Student Analysis

James Island Middle School is located at 1484 Camp Road, Charleston, SC 29412 and is located in the Charleston County School District. JIMS is public with grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of approximately 400 students. It is located in a neighborhood setting. There are an equal number of boys and girls in most classes. Males: 198 (49.9%) and females 199 (50.1%). Eligible for reduced lunch: 31. Eligible for free lunch: 164. Eligible for either reduced or free lunch: 195. The school is approximately ½ black and ½ white with 8 other students of different race or ethnicity.

Ms. Stauder’s sixth grade academy class has thirteen students. Most of Stauder’s students do not read beyond a first or second-grade reading level.  These students require intense help to maintain their skills and even more help if they are going to catch up to their peers. The day begins with 120 minutes of English language arts instruction followed by other core curriculum classes throughout the day, including math, science, and social studies. It is a slow process for the students in her classroom. The main goal is to provide intervention and achieve literacy.  This classroom allows the students to achieve more than they may be able to in a general middle school education class.

Sean* is the only young white male in the class. His first and only language is English. He is from an upper middle class family. Sean lives at home with his Mom, Dad, and sister. Sean has a learning disability, which leads him to have the most trouble with reading, math, and written expression.  Sean needs intense literacy and math intervention. He also receives Occupational Therapy to help him both academically and socially. Sean’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) states that all his class work and tests be read to him; he should receive preferential seating for redirection/on-task behavior; extended time to complete any work; he should receive modified tests; a schedule of daily routines be provided each day of the week; and guided notes or a copy of the teacher’s notes should be provided.

Mikey* is a young black male from James Island. He comes from a lower class family. He lives with his mom and six siblings. Mikey is the middle of the seven children. His mom works two jobs and does not have a strong presence in his life. Mikey is below grade level, but does not have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). He has been placed in the Sixth Grade Academy class for intense literacy and mathematics intervention like Sean.

Sean has very few friends. He often tries to interact with other students, but more often than not does not succeed. He is often the victim of bullying. As the only white male in the classroom, he is excluded from the other males. The day after Halloween, Sean found a lollipop on the ground and wrongfully claimed it as his own. When another fellow classmate realized Sean was eating his lollipop a feud broke out and all of the black males in the classroom quickly got involved.  Teacher intervention helped mitigate the situation. The next day, I witnessed a private and friendly candy exchange between the two boys.

Mikey has some friends, but would not be considered popular. He often upsets and angers easily, but is improving his interactions with others. He acts as a bully at time, but is also improving with his peers. He looks up to the popular students in his class. Mikey is a very sweet student towards Ms. Stauder. If at any time he realizes his behavior has not been up to par or classroom standards, he often writes letters to Ms. Stauder apologizing and reminding her of how important she is to him and how much he appreciates her. As a teacher is, Ms. Stauder is Mikey's mentor and role model.

From observation, Sean has an extremely difficult time paying attention in class. He often plays with shoelaces and pencils. His on-task behavior is a concern, but has improved over the past few months; however, he normally has to be reminded multiple times to begin a task. Sean is a creative student; he loves to make anything with a picture or any activity that has a coloring task. It is also true that Sean does comprehend well; it is just a matter of getting him to do the work without interruption.

From observation, Mikey is one of the stronger students in the class. He makes A/B Honor Roll and is stronger in math and reading than his classmates. It is not a matter of knowing how to do the schoolwork; it is a matter of being motivated to do the work. When he is working well, he is often helpful with other students and quick to participate. Mikey's concerns reside within his temperament. He has drastic mood changes to the point where he may need to be medicated. There was a situation in which Mikey approached Ms. Stauder and claimed to have attempted suicide and felt like he needed help. When his mother was contacted, she was quick to rebuke and deny the occurrence; Mikey quickly took back his statement, which was most likely a result of his mother’s reaction. He frustrates and angers easily for various reasons and I have observed this on multiple occasions.

In order to improve Sean and Mikey's productivity in class Ms. Stauder has implanted both academic and behavioral strategies. In terms of academics Ms. Stauder uses visual aids, scaffolding to walk students through activities, provides students with hands on learning activities, and much more.  She does an excellent job of modeling what is expected of the students and what is expected out of activities. With the help of the school, she is able to use interactive learning tools online. The small class size allows for more one-on-one time with individuals when needed.  The classroom environment allows students to work at their own pace by allowing students that work faster to move and be challenged, while allowing other students to work at a slower pace to master ideas and concepts.

In terms of behavioral strategies, Ms. Stauder uses the same techniques and tools with all of her students. Firstly, Positive Paws is a school wide initiative.  In Ms. Stauder’s classroom, the students can receive points for positive behavior; in order to do so, the entire class must be well behaved for the day. Once the number reaches 30 points, the students are given a pizza party, which they look forward to and strive for. In order to correct, or calm, negative behavior, Ms. Stauder has a “distance learning” desk/area for students that are off task and may need a few minutes to think, de-stress, or cool off. If students become out of control or break school rules, they can be sent to BIC, “Back in Control” room; this normally only happens if students are disturbing class after several requests to get back on track and the distance learning desk failed.

If Sean and Mikey were in my classroom, I feel that I would take many of the same measures as Ms. Stauder; however, I do think there could be a few more individualized strategies in order to engage the two students. In order to help Sean get on task, I would put a checklist on his desk everyday. This way, Sean would know what is expected and what he should be doing in case he forgets. Ms. Stauder may also want to try a “fidget” toy for Sean; for example, a stress ball. If Sean uses a stress ball, he can fidget and do work at the same time. In order to engage Mikey and help with his temperament and emotional difficulties, I would provide Mikey with a journal. He can write in the journal at the beginning of the day if there is anything bothering him and then if there are moments when he is feeling upset or angry, take a few minutes to jot that down. In this case, Mikey is getting his emotions out while also allowing the teacher to know what is going on without interrupting the class and taking away from instructional learning time.

* Student names have been changed. 

 

 

Awareness of Behavior Disorders

Behavior disorders are present in all classrooms; however, all disruptive behavior is not the same. As educators is of utmost importance in how to decipher bad behavior from behavior disorders in the classroom. Behavior disorders are conditions that are more than just disruptive behavior. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act defines behavior disorders as a “condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree which adversely affects educational performance: An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems” (http://idea.ed.gov). There are definite symptoms and academic implications to such behavior problems. Knowing the facts is root to helping students with behavior problems succeed in the classroom.

Behavior Disorders/Emotional Disturbances. (n.d.). Council for Exceptional             Children. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from

            www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Behavior_Disorders_Emoti            onal_Disturbance

 The Council for Exception Children website provides definitive insight on what a behavior disorder actually is. The website provides insight into typical behavioral patterns and examples of related school behavior.  This is a great resource for parents who are beginning to delve into the reality that their child and student may have a behavior disorder that is hindering their social and academic advancement.

Jordan, D. (n.d.). Emotional or Behavioral Disorders. PACER Center - Assistance for Children with Disabilities, Teen Bullying, Parent Programs. Retrieved September 24, 2011, from http://www.pacer.org/ebd/ebdart.asp

            The Pacer Center, which “Champions for Children with Disabilities”, has a really great website for parents. The article is titled “Does my child have an emotional or behavioral disorder?” Pretty straight forward! Parents are in a tough spot when it comes to their child and a behavior disorder. First, parents are in denial and then they are confused. This article is perfect for parents because it tells them what to look for in their child. Every child faces emotional difficulties, but the website helps parents know what to look for and how to seek help comprehensibly.

McIntyre, T. (n.d.). Teaching Social Skills to Kids Who Don't Yet Have Them | LD             Topics | LD OnLine. LD OnLine: The world's leading website on learning             disabilities and ADHD. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from             http://www.ldonline.org/article/Teaching_Social_Skills_to_Kids_Who_Don            %27t_Yet_Have_Them

            Before labeling a student with a behavior disorder and have them tested, teachers must be sure the behavior is consistent for a period of six months or longer. Some students may just not have the social skills to perform well among their peers or in a classroom setting. This website provides teachers with means to teach students the skills we want to be seen in the classroom.  “The defining characteristic of kids with EBD is their inability to build and sustain positive relationships. Kids with EBD are 3 times more likely than general ed kids to be rejected because of their behavior. It's time to use more than point systems to "manage" the behavior of these pupils. We need more than "the curriculum of control."

Nelson, J. R., Benner, G. J., & Mooney, P. (2008). Instructional practices for students             with behavioral disorders: strategies for reading, writing, and math. New York:             Guilford Press.

            This book has a considerable amount of information for teachers on behavior disorders and how to deal with them in the classroom. It provides information on characteristics, intervention, assessment, and prompts for appropriate responses to consistent behavior issues in the classroom. I found it very helpful that the book contains tables and charts to illustrate important concepts such as seating arrangements to give students the best chance to focus.  Although the book is directed for teachers, it may also be helpful for parents in order for them to provide information and assistance for their child’s teachers.

Obenchain, K., & Taylor, S. (2005). Behavior Management: Making It Work in Middle             and Secondary Schools. The Clearing House, 79(1), 7-11. Retrieved September             21, 2011, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30182098 .

In the article titled, Behavior Management: Making It Work in Middle and Secondary Schools, written by Kathryn Obenchain and Shanon Taylor, the authors immediate delve into a  real life situation in a first year teacher’s classroom. After, the teacher questions himself on how he dealt with his situation. Was the student right? He questioned the student’s answers and then questioned his own behavior.  It was not about the correct answer on a homework assignment, it was how he dealt with the situation. I found this article very helpful because it highlights that the quality of a teacher is defined by the quality of their behavior management skills. Teachers will not always know if a student truly has a behavior disorder prior to in-depth behavior analysis by a qualified individual, but it is important “to find the function of that behavior” (10, Obenchain & Taylor).  The article offers examples of inappropriate classroom management when dealing with behavior problems and provides recommendations on how to respond with proper classroom management. 

Inclusion in the Middle School Setting

Firstly, general education teachers are the most knowledgeable people when it comes to knowing a student and their needs in the classroom daily.  General education teachers play an integral role in the everyday life of any student. Therefore, general education teachers are the ones most likely to bring any special needs or disabilities to the attention of others who may provide important support. Furthermore, current and up-to-date legislation supports including students with disabilities in the general education classroom; this concept or belief is known as inclusion (Hines, 1). Students in inclusion settings are firstly members of their general education classroom, not a special education classroom. Inclusion is defined as “a professional belief that students with disabilities should be integrated into general education classrooms whether or not they can meet traditional curricular standards and should be full members of those classrooms” (Friend & Bursuck, 4). All students have the right to be in a general education classroom and services and support are brought to that classroom as needed to ensure success. In 1993, the Oberti v. Board of Education of Clementon School District, the U.S. Federal Court found that “just because a student learns differently from other students does not necessarily warrant exclusion from general education” (Friend & Bursuck, 9). That being said, inclusion is a right for all students.

I felt that exploring inclusion in this middle school band is important because there is not much research on the topic, but ultimately inclusion will be dealt with in all public middle school classrooms. It may not be something we, as teacher candidates, explore daily, but we will have students with disabilities in our classrooms. Current research remains to be inconclusive of whether students with and without disabilities benefit from inclusion in general education classrooms. Proponents rightly argue that the integration of students with disabilities is essentially right; conversely, opponents argue there are three manifested barriers: organizational, attitudinal, and knowledgeable. These barriers are said to hold teachers back from being able to teach in inclusion classrooms, but when push comes to shove, it comes down to the preparedness of the teacher.

In 1985, Lieberman stated, “We have thrown a wedding a neglected to invite the bride” (Lieberman, 513). Although teachers may not feel prepared, it is of utmost importance to adapt and seek outside resources for their classroom. The job of a teacher is to teach, whether it be to a student with or without disabilities. “Inclusion is no longer an option, and it is essential that schools find ways to implement it effectively” (Santoli, Sachs & Romey, 2) “Teachers may feel challenged, hopeful, and desirous of what can be accomplished, but they may also feel frustration, burden, fear, lack of support and inadequacies about their ability to teach children with different kinds of problems (Santoli, Sachs & Romey, 2). That being said, administrative support is crucial to the success of the teacher and further, the able success of a student. Accepting new ideas about teaching, learning, and learning styles is essential, but not always embraced by teachers (Hines, 2). If a teacher is not able to adequately teach a student and do so with a positive attitude, the student is not able to learn. From Geneva Gay’s teacher expectations, we must remember that “Students internalize teachers’ expectations, and those affect their self-concepts, achievement motivations, levels of aspirations, classroom conduct, and interactions with teachers” (Class notes, 9/13/2011).

Middle school is the perfect place to explore inclusion. The diversity of a middle school classrooms gives all students the chance to fit-in physically, socially, and academically.

Middle schoolers range from child-like to adult-like, from socially awkward to socially adept, from emotionally insecure to brimming with confidence, and from concrete to abstract in thinking—sometimes seemingly all in the same student on the same day.

    (Tomlinson, Moon and Callahan, 1998)

Middle school is a melting pot of learners, hence the perfect school setting to foster inclusion. When students interact, they are given the possibility to appreciate abilities, interests, and differences that will exist within students who have disabilities and those who do not. 

Further, the structure of the middle school also fosters inclusion practices. “Because of the interdisciplinary structure of many middle schools, time for collaboration and planning is often available” (Santoli, Sachs & Romey, 3). Middle schools educate adolescents who are in search of a sense of belonging and this holds true to students with and without disabilities. Middle school students with disabilities are simply an example of diversity that exists within the social, physical, and academic setting that is middle school.

Not only do students with disabilities seek a sense of belonging in terms of their classroom setting, they seek social and academic belonging (Bulter & Hodge, 1). They want to be equal; therefore, instruction should be based on students’ abilities, not their disabilities. Within middle level students, positive outcomes have been increased self-confidence, camaraderie, support from their teachers, and the idea that students are held to higher expectations. As for the opponents of inclusion in general education classrooms, they must be missing these main points. Time management and classroom management may need to be dealt with differently, but it is important that all teachers remain flexible and open to new ideas in their classrooms. If teachers did not change, classrooms would be the same as they had been fifty years ago and we would not have come as far as we have.

Works Cited

Butler, R., & Hodge, S. (2004). Social Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Middle School Physical Education Classes. Research in Middle Level Education, 21(1), 1-10.

Hines, R. (2001). Inclusion in Middle Schools. Education Resources Information Center, 1(13), 1-2.

Impact of Inclusion. (n.d.). North Carolina Middle School Association. Retrieved September 14, 2011, from http://www.ncmsa.net/ressum14.htm

Lieberman, L. (1985). Special Education and Regular Education: A Merger Made in Heaven?. Exceptional Children, 51(6), 513-516.

Santoli, S., Sachs, J., & Romey, E. (2008). A Successful Formula for Middle School Inclusion: Collaboration, Time, and Administrative Support. Research in Middle Level Education, 32(2), 1-13.

Tomlinson, C., Moon, T., & Callahan, C. (1998). How well are we addressing academic diversity in the middle school?. Middle School Journal, 29(3), 3-11.

Philosophy of Management

As a teacher candidate, it is important to understand the power of classroom management. Classroom management is a significant factor in regulating student behavior. Although it is impossible to control student behavior completely, providing students with a comfortable and supportive classroom environment, differentiated instruction, and an opportunity for students to grow as individuals will optimize classroom time and learning.

Firstly, the classroom should look and feel inviting for students. The classroom should be a stimulating environment. I like the use of open workspace, colorful and thought-provoking bulletin boards, and posting student work around the classroom. My hopes are that classroom arrangement provides for maximized instruction, encourages appropriate social interactions, and provides for special needs, while also maintaining organization. Adjusting the environment to the student allows for higher academic performance and better behavior. A classroom should not be barren, sterile, or restrictive; a classroom should be a place where not only the student, but also the teacher enjoys. Students should want to speak up, participate, and take risks in the classroom.

 A well-run classroom begins with the physical layout and should reflect personal teaching styles.  I firmly believe that interacting with peers helps foster social and academic development. Therefore, classroom arrangement should reflect this; to encourage student collaboration students should be placed in small groups around tables or clusters of desks. Another important thing to consider is movement. Any students, but especially middle school students, need to get their energy out. By simply moving to different parts of the classroom during lesson transitions can help with muscle cramps and brain stimulation. Likewise, some stimuli can be distracting; temperature, lighting, and noise level all affect students differently.

Further, the teacher can foster the openness and contribute to a comfortable and supportive classroom. Friendly teachers can make the world of difference both inside and outside of school. Flip Flippen, a psychotherapist, once said, “If you have a child’s heart, you have his head”. Knowing student names, interests, and outlining expectations should be done first thing at the beginning of the school year. All students are welcome, as well as their interests and cultural differences.

Students feel comfortable if the teacher feels comfortable; therefore, portray a positive attitude and remain calm. The classroom should have a “me with you” attitude, not a “me against you” attitude. “Students internalize teachers’ expectations, and those affect their self-concepts, achievement motivations, levels of aspirations, classroom conduct, and interactions with teachers” (class notes). Simple cues of encouragement can make the world of difference. If teachers model correct behavior, provide positive feedback, and set expectations, students will know what is expected of them in the classroom both in terms of academics and attitude.  

Acting as a positive role model and giving an open place to learn, students should also be communicated the behavioral and academic expectations of the classroom. One way to open students to academic success is to provide them with their academic expectations. Daily routines and procedures should be discussed at the beginning of the school year and then posted somewhere easily visibly in the room. Assignments and due dates should be posted in order to keep students focused and set clear objectives. One way of communicating behavioral expectations seriously is to go over the rules slowly with examples and then have students sign a contract in order to be held accountable when they do act out. This is a way of ensuring that students know what the rules are, how their behavior should be conducted, and time is not wasted further into the school year. If students know what is expected of them in terms of class work, homework, and behavior, this will create fewer behavioral problems and most importantly allow for more instructional time.

When students inevitably do act out, it is important to act thoughtfully. Remain calm. Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs reasonably believes that “all behavior has a goal” (class notes). Immediately reacting to that goal, whether it be attention, power, revenge, or avoidance of failure, and giving into the student need without logical thought can cause more problem goal-seeking behaviors. Dreikurs states it is best “to correct misbehavior with logical consequences” (class notes).  Firstly, teachers should respond by trying to correct the behavior. If the behavior persists, I feel it is best to follow B.F. Skinner’s idea of behaviorism, in order to punish positively, something undesirable is added to decrease undesired behavior, such as detention. Conversely, if behavior is positive, reinforce that behavior by adding something positive to increase desired behavior, such as reward. Behavior is learned, therefore it can be replaced, by following these ideas, behavior is being taught once again in a positive manner.

Classroom behavior is the key to classroom success. Classroom management is the key to classroom behavior. Therefore, it is best to create a positive environment in which students learn to foster and optimize classroom learning. 

LOW INCIDENCE DISABILITIES ARE SEVERELY DISABLING CONDITIONS.

Students with low-incidence disabilities make up less than 20 percent of all the students with disabilities in schools. Most students with low-incidence disabilities receive special education services since birth. Students with low-incidence disabilities often have many supports and extensive assistance. Students with low-incidence disabilities need the same type of attention as other students, but may need more assistance from paraprofessionals or personal assistants .

Federal disability categories of low-incidence disabilities include: Mental retardation, multiple disabilities (one disability cannot be identified as the primary), hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments (limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems), visual impairments, autism, deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, and developmental delay.

The following are suggested questions for teachers to ask when you have a student with a low-incidence disability in your classroom:

1.     What are the student’s strengths?

2.     What activities and rewards does the student most enjoy?

3.     What are the student’s needs in these domains: academic? Social? Emotional? Behavioral?

4.     Does the student have physical or health needs that require my attention?

5.     What else should I know about the student?

6.     What are the most important instructional goals for the student? Also, in terms of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral.

7.     What are the goals for the student to be working on throughout the school day?

8.     If a question arises regarding the student, whom should I talk to?

9.     Does the student have a professional assisting them?

10. What other services will the student need to access?

11. Do I need to make physical adjustments for the students?

12. Do I need to adjust expectations because of physical or health needs?

13. How can I best accommodate the student?

Autism is a developmental disorder. It appears in children during the first three years of life and affects brain development in terms of social and communication skills. Since being identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, there has been great debate over the disorder. What causes autism? Are vaccines safe? Is it hereditary? Why does autism affect boys more often than girls? Is education a factor? Is lifestyle a factor? Is there a cure?

Autism is unique in that it comes in many forms. These forms are defined by the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) which cause impairments to social interaction and communication. In your classroom, it is important to be aware of potentially stressful situations. People with autism typically resist human interaction, have difficulty producing words to communicate thoughts, do not like change, have a narrow range of interests, and complete actions continuously, just to name a few. In order to accommodate students with autism, create a comfortable and consistent environment. Come up with a routine and establish procedures for students. If students do not communicate well with words, come up with different ways to communicate; for example, sign language or pictures.

Accommodating students is important. It is important to recognize student disabilities as moderate or severe and recognize if students have multiple disabilities. After, you may correctly identify student needs to best bridge the gap between behavior, academic, and social skills in relation to students without disabilities and to help the student succeed to the best of their ability. Objectives for teaching students with low-incidence disabilities should include: recognition of pictures for expressive communication, following directions, interacting with peers positively, making decisions, and working independently. Although those tasks seem trivial or routine to a person without disabilities, these are often the most difficult tasks for students with autism to complete and carry out on a daily basis.

What does the student need? How slowly or quickly do they learn a skill? How can you help students maintain their learned skills or knowledge?

Other low-incidence disabilities include deaf-blindness disabilities. 

Visual impairments fall between two categories, low vision and blind. 

• Speak to the class upon entering and leaving the room or site.

• Call the student with a vision impairment by name if you want his/her attention.

• Seat the student away from glaring lights (e.g. by the window) and preferably in front of the class.

• Use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left, etc. in relation to the student's body orientation. Be specific in directions and avoid the use of vague terms with unusable information, such as "over there", "here", "this", etc.

• Describe, in detail, pertinent visual occurrences of the learning activities.

• Familiarize the student to the classroom. 

• Give verbal notice of room changes, special meetings, or assignments.

• Offer to read written information for a person with a visual impairment, when appropriate.

• Order the appropriate text books for the students in their preferred medium.

• Identify yourself by name, don't assume that the student who is visually impaired will recognize you by your voice even though you have met before.

• If you are asked to guide a student with a visual impairment, identify yourself, offer your services and, if accepted, offer your arm to the student's hand. Tell them if they have to step up or step down, let them know if the door is to their left or right, and warn them of possible hazards.

• Let the student know if you need to move or leave or need to end a conversation.

• Routinely check the instructional environment to be sure it is adequate. 

• When communicating with a student who has a vision impairment, always identify yourself and others who are present.

• Do not pet or touch a guide dog. Guide dogs are working animals. It can be hazardous for the visually impaired person if the dog is distracted.

• It is not necessary to speak loudly to people with visual impairments.

• Always notify changes of class schedule in advance.

Hearing impairments fall under three categories: deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind. Deafness is an invisible disability, you can not see if a student is deaf, it has to be portrayed through conversation and informative knowledge. Therefore, do not ever forget the student is in the room simply because they are paying attention to you. 

• Use facial expressions, gestures, and other body language to convey your message. 
• Get the attention of a student with a hearing impairment before speaking and communicating and always face the student.
• If not facing a student with a hearing impairment, gently touch a student on the shoulder or on the arm to indicate that you want to talk to him/her.
• Do not be alarmed if the student does not understand and you cannot understand him/her.  It takes time.
• When communicating, always face the student with a hearing impairment.
• For reinforcement repeat new vocabulary in different contexts.
• Sequence topics so that new material is related to that previously learned (which is helpful for all students). 
• Use visual aids. 
• Use written announcements assignments, due dates, exam dates, changes in the class schedule, special event dates, etc.).
• Provide an outline in advance of the lesson or activity.
• Use captioned DVDs or videos.
• Use interpreter if needed.
• Avoid seating the student in heavy traffic areas.
• Do not touch or pet a hearing dog. 
• Avoid vibrations and excessive noise.
• Write legibly on the board.
• Eliminate background noises. 
• Establish emergency procedures with the student. 
• Get the attention of a person with a hearing impairment before speaking.
• If necessary, use written notes to communicate..
• Ask the student where he or she would like to sit. 

Students with low-incidence disabilities may not always learn as much as other students, but it is important to meet the individual student's goals (academic, social, behavioral, and emotional). Most students in this group have social and emotional challenges. It is important to be sensitive to the differences. All students have a place in the general education classroom regardless of their disability. Teachers should make accommodations to best suit all students. 

Types of Instruction and Types of Learning Styles

Instructional methods should be based on student needs.

Instructional method #1: Six Steps of Direct Instruction

1.     Review and check the previous day’s work (and reteach if necessary). Reviewing, apart from homework, is important in assessing student learning.

2.     Present new content or skills. The teacher should always tell the students what they are going to learn. Presenting the material to the students prior to the lesson is also good for assessing prior knowledge. The material should then be presented in small steps.

3.     Provide guided student practice (and check for understanding). After the material is introduced, the teacher should involved all students through oral response, students holding up answer cards, raising their hands when they think they have the correct answer, etc. “Effective guided practice continues until the students meet the learning objective” (Including Students with Special Needs, Friend & Bursuck).

4.     Provide feedback and correction (and reteach when necessary).

a.     If a student answers confidently, acknowledge the response and provide praise, i.e. “That’s right!” “Great job!”

b.     If a student answers correctly, but with hesitation, respond with “Yes, that is correct because…”

c.      Re-teaching the material can follow incorrect answers or have another student help the student that answered prior.

5.     Provide independent student practice. Have students practice in different ways without teacher led conversation. Practice activities should still be supervised.

6.     Review frequently. Closure and reminders are very important! You can incorporate learned material into new homework assignments and tests. If that material is missed, it should then be re-taught.

Instructional method #2: Indirect Instruction is based on the belief that children are active learners and if they are taught in the appropriate environment, they can construct knowledge and solve problems in ways according to their development. Indirect instruction can teach both basic skills (behavior skills, social skills, group coping skills, basic academic skills, science process skills) and knowledge in content areas. Indirect instruction is primarily student-focused. The teacher should act as a facilitator, guiding students to questions and problems in their learning. Therefore, students are actively involved.

·      Strategies include: case study, concept attainment, concept formation, concept mapping, inquiry, problem solving, reading for meaning, and reflective study.

·      The idea focuses on the “done by” the student ideal, rather than “done to” the student ideal present with direct instruction processes and strategies.

·      Indirect instruction can also take up a great deal of time in comparison to direct instruction. It can also be challenging to insure that students meet learning objectives.

Instructional method #3: Scaffolding is a great supportive strategy for teaching in the classroom. Prior to using scaffolding as a teaching strategy, it is important to assess whether students have the necessary background knowledge to learn a cognitive strategy (Rosenshine & Meister, 1992).

            Six strategies:

1.     Present the new cognitive strategy: introduce the strategy (“think” and “do”).

a.     Define the problem.

b.     Propose hypotheses to explain the problem.

c.      Collect data to evaluate your hypothesis.

d.     Evaluate the evidence.

e.     Make a conclusion.

2.     Regulate difficulty during guided practice.

3.     Provide varying contexts for student practice.

4.     Provide feedback.

5.     Increase student responsibility.

6.     Provide independent practice.

During independent student practice it is important to follow a few guidelines.

1.     Students should only practice skills they have already learned.

2.     It is effective when students are interested and engaged in what they are practicing.

3.     It should be individualized to students so that they can work independently.

4.     It should relate directly to what students are doing in class.

5.     Students should have much practice on a few skills rather than little practice on many skills.

6.     Practice should be set up for success. If students know the correct answers, they are more likely motivated to do more.

7.     It should be set up in a way that students have immediate feedback and can make corrections immediately.

Independent practice should give students a clear idea of what they are learning: “Where are we going?” It should show students how they can practice: “Who needs to practice what?” It should tell students where they are” “What kinds of activities are meaningful for what they need to know?” Homework also has a positive effect, if assigned correctly.

INCLUDE MODEL

Planning Instruction by Analyzing Classroom and Student Needs

Instruction is a form of architecture. Adapting curriculum seems to be an afterthought, but should be forethought for proactive curriculum development. Effective teachers analyze classroom settings and environment in relation to student needs, both academic and social, and make accommodations and modifications to ensure success in the classroom.

Fact is, ALL teachers work with students with disabilities. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) all students are allowed to participate in general education classroom practices.

“INCLUDE gives teachers a systematic process for accommodating students based on their individual needs and the classroom demands on or expectations of the teacher” (Friend & Bursuck, 152). Through INCLUDE, interactions and environments can minimize or maximize needs and teachers should (and can) reasonably accommodate students with special needs.  The two main elements are: universal design and differentiated instruction. Universal design is the idea that materials, methods, and assessments are designed to support. Differentiated instruction (which all teachers should be well-informed and use in daily practice) is the process of using a variety of strategies to meet needs in the classroom.

Lets look again at the steps of the INCLUDE strategy:

Identify classroom demands (environmental, curricular, and instructional)

• ·      Teachers should anticipate problems a student may experience. 

Note student strengths and needs (Academics, social, and physical)

Check for success

• Look for student strengths
• ·      Find something that the student can do successfully!

Look for problem areas

• ·      Look for student needs (possibly weaknesses)
• ·      Identify learning needs.
• ·      Find barriers to success, eliminate those barriers.

Use information to brainstorm

• ·      Through instructional accommodations and instructional or curricular modifications.

Differentiate instruction

• ·      Age-appropriateness
• ·      Easiest approach first
• ·      Identify a “can’t” or “won’t” issue
• ·      Give students choices
• ·      Select effective strategies

Evaluate progress through assessment.

• ·      Grades, observations, portfolios, ratings, etc.