Classroom update #3

It has been 8 schools since the "Smile and Wave" technique has been introduced to my students and I have been in evaluation mode. It has been a mix of being used and forgetfulness by all my students. The 2 students I expected to forget the most has actually done a lot better than I anticipated. Out of the 8 days I only had to prompt 1 student twice, once in at school and the other on community. I think its because they know they are being evaluated but I thought for sure they would forget over the weekend. My higher functioning students all responded well but didn't use the technique consistently. They didn't do anything wrong, meaning invading personal space but would use different techniques mixed together like: not speak to individuals they knew, would wave and not smile, or give a friendly smile and not wave. I know this is being very picky but it's not the technique and I want my data to be accurate.

Classroom update #2

This week in class, my students and I revisited the pre-assessment and discussed the appropriate way to introduce yourself, proper eye contact, and personal boundaries. I also introduced the "Smile and Wave" technique. I first explained to the students what this technique consisted of and why it is important to use and remember. After the introduction of this technique, I showed the "Smile and Wave" video. Now that the technique has been introduced, I will evaluate for a couple of weeks to see if my students actually use it.

Classroom update #1

This week in my classroom, I introduced the pre-assessment of the proper way to address individuals out in the school and community settings. Most of my students understood the proper way to address individuals they know but also individuals they don't know. The pre-assessment consisted of a test of 10 questions ranging from how to shack hands, eye contact, and how to speak to any and all individuals my students may meet. After the assessment, as a class, we discussed the answer the students marked and discussed in more detail of why certain answers were marked. Throughout the lesson, some of the questions, I demonstrated the appropriate way to deliver within school and community. This week we will revisit our pre-assessment and I will introduce the "Smile and Wave" technique.

Task 5

First, I read the article "Real-World Issues Motivate Students." The article really put my mind at ease on some of the things I have made attempts to do with my students. The teachers which was involved with this article provided the students with a project but their project started out with a question which involved them and how it relates to a real-world problem regarding them as an individual. Even though I deal with special education students and they may not know exactly the real-world problems they deal with, most of my higher functioning students know what they want to do after high school. As I have developed their IEP's (individual education plan), I take into consideration where they what to be after high school, and develop those skills throughout high school to get them where they want to be. When my students understand the skills they will need to get to their end goal they work harder and enjoy coming to school.

Secondly, I watched a video "Positive behavior support- Smile and wave." This was a pretty cool video. This video was geared toward elementary students but definitely at my special education students level. Its funny because I have the student which likes to invaded individuals personal space by hugging people he knows, and I also have the loud/soft talker in my classroom. I like the smile and wave technique because in high school or at any level to invade personal space. He is a touchy-feely students but he has to understand boundaries. The smile and wave has been the easiest technique I have seen, I will definitely try it this week.

Lastly, I read a the blog, "Effective classroom strategies for Students with Autism." I found this blog very interesting and like what this particular teacher had to say. I currently have two students diagnose as Autistic. As she stated, both my students has an obsession with a particular thing. For both of them i have use this to my advantage when a appropriate. You definitely see a change in work ethic and motivation when it involves what they like.

How does this relate to the work you do in your classroom?

Motivation is a huge deciding factor in my classroom. If my students are not motivated to learn it makes it very difficult to do my job. I deal with more discipline issues and not wanting to do work. When work is directly related to the things the students like and/or interested in they are motivated to do work.

How does this deepen your thinking about this domain?

My thinking toward this domain as deepen by knowing and understanding every student needs to be motivated to learn. We all know this but how do we get there. I know by making my class fun my students enjoying coming to school and for me thats been half the battle.

How could this fit into your inquiry plan?

This fits into my inquiry plan because this is the relevant materials I need to possess to be a better teacher and advocate for my students. The materials which i have read and watched has provided information and ideas i can use in my classroom tomorrow.

Task 4: Instruction

What domain did I choose and why?

The domain I chose is Domain 2; The Classroom Environment. Classroom environment is very dear to my heart because this is where the trust is instilled into students in my classroom. As stated in some of my other post, if my students trust me and their having fun in my classroom they are willing to learn new and different things. If your classroom environment is structured correctly, students will feel safe and step outside their comfort zone and will be open to learn and will not want to disappoint.

Which component from this domain are you most comfortable with?

I'm most comfortable will establishing a culture for learning. I only have one rule in my classroom "treat others as you would want to be treated" and this is not just for other students. I have 5 para-educators in my classroom and the expectation of respect is high. This rule is ruled with an iron fist and my students understand if this rule is broken, consequences will follow. When teaching students with disabilities, the understanding of accountability, respect, ans self-motivation has to be established early and over emphasized.

Which component from this domain do you believe most strongly ties to instruction?

The component which ties to instructions would be creating an environment of respect. I believe students have to have a complete and clear understanding of all expectations, not just in the classroom but in all areas of the school. Once students understand the teachers expectations, this is where the educational process can become a fun learning environment.

Which component from this domain would you like to zero in on in your own instruction?

The component I want to zero in on would be classroom management. Not because I have a lot of behavior issues in my classroom but because I do not do a lot of small group instruction due to the different learning styles of my students. In most cases, I have to provide individual instruction to my students because they are all at different learning levels. I'm very fortunate to have assists so once I have provide instruction, they can continue to assist if need be.

How the domains look in my classroom

Respect. In my classroom my students have excellent respect for each other and other teachers within the school. They know my expectations and it doesn't matter if it's in my classroom or in a general education classroom. Do your best and if you do not understand something, ask. In most cases, they ask before they even trying but to me thats a great improvement because in the past they wouldn't ask, they would sit there until someone came to them and ask if they was okay or understood what is asked from them.

Expectation. My students understand what I expect from them, it's simple. Do your best and if you don't know, ask. I may be naive in thinking this way but with Special education students, they have to know and understand how to ask for help. After high school, what are they going to do at work if they don't understand something, just stand there until someone comes by to help. No, thats not how society works and they need to understand what it takes to be successful outside of the school environment.

On-Task. My school is on block schedule, which means we have 4 classes per day for one hour and half. I'm in a unique situation because I only have my class as a whole for only one block per day. During the block I have my students, we go out in the community twice a week and work on community skills needed for success after high school. During the other blocks, I could have 2 to 3 students at a time and this is when I work on instructions goals which deal with their IEP (individual education plan). Needdless to say, on task is not an issue because my students get a lot of individual attention throughout the school day.

Classroom management. As I stated above, being on a block schedule benefits me greatly. Due to not having all my students together all day allows me to have a lot individual time with my students. All my students are mainstreamed into regular educational classes. With the help of my para educators we are able to provide individual instruction throughout the school day. All my students enjoy being in the regular educational environment but they also know if they are disruptive they will be in my classroom during that time. Behavior thus has been a non-issue.

Classroom environment. I believe my classroom is set up to be a good learning environment. My desk is current in the back corner overlooking the entire classroom. I have nine desk in the center of the room facing the dry erase board for instruction. On each side of the students desk, I have tables for small group instruction. I the back corner of the room I have a rehabilitation mat to stretch out my students which Are in wheelchairs. In another corner I have a book shelve with 3 bag beans for students can do some independent reading. Lastly, I have an entertainment area where I have a dvd player and Wii. The Wii has been an added bonus for my multi-handicap students. It has been excellent for hand-eye coordination and functional motor skills.

My question:

At the high school level, what can I do to continue to motivate and build self-confidence no matter of educational abilities?

Task 3 Instruction: Instruction

Think about your assumptions about learning.

I believe every human is born with the ability to learn. With that being said, I'm also a strong believer it takes a community to raise a child. This is not only the community the child lives in but all the adults who has an influence in the child's life. If a child is born with a disability, it's up to the parents, school, doctors, church etc. to provide the necessary tools to adapt to society.

Do all students have a capacity to learn?

Yes, all students possess the ability to learn. I completely agree with Vygotsky's idea of "social intelligence". The amount of information that can be learned or understood by watching and/or interacting with others is endless. I believe all our students learn from other students for what is socially acceptable within our society. I currently have 2 highly functional students which is dating in my class. As I do not like the relationship, they understand the behaviors which are acceptable within the school and in my classroom.

What shapes this capacity?

I feel every adult who is involve with the students life is obligated to shape and mode the students knowledge base. If at a young age, parents instill in the child that education is important and provide by example of why education is important, I feel the child would grow to value an education. Now this may not mean the child will be intelligent but the child will have an understanding of why the educational process is important.

How much influence do you have upon this capacity?

As teachers, we DO influence our students’ capacities for learning. I think about this on a continuing basis because how could I not influence my students learning process. Within the school year, my students are with me almost as much as they are with their parents. Regardless if my students like me or not, I influence in some capacity of their learning abilities. As discussed by Danielson, Domain 2 is what I strive for each and every school year. As a teacher I try to focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning. My number one goal is for my studetns to have fun while at school. If my students are having fun and learning within the process they will be more open to learn different things. Not only open to learning different things but things which they do not like, they may give it a try. I do my best to promote a foundation of trust and build from there.

I feel I'm more in domain two but as I read I thought of different situation where i fell in other domains. My classroom is a blended of different techniques but the most important is fun and trust.

How do these assumptions about learning shape our instruction?

The biggest issues I have as a special education teacher is self determination by my students. By the time they get to the high school level, they are use to adults doing everything for them. They just say "I don't know" and the answer is given to them. As I try to make education fun through games, I attempt to force my students to figure things out on the own. As they progress through high school and the goal is to receive a job, they have to know that they have to do it themselves and if they can't, how to ask for help. My goal as an educator, I want all my students to be able to work out in the community. If I have this goal for myself and students, I have to set high standards within my classroom. I have to plan accordingly, revisit offer, and/or adjust lessons when needed to get where I want all my students to be.

Task 2: Enacting Curriculum

What is the purpose of curriculum and what role do we have as teachers in this purpose?

Curriculum is a blueprint to what you want your students to know but more and importnantly what teachers need to know, present, and understanding so all students can become learners beyond high school. With this blueprint, it is up to all teachers to break down the learning process into a blend learning strategies to meet all students needs.

The most imporant aspect to teaching is keep your teaching strageties fresh and relevent to our students. Also as teachers get older continue to learn new strageties to add to your teaching tool box. As a teacher of students with disabilities, this is exetremely important for me. I have students with a lot of different disabilities and learning styles. I have to have a blended teaching style to each all my students.

How much control do we have in the designing of curriculum? How much should we have?

Within our school, our priniple and curriculum commitee determine classes which make up our curriculum. What is interesting and I complete agree with is how we go about the lay out of the curriculum and the plan of implementation. After the curriculum is developed, we meet as departments to decide what and how the classes are going to be taught, for example, Alegbra 1 teaches develop their sylabi which should look exactly the same. The materials should be taught at the same pace and examines look similar, according to KY teaching standards. Tests are developed in the same format of our CATS tests, so our students are use to seeing this type of testing materials. All departments go though the same process. The control we have over the implementation is extremely important to our school. I believe this holds all teachers and students accountable for our learning environment.

What does the curriculum that you have look like in your classroom in a day to day environment?

This particular question is exetremly hard for me to answer because within my classroom I wear a lot of different hats. As a teacher of students with multi-disablilites, my job is to develop life skills so they can go out and be production citizens within our society. All of my students are on a non-diploma track, lack of better wording, their classes and grades don't matter. With that being said, all my students are main streamed into the regular classes but my ultimate goal is for them to receive the knowledge and skills from every possible source. My class is structure in 3 phrases; the reteaching of regular classes, fuctional courses (math/reading at a basic level), and community base instructional (practical living skills, job coaching, social skills training). At any giving day, my students can be in regular classes, working on basuc living skills, or out in the community learning social and job skills. It's my job to figure out the basic instructions, so my students can learn, retain, and apply inforamtion. Hopefully this will allow them to be production life-long workers within our communities.