Sunday, June 22, 2014
Flexibility
Due to a variety of circumstances you may have had to work with different students with different needs each time you volunteer. What kinds of processes do you go through when you discover you will be working with a student you did not plan for? How do you adjust on such short notice? Keep in mind that this will often happen in your future classrooms- a lesson you thought would take 35 minutes, only takes 20- what do you do with those extra 15 minutes? You have students that are typically in the special education classroom during your language arts class, but the special education teacher happens to be ill- How do you quickly prepare for their participation within the lesson you have already created?
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I have had to work with different students each time I have volunteered. I find it the most helpful to take the first few minutes to get to know some things about the student. I ask them a variety of questions about themselves, and also share a few things about me that might make a connection with what the student is telling me. I also find it helpful to spend some time observing the student. I can sometimes quickly pick out things they are very good at, as well as things they may struggle with. All of this information helps me to decide how best to begin working with the student and then continue to gather information. Lessons can quickly be adapted by working with partners, adding simple activities, or just changing the order of things a little bit. Lessons that go short can be lengthened by having extension ideas already in mind that can be quickly added to build upon what was just taught. If lessons are taking longer than usual it is important to find the most natural place to split the content up in order to continue with it the next day. All of this takes practice and intentional planning when developing lesson plans. It is never wise to assume anything will go exactly as planned. Sometimes student interest or content knowledge may lead the lesson in a different direction than originally planned. I think the best learning often takes place in flexible classrooms where students can explore various ways to learn. In a scenario where the SPED teacher is sick there is no need to panic. Find ways to naturally integrate these students into the lesson and create opportunities for all students to participate. Accommodations can be as simple as projecting the lesson on the overhead, or seating the struggling students by those that excel. Maybe the lesson can be modified to be presented in a game form, or manipulatives/learning activities pulled that you have stored in the classroom for these types of situations.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really nice reflection of how critical it is to be flexible. I agree that taking a few minutes to get to know who you are working with will always contribute to a more successful lesson/experience.
DeleteAs a teacher it is my duty to prepare to help all children be successful and enjoy learning. As I volunteer and think about ways to help the children the next time I go into the classroom I find myself thinking of ways to help children who struggle, even if I am not sure if they will be in my small group the next time. If teachers think about all their students when they are planning they will be better prepared to improvise a lesson when the time comes. This way you know the students and the lesson and could easily cut down on the workload or be prepared to give extra help where the student may struggle. There was one instance where I was assigned to help a small group of students that I had not planned for. There were certain things that made that group successful. Little things like placing students who struggle next to kids who understand. I was also able to use objects, such as birds that the students are interested in so that they can relate to the material. When I am given a student that I was not prepared to work with I try to see what the student’s strengths and interests are in order to build the lesson off of those things.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I have learned from watching the teacher, whose class I volunteer at, is being willing to take more time or move on depending on the kid’s needs. As I have my own classroom I will need to be prepared to either go more in depth into a subject or be willing to move on to the next subject if we finished the lesson early. There are many worksheets and activities that can be used for children with all manner of learning styles and disabilities in order to help instil the information in their brains. These could include additional practices with coloring, talking to other students, hands on, ect.
It sounds like you had a great opportunity to 'think on your feet' after being assigned a group you hadn't planned for. Learning that adjusting your lessons and the environment to meet the needs of the individuals in your class is so critical...which is exactly why we give students opportunities to get their feet wet early in the program.
DeleteEvery time I go to TURN there are different individuals with a variety of different disabilities. As activities and lessons are planned weeks in advance, it is so important that we are flexible with the clients and adapt to their needs. For instance, every morning the clients have a math skills lesson. They vary greatly in their verbal and writing abilities. Some of the clients can do equations in their head but need help writing the answer. Others cannot do the math but love writing. Many can only count and cannot do more complex addition. We try to help each client use their abilities to participate in the lesson and succeed. The same occurs with physical activities. As we have practiced for the Special Olympics, an event like the 50 yard dash can be performed in some many ways: using a wheelchair, walking, being assisted, running, etc... But each participant can find success in how they are able to participate. I think that's the best lesson I've learned about flexibility and earners with differing needs: adapt so everyone has a chance to succeed and learn.
ReplyDeleteMindi Cella
What a great opportunity this has been for you! It truly comes down to the needs of the individuals with whom you are working.
DeleteAt all of the Hope Kids activities I have volunteered at, I have had the opportunity to work with different kids each time, with the exception of one family that has been to every activity. There is a wide variety of illnesses and disabilities with the children in Hope Kids. At every activity there is a roster with the names of all those who will be in attendance that is sent to whoever is in charge of the activity. It also has any special needs that need to be met along with the names of the individuals. This is very important since each activity is always at a different location. It is important to know the area the activity is going to be at and if there are going to be the accommodations that people need.
ReplyDeleteThis activity took place at a Nature Conservatory Center in Layton. The road you drove up to in order to get to it was a dirt road. The path the led to the main, wooden path was also made of dirt. This made it a little difficult for one of the families who had two children that had to wheel their oxygen tanks around with them. They ended up having to put the backpacks with their oxygen tanks in them, on their backs when they were on the dirt part of the path. It was also a little difficult for a child in a wheelchair and a walker to reach the wooden path. There was a lookout tower that the child in the wheelchair could not get up without the assistance of his mother. The child with the walker had to be carried up the tower. There was a lot of walking involved in this activity and there was a little boy who was three years old whose illness made him tire quickly. I ended up carrying him most of the activity.
It is always hard for me to post of the assigned topics each week since the activities I attend with Hope Kids are not in a classroom setting and are in a different location each time. I have learned with this experience that it is important to research the location well before the activity to ensure that it has all the accommodations needed for each individual.
In a classroom setting I think that it would be most important to always be prepared. The key would be being flexible and to schedule yourself a some buffer time to allow for instances where things may go over the time you had originally planned for.
I think it is important to give students opportunities to learn outside the four walls of the classroom and I know that Hope Kids really likes to provide their families with a variety of experiences. But, it might have been helpful to prepare families for the environment, but the great thing about flexibility is that it sounds like you adjusted well to the environment.
DeleteI think you are doing a find job responding to the blog prompt- you have been able to adapt the topic based on what you have been experiencing with Hope Kids and that is exactly what I want.
Flexibility is a inherent quality to this volunteer opportunity. Every time we enter the Detention Center, we do not know what situation we might encounter. A student who is their one week might be gone the next. The students could of had a group altercation and be on strict restrictions. A student who was amazing one day might be fed up with the whole thing and just act out all class. Most of the times I have volunteered there has been a couple new faces, but mostly old ones. I had to take a hiatus from the center to do Arts in the Park and today was my first visit in three weeks. I recognized one student, which is good because that means these kids are moving on from this incredibly restrictive environment. I heard Monday was ruff for the volunteers because many of the students were on restrictions from poor behavior over the weekend. The students were not happy about having privileges taken away. We have to be flexible all the time. We need to recognize when the students are getting burnt out and need to talk for a bit and when to focus them back on work. Many times we need to know when to just give up. Some students do not want to do work and the more we attempt to change their minds, the more of a distraction it becomes to other students. It is not fair to hinder the focus of many students to focus one who has no intentions of listening.
ReplyDeleteIf I run out of material for a lesson, which I will probably do constantly, I hope I will have prepared a secondary group project or game to go over the learned content. Using chloral response or white boards to review the content would be a helpful go to when I am not prepared or just participate in a guided discussion about how the content has real world applications.
To adapt a lesson to a student that has an IEP on the fly you would first have to figure out the best way they take in information. If it is a student with a visual impairment, you can move them to front of the class for a better sight line. Knowing a students strengths and capabilities, will allow a teacher to adapt for them.
It sounds like not only do the teachers have to be prepared for changes at the detention center, but so do the students. Imagine if everyday you were expected to get along with all new peers. It is certainly a good idea to have something ready in your back pocket when time runs long and your lesson has ended...
DeleteI have had a variety of students to work with at Youth Impact. There are a lot of the same kids but each time I go there is at least one or two new students. I try to go to new areas and places in the building so I can participate in new activities. From room to room the type of kid changes because of the activities that take place in that area. At youth impact we aren't assigned certain students so we aren't really forced to work with anyone in particular. With that said, I have ran into a situation I was not prepared for. I went yesterday for an hour or so and was playing a card game with some of the girls. One of them, M, started losing and was getting upset and yelling at K. They started arguing and saying cruel things back and forth. I was the only adult around and had to handle the situation. I adjusted the game by splitting it into two groups and had them on separate tables. It worked out fine and they continued playing peaceful until lunch. As they lined up for lunch I heard M apologize to K, I was very happy with the outcome. When there is short notice it is hard to adjust sometimes. It is a good idea to always have a back up plan. I hope to always be prepared for changes in the classroom. I am sure that "thinking on your toes" comes with experience as well.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had much experience in being flexible with my volunteering, because I am not the head teacher, and they are not my students. With that being said, I have to be flexible in my own way. I have to be able to go and do the things the head teacher wants me to do, and be ready to switch tasks when she is wanting me to.
ReplyDeleteToday, I did see flexibility in the classroom. The special education teacher had a student come in that she was not expecting. She looked all over for his documents thinking he was a new student that she had not had the previous year. When she could not find the documents she called down to the general education teachers classroom and asked for clarity on where the child needed to be. The special education teacher then had to wander the halls until she figured out where the student needed to be. She had everything set out for the students that were in her class, and the other head special education teacher and myself were able to assist and guide the children in the room on what they were supposed to be doing.
This showed me that as a teacher in order to be flexible, you have to also be prepared. If the special education teacher had not been prepared she could not have been able to take the student around school figuring out where he needed to be, because then the other students in the class would have missed out on learning time and experiences they were supposed to have in the classroom.
There are a lot of kids at youth impact and there are a few who want me to do stuff with them while I am there. I haven’t really been around those who are disabled, but one thing I can think of is the age difference. When a little kid wants to play a game we have to try to tone it down a bit so he feels involved. This is not a problem, but for some who are older and want to pick up the pace it is important to keep reminding them that it is ok. A lot of kids are ok with playing with others so it is not a big deal, but I can see how things can move faster and slower depending on the circumstances. It is important to keep in mind that even though a lot of kids are on different levels it is important to not leave anyone behind. With the extra fifteen minutes mentioned in this blog post, I find reviewing and going over key points is a good idea. Making a fifteen minute game focusing on what was just learned is also a good idea. It would be hard to quickly change a lesson that is already prepared, but for those with disabilities it needs to be done. The main thing is to involve them. Don’t think that just because they are never there they won’t understand so what’s the point? No. Giving them a chance, splitting them up into groups with their peers, or even helping them on a one on one are some good options. Yes your lesson might have been prepared a lot differently, however, life changes all the time and having good adapting skills not only as a teacher but as a person is important. There are so many options you can do to turn the lesson around, but the key is to not panic. Things happen and the only thing you can do is try your best to include everyone in the lesson even if you do have to completely change your plans.
ReplyDeleteAshlee Scott
ReplyDeleteI feel being flexible is necessary for a teacher. Things in a classroom are not always going to go as planned.
At Youth Impact I am always jumping around interacting with kids. I have realized that this does require me to be flexible and adjust to the situation. I noticed today that the sign up sheet for computer time was behind. I could see several of the kids worrying about when they were going to play on the computer. I feel the instructor handled the situation well. She explained to the students in detail what was going to happen and made sure they understood when their new time would be.
I feel we need to be flexible and use open communication to help with these transitions. We need to have other options available just in case.
Flexibility should not only be used in the classroom, but it is a necessary skill that a teacher must have. Things will not go as planned most of the time, and learning to be flexible and willing to change things will be the key to student and teacher success in the classroom. Hope kids was NOT what I was expecting at all. Most of the events had one or two kids show up, if that. A lot of the events were cancelled ahead of time due to no kids signing up. I had to learn to just accept what was given to me and go with the flow. When only 2 kids showed up at the playdate in the park, we had to figure out games we could play with only four people (2 children, and 2 WSU students). Going into it, I was thinking we could play soccer with whole teams, have a large game of tag, or some games along those lines. Flexibility was absolutely necessary in that situation to make it fun and not a flop.
ReplyDeleteIt has been interesting work with the kids at Youth Impact. I really never know what my time there will look like and what I will end up doing. When I got there on my 5th visit, I was approached by a little girl, J, who wanted me to play with her. I began to do so and then she decided she was ready to play with another little girl. I was fine with this and just looked around to see if there was anyone who looked like they could use someone to spend time with. I went over to the area where some kids were coloring and joined in with them. While there, a little boy began to complain that he as so bored and had nothing to do and didn't want to color. So I again, changed what I was doing and invited him to play UNO with me. He really enjoyed this and I could tell all he needed was some one on one attention.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher we are going to have many times where we may be planning in one direction only to find that the needs of our students will take us in a new direction, and that is ok. We should make alternative plans that might be used when needed. I hope that as a teacher I will recognize when I need to switch the direction I am going, in order to make a better learning situation for the students.
My gut response is apprehension and higher blood pressure. When I take a deep breath, smile, and speak with the student things generally get better. If I meet resistance I keep trying and stay positive. I adjust on short notice by staying positive and thinking out loud. If I have extra time I often hold a class discussion or do a sensible extension to the lesson or activity. If I had to prepare last minute for special education students in a language arts lesson I would take my students needs into consideration. I would get the accommodations they need whether it be larger print or an audio recorder for the lesson. I would also oversee their learning experience to ensure they were being included by their peers.
ReplyDelete