special needs from the K-12 Teachers Alliance.
References:
http://www.cirtl.net/node/2543
http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-students-who-need-extra-attention
References:
http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-students-who-need-extra-attention
By: Mr. Ulysses Gabriel | Teacher III | Sta. Isabel Elementary School | Dinalupihan, Bataan
