Implementing Inquiry Research into the Classroom:

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During my long practicum I hope that I can implement what I have learned about my inquiry question thus far. To start off, I would try and use children’s books as often as I can as a tool to help students become aware of students with special needs and also maybe learn some appropriate vocabulary. Children’s books are a great and useful strategy in creating an open conversation and giving opportunity for students to ask questions and concerns, and deeply think about the issue. Sometimes students are more alert during story time and books always have a way of engaging students and speaking about issues on their level of understanding.

Moreover, I would try and create a stronger relationship with each and every students. Although I have not been with these students from the beginning, I hope that I can still reach out to them and show them that I respect and care for them. I will try and absolute best to build a positive relationship especially with those students who are in most need of attention. Creating a positive relationship is a platform for an inclusive classroom. If students have a strong relationship with the educator, it is easier for them to get along with their peers therefore, improving the classroom community relationship.

I am still finding it difficult adapting my lessons to cater to all students learning abilities, and I hope with the help of my SA I could try and practice doing this. It is truly saddening when you are teaching the same lesson to all students but some students are just not grasping the material no matter what you do but it is not their fault. And we have to change this way of teaching for them so that they too can grow to their potential and learn. I really hope that I can somehow adapt my lessons to fit the needs of all students. During activities, I always make sure to include all students and allow them to be part of partner activities, brain breaks and hands on activities even if they are not able to fully complete it. For example, during the math lesson when the students were making cubes, all students participated and they really enjoyed it. Sometimes, unfortunately, some students are pulled out half way through the lessons and they have to leave and are not able to participate once they come back because they are completely lost and feel too frustrated to even try. It’s difficult to witness but I also know that they have to be pulled out because I do not have the full resources and knowledge to support them fully in the classroom. So for now, I will only do what I am capable of and try my best, but still be hopeful that they are learning a lot during their one-on-one time with the specialized teacher.

 

Last School Visit Before Long Practicum!

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This was the last week of school visits before my long practicum. I was feeling bittersweet about all of it. I was becoming comfortable with teaching one lesson a week but I also know that in order to enhance my teaching skills and create more opportunities for growth, I should be teaching more often and more subjects. I am nervous about teaching 100% for four weeks but I hope that I absorb as much as I can and take advantage of this opportunity because it will only be a beneficial experience for me.

I taught a math lesson during this visit and I had asked my second SA to informally observe me just to get a different perspective than my main SA. Since my second SA does not teach in the morning, I had to move my lesson to after lunch which I was quite worried about because usually the students become tired and antsy around the afternoon. However, I have to get used to teaching throughout the entire day so I just did my preparations and hoped for the best. I shortened my activities because I did not want to overwhelm the students with too many activities in one lesson. For my last activity, I wanted students to make a 3D cube from paper which involved lots of listening to instructions, cutting and gluing. I knew this task would be difficult if they were to do it on their own so I decided to do it with them. I thought about how I would be able to keep their attention long enough for us to complete this cube together step by step because once they have scissors and glue on their hands, they will be distracted. Moreover, I know some students would not have these supplies and would go around asking others and it would be chaotic and messy. Therefore, I decided to turn this activity into a game! I called it “The Silent Cube Making Game.” To my surprise the students bought it, and were so excited to play! They knew the rule of the game was to be silent while making this cube and if they needed help they could quietly raise their hands and I would come to them. This made it so much easier for me to give step by step instructions and everyone was able to listen without distractions and follow along. Because this was a hands on activity, they were very engaged and enjoyed doing it very much. Some students expressed frustration because they were falling behind but I tried my best to help them. The EA was not available during my lesson (She is part time with us and part time with another class) and my SA was not going to give a hand so I was on my own during this lesson.

Overall, I believe my lesson went fairly well and my SA had some constructive feedback with mostly positive comments. She specifically mentioned that she can see the students seeing me more of a teacher now and taking me more seriously which was refreshing to hear.

I am looking forward to the long practicum with feelings of anxiousness and hopefulness at the same time. I can’t believe we all made it this far and so close to the end. I wish all my fellow SEL cohort the best of luck 🙂

Annotated Bibliography:

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  1. Ostrosky, M. M., Mouzourou, C., Dorsey, E. A., Favazza, P. C., & Leboeuf, L. M. (2015). Pick a book, any book: Using children’s books to support positive attitudes toward peers with disabilities.Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 30.

This article discusses the impact of reading on child development, the use of books featuring characters with special needs, children’s understandings about and interactions with peers with special needs, including books about special needs in early childhood classrooms, and using guided discussions to support young children’s positive attitudes about individuals with special needs. It concludes that the careful selection of children’s books and thoughtfully structured discussions provide a direct path for supporting acceptance of children with special needs, which is consistent with the attitude construct. At the very time when young children are forming early perceptions about peers and adults in the community, children are provided “indirect experiences” to special needs through the use of high-quality books and guided discussions, with an emphasis on similarities. It also provides a page length list of books that could be used in the classroom as a teacher resource.

  1. Yanoff, J. C., & Ebrary Academic Complete (Canada) Subscription Collection. (2006). The classroom teacher’s inclusion handbook: Practical methods for integrating students with special needs(2nd;2; ed.). Chicago: Arthur Coyle Press.

This handbook discusses fourteen types of special-needs students on meeting the needs of a diverse student population within a mainstream classroom. Ranging from students with behavior disorders, ADHD, and intellectual disabilities, to the blind, terminally ill, and gifted and talented. Each profile includes a clear definition, characteristic behaviors, and suggestions for working with that student’s specific strengths and weaknesses. A section devoted to inclusion strategies helps educators set goals for special needs students, define the roles of other students in the classroom, and work with the administration if mainstream placement is unsuccessful. This is very handy for teachers who are looking for strategies to support all types of students with special needs.

  1. Ferguson, D. L., Desjarlais, A., Meyer, G., & Education Development Center, Newton, MA. National Inst. for Urban School Improvement. (2000). Improving education: The promise of inclusive schooling.

The mission of the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is to partner with RRCS to develop powerful networks of urban LEAS and schools that embrace and implement a data-based, continuous improvement approach for inclusive practices. Embedded within this approach is a commitment to evidence-based practice in early intervention, universal design, literacy and positive behavior supports. This paper is an excellent resource for educators looking to improve and expand inclusive educational practices in their schools.  It was developed by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement and it includes examples of inclusive educational environments, assessment and observation tools, and guidelines for supporting inclusive practices.

  1. Dictionary of Disruption:A practical guide to behaviour management (2007).

This is a very useful informational text that provides suggestions on how to deal with specific behaviours that are commonly found in the classroom. It talks about physical aggression, self-esteem, group behaviour and much more, all laid out in alphabetical order. I find that this book will be very useful because I can look up almost any behavioural issue and find ways to deal with it.

  1. Cassady, M. J. (2011). Teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with Autism and Emotional Behavioral Disorder. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 2(7), 1-23.

General education teachers have differing views about the inclusion of students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. However, the type and severity of the children’s disorder affect teachers’ willingness to accommodate certain students and their confidence that they will effectively manage their classroom. It has been reported that teachers have expressed concerns about having students with autism and emotional behavioral disorder in the general education setting because of the children’s lack of social skills, behavioral outbursts, modifications made to the curriculum, and lack of training and supports. Many instructors do not believe they are able to teach these populations effectively while simultaneously teaching a large group of typically developing students. Using a snowball sampling method, 25 general education teachers were surveyed regarding their willingness to include a child with autism and a student with EBD in their classroom to determine if there was a significant difference in their attitudes toward the disorder. Results suggest that the presence of typical characteristics of the two disorders influence teachers’ willingness to have the populations in their classrooms. Results also show that the participants were more accepting of having a student with autism in their general education classrooms than a student who has EBD.

  1. Idol, L. (2006). Toward inclusion of special education students in general education: A program evaluation of eight schools.Remedial and Special Education, 27(2), 77-94. doi:10.1177/07419325060270020601

The primary intent of this program evaluation was to determine the degree of inclusion of students with special needs in general education classes in four elementary and four secondary schools; the similarities and differences in how special education services were offered; and the ways in which students with special needs were supported in the least restrictive environment. Staff perceptions of special education services were examined by conducting personal interviews with a large majority of the classroom teachers, special education teachers, instructional assistants, and principals in each school. The findings include descriptions of how far along each school was with inclusion, the amount of time students spent in general education, the roles of the special education teachers, the rates of student referrals for special

Looking at the Other Perspective..

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As important as it is to try and be inclusive towards all students especially those with special needs, sometimes its crucial to take a step back and look into the perspective of teachers who may find it difficult to accomplish this for legitimate reasons. For example, there are many students with special needs who may be physically aggressive towards other students threatening their safety, who may completely lack social skills, who may have severe intellectual disabilities and be fully aware of their differences. These are some of the important questions teachers may have or may worry about when discussing inclusion. I think having a positive attitude towards inclusion is essential for all educators and schools, but also being consciously aware of the obstacles and difficulties that can arise with this attitude. Although its ideal to have all students fully included in the classroom regardless of needs, it is very realistic or doable. This is where the use of resource rooms comes into the conversation. Are they aimed for the child’s best interest? Are they beneficial in helping students succeed or feel accomplished? Are they meeting children’s social and emotional needs? In my perspective, resource rooms are a great add on to students who require more assistance outside of the classroom. Therefore, students should be encouraged to stay in the classrooms and have resource rooms for extra support. According to Lorna Idol (2006) in her study  looking at schools that implemented inclusion, is it possible for a school to fully implement an inclusion environment without any pull-out programs or resource rooms. However, its also important to take into consideration the type of special needs that are dealt with because some are more severe and require more assistance than others (Idol, 2006). Most teachers and Principals have positive attitudes towards inclusion but also have many concerns and questions (Idol, 2006; Jennifer M. Cassady, 2011). Teachers are concerned with students with severe needs and not having enough training to handle tough situations with those students (Cassady, 2011). Consequently, they are more positive towards inclusion of some cases of special needs over others. For example, teachers in a study stated that they are more favourable of including students with autism in the classroom than with EBD (Emotional and Behavioural Disorder) (Cassady, 2011). This is perhaps because of the aggressive behaviours of EBD students. Moreover, teachers are also more comfortable with the idea of inclusion if they have classroom support for those students with extra needs and together they can meet the students need in the classroom (Cassady, 2011).  I hope this helps in understanding why we have resource rooms and why pull out programs exist in the first place. Ideally we hope to move towards a more inclusive community where there is the least amount of pull out programs, but realistically 100% inclusion may not be the most suitable for all students with special needs.

Weekly School Visit..

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This week, I was formally observed by my SA while teaching a Math lesson. The lesson started off okay and it was going well until I had the students engage in a partner game. Before beginning this game, I had a discussion with the students about working in partners and what that should look like. They were all very aware of what partner work should look like and its advantages as well. During the game, most students were enjoying it while others (even after having a conversation about being good partners) were starting to become upset at their partners. One student began crying because she wasn’t feeling well and she was upset that I didn’t understand her question. I asked her to take a minute to breathe and calm down and then I would come talk to her again. Before I got a chance to talk to her, the Education Assistant spotted her and took her out to speak to her. Unfortunately, she was feeling sick and she went to lay down at the office. Before then, I thought maybe my instructions weren’t very clear to her and it had caused frustration and therefore evoking tears. There was another student who was getting upset with his partner and using foul language so I asked him to take a seat at the corner to calm down and that he could come back when he is ready to be respectful.

I find it difficult to get students attention once they are fully engaged in an activity and are enjoying it and talking and laughing out loud. Although my signal is loud enough to be heard, students are reluctant to stop what they are doing and therefore after three signals and some waiting time, I had to pause before moving on to the next activity to speak about getting their attention. I briefly explained to them what the use of the tambourine is for and that I am finding it difficult to get their attention. We practiced it a couple of times and I attempted to explain to them what needs to be done once they are responding to my signal. Thankfully this discussion helped for most of the lesson.  I had a brain break which the students really enjoyed. However, after the brain break, students were becoming antsy and perhaps it was my fault for extending the lesson. I should have stopped ten minutes before recess to give them time for snacks but I had continued up until recess time even though I could see that they were becoming a little careless. Overall my SA said I did all the right things but I just have a difficult group of kids. I really hope she is right because sometimes I am very hard on myself and feel as though I am not doing good enough. I will continue teaching math until this unit is complete and next week I will be informally observed by my other SA to get a different perspective. I hope it goes well.

Together We Learn Better:

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In order for a classroom to create an inclusive environment for all students especially those with special needs, it is important to have a school that supports and encourages inclusive practices.  The journey to becoming an Inclusive School may be long and challenging, but ultimately this journey can strengthen a school community and benefit ALL children. It would support and encourage inclusion for all classrooms as well. 
Here are some ways in which inclusive educational practices build a school’s capacity to educate all learners effectively.

One of the most important principles of inclusive education is that no two learners are alike, and so inclusive schools place great importance on creating opportunities for students to learn and be assessed in a variety of ways. Certainly this enhances the way in which educators provide supports and accommodations for students with disabilities, but it also diversifies the educational experience of all students (Ferguson,  Desjarlais, Meyer, & Education Development Center., 2000).

Another important factor in effective inclusive education is the implementation of consistent behavioral supports throughout the learning environment.  This consistency is essential for the success of students with emotional or behavioral needs in the general education environment, but school-wide behavioral supports also help to establish high expectations throughout the school community as a whole (Ferguson et al., 2000).

In the past, special education often involved the segregation of students with special needs for the purpose of specialized instruction (Ferguson et al., 2000).  Not only does that model of special education in a separate setting deprive students with special needs of interaction with their peers and full access to the curriculum, it can also involve duplicate systems and resources that are costly for schools to maintain.  Inclusive education can make more efficient use of a school’s resources by maximizing the availability of staff and materials for all students (Ferguson et al., 2000).

To read more about benefits of inclusive education for all students, check out ‘Improving Education: The Promise of Inclusive Schooling.’  This paper is an excellent resource for educators looking to improve and expand inclusive educational practices in their schools.  It was developed by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement and it includes examples of inclusive educational environments, assessment and observation tools, and guidelines for supporting inclusive practices.

Ferguson, D. L., Desjarlais, A., Meyer, G., & Education Development Center, Newton, MA. National Inst. for Urban School Improvement. (2000). Improving education: The promise of inclusive schooling

Weekly School Visit:

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This week’s practicum day was eventful and memorable. I started the morning teaching a math lesson per usual up until recess time. This particular math lesson was different from the other ones I’ve been teaching because I decided to personalize the lesson and not follow everything from the teacher’s guide. Most importantly, I did not have the students use their heavy and distracting textbooks!  I used the teacher’s guide for some of its valuable content and main ideas and of course topic but I decided to change the activities to make it more appealing for the students and for myself since I had to teach it. I was very pleased with how the lesson went and the atmosphere of the classroom was calm and quite positive. I had the students work in pairs and be able to use the classroom for their learning activity. My SA’s feedback was very positive as well. I really like how she doesn’t interfere with my lessons and even if she is in the classroom watching my lesson, she allows me to take care of the behaviors of the students unless it is dangerous or extremely disrespectful. For the afternoon we had a field trip to an Alice in Wonderland play in a nearby high school. I hadn’t anticipated much because I was never a huge fan of plays but I was completely blown away. It was the most fascinating, engaging and well done play I have ever seen. I was so grateful I had the opportunity to experience that and the students had absolutely loved it and I witnessed smiles and laughter throughout the entire play. All the actors were singers, acrobats, and dancers and there was so much talent in the room which was inspiring and thrilling to watch.

It was interesting to hear all the conversation that was going on among all the elementary students who were inside a big high school. They were discussing how one day they will get to attend this high school or another one, and they were giggling throughout the conversation. When we are younger we all want to be grown up yet when we become older, we wish to be younger. Some students watched a few high school students walking in a particular way and automatically labelled them as the “cool students.” I asked the kids why they had made that particular association and they said because of the way they walked. With baggy jeans and shoulders leaning back. I wasn’t shocked that even young grade 3 kids would make a connection like that because of what society has ingrained in them. I told the students that everyone is “cool” in their own way and that the way a person walks or dresses does not determine their status and they just nodded and agreed.

I look forward to continuing teaching math and learning new ideas and strategies along the way.

Be a Creative Teacher..

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I have come across a fascinating book titled “Creative learning for inclusion: Creative approaches to meet special needs in the classroom” by Edward Sellman that really captures the essence of inclusion in the classroom of students with special needs. Everything about this book (by the titles and sub headings) looks intriguing and noteworthy. Unfortunately I have not managed to read the entire book but I found a particular chapter that I will discuss for this post. The chapter on ‘Creative Approaches to Inclusion’ really caught my attention. This chapter was also very long and therefore I have focused on one aspect to give an overview on. Although there are many factors that are required for adopting creativity in the classroom, one factor that was important and that stood out to me was being a creative teacher. This resonates with me as an aspiring teacher therefore I chose to briefly discuss it. I have not read all the case studies in order to obtain practical creative solutions or activities that can be implemented in the classroom but the idea of being creative is so powerful on its own. Just like the new curriculum promotes, it’s really up to each unique and inventive teacher to come up with their own ideas of what creativity means. It varies for all.

Given the challenges faced by those working with special needs individuals and groups, creative approaches and solutions often have to be found in order to meet students’ every day needs and/or to translate conventional curriculum and teaching methods into formats and approaches that will “work” with them ( Sellman, 2013).  As a result, the special needs teacher can create or adapt a multitude of artefacts: the visual timetable to support the needs of children with autism or ADHD, the multitude of communicational aids, the sand tray to reinforce multi-sensory approaches to spelling and so on (Sellman, 2013). Many of these “creations” have often found their way into mainstream context as what turns out to be effective for individuals with special needs is also often more generally effective (Sellman, 2013).

A creative teacher is also a critical teacher. They are critical of what they teach and always look for ways to expand their way of teaching. Such a teacher understands that the field of special needs is often controversial and often asks critical and perhaps difficult questions to broaden their understanding. Example questions include ‘Is a student being educated in the most suitable place/group?’, ‘Is their current provision adequately meeting their needs?’ If it isn’t, ‘How can this practice be improved in their best interests?’ (Sellman, 2013).

I will continue reading this book and take away useful techniques and ideas that will be helpful for all teachers. Below is the citation of the book if anyone is interested in reading.

Sellman, E., & Ebooks Corporation. (2012;2013;2011;).Creative learning for inclusion: Creative approaches to meet special needs in the classroom. New York; Abingdon [U.K.];: Routledge. Doi:10.4324/9780203818145

 

Weekly School Visits..

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This week I continued teaching Math but also decided to teach Second Step as well. It was just a suggestion made my SA and it sounded fair so I agreed with it. I taught both lessons back to back starting with Second Step. I made sure to add some brain breaks in between and although I had until recess for both lessons, I didn’t have enough time to complete Math. My main SA was only there until lunch and my other SA was absent so we had a TOC come for the afternoon. I felt that I needed to finish the math lesson so that the students could fully grasp the content therefore I asked if I can have just 20 minute to complete it. Both my SA and the TOC had agreed and squeezed math into the afternoon schedule. Overall, the lessons went per usual which minor interruptions and disturbances but fairly well. I will continue teaching math every school visit and another lesson as well. I was hoping to transition from Second Step to Mind Up by next week or so but unsure of my decision yet. I really hope I can use Mind Up to help students understand the idea of mindfulness and its association with the brain. I am a little nervous jumping into Mind Up only because I hope I can teach it as well as its supposed to be taught and I hope the students really grasp the idea of it without forgetting it or being confused by it. It’s also difficult for the students and myself because I am not always there and they would only hear of it once a week, so perhaps I can save it until my ten week practicum to introduce it. I am still unsure.

The rest of the afternoon went well and one of our other students was moving schools so we had a small surprise for her. Near the end of my math lesson, the Education Assistant of the student leaving had brought cake and I completely lost the kids once they saw the cake. I quickly wrapped up the math lesson and we all enjoyed the cake and said our goodbyes. The classroom is going to feel emptier without that student but I hope they transition well into their new school.

I am looking forward to continuing my math lessons and expanding my knowledge and trying new things as I continue my teaching journey.

Personal Statements..

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–A visual to capture my personal statements.

As future educators, it’s important to have an understanding of what we value and what we will strive to build in our students. Having these goals builds a platform for what we will be working towards as we begin our journey as teachers. For me, there are five important statements that resonate with my beliefs and ultimately define my passion and goals for myself and for my students. Having an inclusive and safe environment that builds community and promotes uniqueness and voice within children is utmost important. If students cannot feel safe and belonged, they cannot flourish and grow intellectually, socially or emotionally. Moreover, teachers should be role models who influence and encourage behavior that students can mirror. Students spend more time with teachers than their own mothers sometimes so its crucial to be good examples for those young ones who often look up to you. Teachers should allow students to explore their passion and find their inner love for learning. Once this is accomplished, students become more motivated and work harder towards their goals. As educators, we should make every effort to create critical thinkers who will participate as great citizens. At the end of the day, we are striving to build hearts not just minds in our students so that they can function and work collectively to create a better society. I believe students should experience outdoors and out of classroom education that will enrich and enhance their learning. All of these beliefs will not do justice if it does not support the mental and physical health of all students which is significant in their overall learning. My inquiry project that explores inclusiveness of students especially those with special needs resonates with all my personal statements as a future educator. As I further delve into my inquiry project, I hope to increase my awareness of all these goals and find more ideas and strategies that promote these statements.