It’s Not Fair

Another question came up into my special education forum:

“Does anyone have recommendations for children's books or social stories that address the "why" some students get certain supports? Getting some resistance from general education teachers being concerned about their students feeling things are not "fair" when a student has a positive reinforcement system (e.g. token board), fidget, etc. "Why does he get a token board and frequent breaks?" "What about the students who are doing the right thing and do not have problem behavior? Is isn't fair to them." Of course, other students are looking and watching what's happening with those students who are being provided academic and behavioral interventions.

Would like to have at least one good children's book and/or social story that explains that everyone is different and how some students need a little extra support.

Thanks for sharing any resources you may be aware of.”

Here is my answer:

Here is a good article that gives a link to some resources: That's not fair! How to teach fair does not mean equal - Special Needs for Special Kids

I have told my students and other teachers that support are a lot like going to the grocery store. We all need to eat in order to survive but we all have different nutritional needs and tastes. What I get at the grocery store may be very different than what someone else gets but that doesn't make someone else better or worse than me. I don't think it is always fair that someone else can eat a lot of candy and ice cream without gaining weight but I can't. People with diabetes can't eat the same things I eat. "Fair" does not mean we all eat the same things.

Do you know any resources to recommend to this teacher? How do you teach fairness in the classroom? Please share.

Photo by Maria Lin Kim on Unsplash

Advice to the General Education Teacher:

Recently a Special Education teacher was creating a document to use at the beginning of the school year as a helpful resource to General Education teachers. This teacher was asking for people to share what advice they might give to a General Education teacher and I thought I would share some thoughts.

1. Use all accommodations and modifications as stated in the IEP even if you don’t like them because it is a federal law.
2. Transitions can throw students with special needs off track so give some warning before changing to a new activity.
3. Announce the plans for class at the beginning so the student knows what is going to be expected.
4. At the end of class, remind students what is due the next day by writing it on the board and announcing it. This helps visual and auditory learners.
5. If possible, have students get in pairs to retell the new information they have learned. By telling someone, it reinforces the learning for some and by hearing it from their peers helps others.
6. Use the special ed teachers as a resource when you get frustrated that students are having difficulty learning a concept. They may know a strategy that you can use to help your students be more successful.

If you are a General Education teacher, what other advice should I add to the list that others might find helpful?

If you are a Special Education teacher, what do you think should be added to the list?

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High-Leverage Practice 13: Instruction

I am going to discuss High-Leverage Practices as mentioned on the CEC website organized around four aspects of practice. I hope you will join in the conversation!

HLP13 Adapt curriculum tasks and materials for specific learning goals.

Sometimes we take for granted that all students are capable of doing the same things. This is not true because each student has their own unique way of learning and retaining information.

Once I determine the specific learning goal for the students and prioritize the steps that are needed to reach this goal, it is time to look at each individual step closer and in more detail.

I need to make sure the student is capable of completing the individual task. I need to look at the student’s developmental level to determine if he needs to start out with concrete examples before moving to abstract ideas. I might need to look at manipulatives to help move from the concrete example to the abstract ideas. Does my student have all the materials he might need to master this skill? I might have to get some materials or even make my own if I can’t find any. This is why planning ahead of time is so important.

I might find some practice worksheets but usually, the student will need more practice examples. Sometimes the practice worksheets are too overwhelming and might need to be cut into smaller sections for the student to complete. Sometimes the student doesn’t need to complete all the problems if he can show mastery by doing half of the examples.

Depending on the student’s needs, I might even have to adapt the material for the student to use. Usually, I see general material available and then I tweak them to match the needs of my student.

How do you adapt curriculum tasks and materials? Please share.

Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

Square Pegs

In One size does not fit all…, Paul Bogush asks,

“What are you doing for the square pegs?  What do you see in their future when they walk into your class?”

I think we need to make sure that we pay close attention to these square pegs. According to Fortune 500 magazines, many of the rich, famous, or in leadership positions were the square pegs in the classroom. These are the ones that learned to survive in the real world by developing coping skills from their school days.

I was one of the kids that tried to fit in to the round hole. I believe now, looking back, that I was really a square peg but I learned to adapt so that I could fit into a round hole. No one made exceptions for me and I was so determined to succeed that I found my own way to make myself fit. I was very self motivated and determined but many of the students in my classes did not have the same characteristics.

My husband would have been that kind of student who never fit in and never knew how to make himself fit in. He was considered a lousy student and deemed a failure. Luckily he went into the navy where failure wasn’t an option and learned coping skills (out of pure survival I think) that helped him succeed. Years later he went on to college and even became a judge. I share this story with many parents so they can realize that it is important not to give up on students who don’t fit the mold. Many parents don’t ever give up but it is really hard for them to convince the professionals not to give up.

I also learned many things from my husband on how to help my students fit in. Then I began to talk to other adults who felt like square pegs when they were growing up and I asked them for tips on how to help my students. Sometimes I opened up this discussion with my students and it is interesting that many of them have some ideas of how they can fit in better but feel like no one is listening to them. Allowing the student to give input actually empowers them and makes them feel more confident.

I’d love to be able to give you a laundry list of things that worked for every student but every student is different. Sometimes I had to try different things and if they didn’t work, I had to try something different. This sometimes took a lot of patience for both of us, the student and myself. I prepared the student for this possibility before we tried something so that the student didn’t feel like a failure if something didn’t work.

To find strategies that work, I had to take the time to survey the student and try to determine what style of learning works best for that student and in which situation. Sometimes a student may have different learning styles depending on the task the student is being asked to complete.

I also need to learn as many different strategies as possible so that when I when I need to try a specific strategy, I will have an assortment of things to try. It is like a construction worker who must have the right tools on hand to complete a project. If you don’t have the right tools, the end product might not turn out the best that it could.

This whole process will also help the students when they leave my classroom. They need to learn how to advocate for themselves and look for strategies that will work for them. Instead of sitting passively waiting for someone to help them, they will be able to take an active role in their own learning.

How do you help the square pegs in your classroom? Please share.

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Found on flickrcc.net

Helping a Student with Mild Spectrum Disorder

I recently received an email asking for advice and thought you might enjoy reading the exchange. The question is in bold and my answer is in italics below it.

“1. We have one student at our school is has been diagnosed as having mild Spectrum Disorder.  We do not have a special needs teacher at our school, so when we (the teachers) have a questions about "Is this a good assignment...." or "How can I adapt this assignment??" type question we do not have anyone that can help us know what to do. We asked him to write goals for this quarter of school.  It was enlightening to discuss his viewpoint of goals.  His thoughts are that setting goals are just asking to fail at something.  He said that everytime he has set goals he has been unable to complete them.  He then feels bad about himself for failing.  We were able to set some short term goals that were achieveable for him, and I have been checking on him regularly.  Is this a typical scenario with goal setting?  If not, do you have any tips for me on how to help him understand that it is not a set-up for failure.”

I think writing goals for a whole quarter may be too abstract for him right now. I also think it is great that he can verbalize why it is hard for him. I might try using a visual calendar and having him decide what he wants to accomplish by a certain date but 3 months ahead if really hard. Since he sees things in "black and white", planning that far ahead is too "gray." I think by letting him achieve short term goals will give him some confidence. Then maybe make those short term goals cover a little more time each time you set new ones. Another thing to suggest would be to show him that long term assignments with due dates could possibly be considered a long term goal. This would be a little more concrete for him to see when you put it on a calendar. His goal could be to: complete "assignment" by "due date." You might even put this on the calendar without calling it a "long term goal" which might add more stress on him. Once he achieves it, you can reflect back on it and show him how it was a long term goal and how he was successful with it.

“2.  Today one of his teachers came to me with an assignment that he refused to complete.  The main assignment was a "what if " type scenario that he was to write a paragraph about this topic.  His response was "I do not want / I can't think about these types of questions because I just don't know how it would have been .....Personally, I hate "what if" or "what would it have been like " questions.  I know this is 40 points of my grade, but I just can't do this. "   His teacher is not sure of what to do with this response.  Is there a modification that can be done in these type assignments.  The assignment is to assess the student's knowledge of a topic in a different way than just asked them to feed the information back to the teacher.”

Again, "what if" is too abstract for this student. Dealing in "black and white", "what if" is in the gray area. I wonder what the objective the teacher is trying to accomplish. Is the objective supposed to be writing a paragraph? If so, then would it be possible to write a paragraph on a topic that he is more comfortable with. Is the objective teaching some kind of social skill? If so, you will probably need to actually tell him what the desired response is and then practice it through social stories or role playing. Another thought, if the teacher is insistent that he write about that topic, may be look at the "what if" scenario and see if you can apply it to a situation that he has already experienced. Then he can write about it that way. 

You didn't ask this but I thought I would throw in another suggestion - if possible, giving him 2 choices would make him feel more in control of himself. Maybe if teachers gave 2 choices to write about, he would feel more comfortable with one and not be so resistant. But I would not give more than 2 choices or it might become overwhelming.

Also, writing abstract thoughts are much harder for these students. If at all possible, multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank are much easier on the student than writing short answer or essay. If checking for understanding (usually through short answer or essay), consider having the student give verbal answers either to the teacher or in a voice recorder to be turned in.

Do you have any other suggestions for this teacher? If so, please share.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Image: 'BLACK VIEW'
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Classroom Accommodations

Another session I attended at the SCCEC conference was Choosing Accommodations through a Collaborative Partnership by Katie Stapleton from Berkeley County. She did an awesome job and gave lots of useful information. When choosing accommodations, teachers should not just use a laundry list of accommodations and instead they should be carefully chosen to meet the student’s needs. Choosing the appropriate accommodation should also be backed up with evidence and data to support the need for this accommodation.

From the presentation:

There are 4 types of Accommodations:

Presentation (how material is presented); Response (how the student responds to the material); Setting (the environment in which the material is presented); and Timing & Scheduling (when the material is presented.

Examples:

· Presentation: Large print, sign language, Braille, oral administration, visual cues, notes, outlines

· Response: Mark answers in book, use reference aids, use of computer, oral response

· Setting: seating, separate rooms, study carrel, special lighting

· Timing & Scheduling: daily schedule, extended time, frequent breaks

Below are the guided questions that Berkeley County uses in selecting instructional accommodations.

“Guiding Questions for Selecting Instructional Accommodations:

SETTING

Preferential Seating:

· Is there evidence the student performs differently when not seated near the instructor or away from distractions?

· Is there history of the student running from the assigned area?

· Are there documented vision and/or hearing concern/disability?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) while seated in different areas of the room

o Compare data while seated with class and by adult

· Physical accessibility

Small Group:

· Is there evidence the student performs differently when taken in a whole group versus a small group?

· Is small group needed to support another accommodation? (i.e. oral administration)

*A student who receives services in a small group does not automatically warrant the accommodation of small group.

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) with whole group and small group

o Compare data in whole group and small group

Individual Assistance:

· Is there evidence the student requires the support of one-on-one assistance from a peer or adult?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) with whole group, small group, and one on one

o Compare data in whole group, small group, and one on one

Separate Location:

· Is there evidence the student performs differently when separated from peers?

· Is there evidence the student’s behavior would impact the progress of other students?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) with general education class, special education class, and different location

o Compare data in each setting

SCHEDULING

Frequent/Extended Breaks:

· Is there evidence that supports success with instruction being broken in smaller segments following a break time? (i.e. within the same day or multiple sessions)

· Is there evidence that supports success with behavior, by being reinforced with designated break times during instruction?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) with a break and without a break

o Compare data with and without break

PRESENTATION

Prompts/Cues:

· Is there evidence the student requires prompts/cues to stay on task or as part of behavior plan?

*Need to specify the level of intensity for prompts/cues (i.e. physical, verbal, gestural).

Evidence would include:

• Data on student performance (completion and accuracy) on assignments attempted independently versus with various levels of prompts (gestural, verbal, and physical).

Assignments:

· Is there evidence the student requires assignments to be reduced in number to support behavior and fatigue needs?

*Need to ensure reduced assignment allows for mastery.

· Is there evidence the student requires directions to be paraphrased or simplified in order to complete assignment?

· Is there evidence the student requires highlighting of key vocabulary in directions or content?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (completion, accuracy, behavior) on assignments when given in various modes (entire assignment, assignment with reduced number of items, and entire assignment broken into smaller sections presented in chunks).

· Data on student performance (completion, accuracy, behavior) when a given assignment is attempted independently versus when directions are simplified or paraphrased.

· Data on student performance (completion, accuracy, behavior) when a given assignment is attempted with and without highlighted key vocabulary.

Oral Administration:

· Is there evidence in the present level of performance indicating the student is reading below grade level?

· Is there evidence to support the student comprehends the content when read aloud?

· Is there evidence from curriculum based assessment and measurement for reading fluency?

· Is the student participating in direct instruction for targeted skills?

*Need to specify if for directions, reading of context, tests, and/or key words. Need to specify if via a person, audio book/CD, or computer software.

Evidence would include:

· Documented reading level from achievement test.

· Data on student performance (completion, accuracy, behavior) when an assignment is attempted independently versus when read aloud by (adult, audio, or technology).

· CBM data from AIMSweb progress monitoring.

RESPONSE

Note-Taking:

· Is there evidence that the student can not complete note-taking requirements on their own (i.e. behavioral, visual, motor difficulties)?

*Need to specify if notes will be provided via teacher, peer, or template.

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) in general education class and/or special education class improves with guided notes, template, copies, etc.

o Compare data before and after note-taking addition

Student Responses:

· Is there evidence that the student requires an alternative mode of response for assignments and tests (i.e. dictated to peer/adult/device, write in workbook, computer, alternative response options)

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) in general education class and/or special education class improves with alternative mode

o Compare data before and after alternative mode (may be multiple trials with different modes)

Calculator:

· Is there evidence the student requires the use of a calculator during math instruction on a routine basis?

· Is there evidence in present level describing fluency deficit in math calculations?

· Is there evidence of student work showing mastery with a calculator?

Evidence would include:

· Data on student performance (time on task, grades, behavior) before and after the use of a calculator

· Data on CBM probes with math fluency deficit”

Data collection is important to choosing the appropriate accommodations. Berkeley County uses a web based accommodation checklist summary. This would make it easier for student’s teachers to share their observations.

I believe that if I used this to guide what accommodations my students would get, they would be even more successful in the classroom.

How do you chose what accommodations your students get? If you are not in special ed, how are these chosen for the students you do teach?

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'What To Watch, What To Tape'
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