Please Invest in Me!

At the beginning of a new school year each students are hoping that their new teacher is going to invest in
them.  Please teachers take the time to do this.  Let your students know that you see the value in them as individuals.  That you know that they are unique, and that by doing both of those things you are committed to what makes your own life so important.  Honor your teaching degree and teach these students that they are special.

There are going to be days that you love your job, and days that you hate your job.  But make sure your students know each and everyday that you care for them and what they accomplish.

What students need to know everyday:

• my teacher respects me
• my teacher cares that I am successful
• my teacher wants me to come back tomorrow
• I am part of a classroom community, and I am needed in my classroom.

Effective teachers can do these things and more simply by understanding the students culture and background, finding ways to interact with students and getting to know more about them, motivating students to be successful,  and by caring about there students.

"It is hard to care deeply about the kids whose questions make us feel dumb.  It's hard to care deeply about the child whose temper destroys the tone of the classroom in an instant.  It is difficult to care about the child whose demeanor seems threatening, the one who stares with blank eyes, and the one who literally says, "I hate you."  It's hard to care because we don't know how to see through someone else's eyes, to speak someone else's language, to make the world better for a child whose world is out of control.  It's hard because there are too many students to connect with.  It's hard because there is barely time to survive between the race that begins with the first bell and ends so long after the last bell rings.  It's hard because people at home need so much of us too and there seems never to be enough of us to go around, even for those people who are at ground zero in our lives, let alone those who inhabit the perimeters of our lives."

 I like this quote from the book, yes teaching is hard, our job is hard, but it is also so very rewarding.  If we re read this passage and use the word rewarding in place of the word hard that is how I feel about what I am about to do each day.  Who could ask for anything more out of life, then to LOVE what they do, and ultimately who they work for.

Tiering Instruction

One of my favorite past times is to watch cakes be decorated.  I have tried my hand at it a couple of times, but I can't give it the justice that it deserves.  One thing that I have learned about cake decorating is that each tier is a support for the tier beneath it.  When the cake is finished one can not exist without the other.

Teaching in tiers is similar.  When we tier in differentiation all of the tiers are equally important in the outcome of the assignment.  When we teach using tiers it gives us the opportunity to group students according to what works best for them.  If I am planning a lesson on fractions in second grade and I have a handful of students that have a lot of background knowledge on fractions I can group them together and give them a more challenging assignment.

From my assessment I can see that I have a group of students that has no background knowledge about fractions and I am going to need to provide them with additional support in the assignment that they are given.

My third group that I am going to make is going to be made up of my students that had some prior knowledge, but still need help.  These are my middle of the road kids.  It is most likely the majority of the class.

One thing that I need to make sure is that I look at the curriculum  so that I know exactly what learning goals I want to set for my students. I need to establish what the students are to know, learn and do to achieve the learning goal set forth by the curriculum.

Once my goals are set I need to make sure that my lesson activities are engaging for the students in all tiers.  The activity needs to meet the demands of each student, and that is where I can change the process to suit the needs better.  I also want to make sure that the activities that are provided in the unit are different each day.  There is such a wide variety of activities to use that I don't want to repeat the same activity over and over again.  No one likes to die by Power Point.
Here is a list of activities that can be used to mix up things and to help your students work together in groups:

• Jigsaw- students are divided into groups and then become the "pro".  One student from each group then moves to another group to teach them what they learned.
• Scavenger Hunts- hid clued throughout the classroom and get kids moving.
• Role Play- Great for literacy, social studies, and other activities with  characters.
• Read Children's Books- Children of all ages love a good book.  You can use these to introduce new topics, or reinforce one that you have already started.

Students will get more excited about working in tiered groups once they are used to it.  One thing to remember is to make each student accountable for their own actions in the group and their own work.    Students won't be successful 100% of the time, but if they know what is expected of them and have the skills to do achieve it they will reach greatness.

 

Addressing the Individual needs of Students.

Each student in my classroom has their own unique needs.  Here is a way pathway through differentiating a lesson to show you how I can address each of those needs.

• The first thing that I am going to do is assess my students on the subject matter being taught.  This allows me the chance to see what prior knowledge the students have about the topic we are going to be covering in the the unit.
• From the assessment I will be able to see the students that are going to need more of a challenge, additional help, or are my middle of the road students. 
• With the knowledge gained from my assessment I will be able to group students according to the level of scaffolding that they need.  I can do this based on interest level, or by ability level.
• Students will then work in groups to achieve the academic goals set forth by me.
• As the students work in their groups I will be able to monitor the classrooms progress and assist those that are struggling.

One thing I want my students to be doing is aiming high.  I don't want the students to underestimate what they can accomplish.  I also don't want them to assume that I gave them a level of work that they feel is the highest level of success that they can achieve.  It is vastly important as teachers to remember that with the right scaffolding students can achieve greatness.

I want my students to know that I am a no excuse teacher as well.  I want students to try there hardest each and everyday that they are in my class.  If students are working hard one day and goofing off the next, then they need to understand that it is not acceptable behavior for that to happen.  No excuse means homework turned in and completed the right way the first time.  When students know what is expected of them then they will realize their potential and do it the right way, and overall be successful.

There is a saying on the wall in a classroom that I have worked in "We can do hard things".  I loved weeing this each day, not only was it a reminder to each of the students in the room, but I used it as a reminder to myself that when the going got tough that I could also do hard things.  Students need to know that teachers believe in them and that sign of motivation is there to help them not only to point out that sometimes things are going to be hard, but that all things are possible.  

Teaching the diverse class.

Now that I have a curriculum map what am I going to do with it, and how am I going to teach it to my diverse classroom?

Classrooms comes with all types of learners.  There are English language learners, students from other cultures, advanced learners, students with different learning abilities, students that come from low-income homes, students that come from high-income homes, students that love school, and students that have given up completely on school, and lastly you have the students that are the "norm".  How does one teacher take all of those students into one class and survive the day?

It it through differentiation that the teacher will be able to reach each and everyone of those students everyday.  When the teacher builds a background with her students she gains a better knowledge of their needs and interests which helps her to know how to reach them academically.  It is important that the curriculum belongs to all of the students and the teacher will be able to achieve this goal by getting to know her students and interacting with them on a personal level.

Students need to be taught how to be self sufficient in their learning, they need to know how to activate their prior knowledge, they need to know how to inquire in themselves and in others through life experiences that they have had, and that they can relate to through others experiences.  All of these things help them to make meaning of their learning, it provokes questioning, and helps them to make sound judgments in active learning. When students know how to do these things it makes them more self-sufficient in the classroom and helps them achieve higher goals in the classroom.

The importance of Curriculum

The job of a teacher is not only to educate students, but to also make them well rounded citizens of the world.  It is my job to make sure that they learn everything they need to know to be able to survive as strong independent individuals that can maintain a job to support their needs, provide them with life skills so that they know how to function appropriately in society, and best of all turn them in to well rounded people that can get along well with others, support their own opinions and view points, and give them the confidence to know that they can achieve anything they set their hearts to.

So how do I do it when my classroom is filled with 30 students that are all over the place academically.  The curriculum gives us five characteristics to help us pull out what we need to teach to and guide each students.

The characteristics are:

1. Is the work important?  Why does the work need to important?  What is taught builds students understandings.  It also balances knowledge, and is essential to the structure of the curriculum.
2. Is the work focused?  We need to make sure what we are doing is aligned to the curriculum.  We need to make sure that the students know that what they are working on point back to the big pictures of the subject being studied.  The teacher needs to be clear about what the student will know, do, and understand, and that the indicators in the lesson plan tell us that.
3. Are the students engaged?  When students work is engaging students are likely to find meaning in their work.  They try harder to do better, and they value the work they do more.  Engaging work also can help control behavior in the classroom, sparks creativity, and allows students the chance to explore the work deeper.
4. Is the work demanding for the students?  You want the students work to be just a stretch beyond their reach.  You want the students to have to work for their answers and learning goal, and not just be given an assignment that the student can do without any thought process.  When the work is just beyond reach that is when the work is at the right stage of learning.  In order to engage all learners it is important to remember that the teacher should not exclude any learner from learning now matter what.  This is where differentiating for the learner comes into play.  For some types of learners we will have to make some work more challenging, for others we will have to make it less challenging, and for others we may have to gear it for interest.  This will all be decided after assessment has been done.
5. Is the teacher scaffolding?  Scaffolding is done in order to achieve success.  This is achieved by varying the criteria for students by providing different levels of support along the way.  We may start out holding on to the students, and keeping them close with our instructions, and then gradually releasing them to eventual success when they can work on their own.

When these characteristics are in effect students and teachers feel that the need for affirmation, purpose and challenge have been met. It is important that all of these characteristics of curriculum be in place for each lesson.  It is also a really good idea to mix things up.  Students enjoy going on scavenger hunts, but they won't like doing them daily.  Make sure you are mixing up the way that you engage your students.  Keep things fun, and simple, and most of all think about your students when planning your curriculum.

The classroom Environment and how it Effects Students.

The environment of the classroom can affect students both in the way they learn and in the way they feel in the classroom.  It is important to have a good atmosphere that isn't cluttered, and is free from chaos.  There needs to be ample supplies to stimulate creativity, it needs to form a line of communication between students, teachers, parents, and any other visitors to the class, and be a messenger of learning.

The classroom environment can set the overall feeling of community in the classroom.  In order to build community in the classroom students need to have opportunities to share with each other about their interests.  One way to do this is through morning meetings.  Another way is through interest groups.  Students can work together on projects that interest them like reading the same book, or doing word jars, or Question boxes.  Having students share and work with each other gives them the opportunity to get to know each other and find commonalities.

It is also important to celebrate successes no matter how small.  I love seeing students celebrated.  I have seen a student that has struggled with many assignments.  When he completed an assignment independently the teacher rewarded him and praised him.  The student was so very happy at the reaction of the teacher that he strives to do this more frequently.

One way to make sure students can be successful in their classroom is to give clear and precises directions.  This is one thing that I am working on.  I need to remember that second graders are not mind readers, and that they can not know each detail of the instructions with out me giving them.  The further that I progressed in field the better it got, but I will still be working on this goal as a student teacher in the fall.

Some other things that can effect the environment of the classroom are:

• Providing a support system for the classroom.  The teacher is the first person to support the classroom, but parent helpers are an additional way to provide some support, and also any support from additional staff at the school and at home.
• Use visual cues to help students manage behavior during lessons.
• Use goal cards so that students are aware of the objective of the lesson.
• Use smooth transitions for less disruption between activities.

It is important to build a community in your classroom in-order for things to run smoothly.  Students will preform better when they know what we expect from them, and when they feel like the classroom is an inviting place.

Navigating Students Needs

Having a child with special needs has helped me to see how important it is for teachers to make students feel loved and accepted in their classroom.  In my sons education he has had many teachers that have been outstanding at that, and a couple that have not done such a good job.

In order to be successfully at making students with special needs feel welcomed and accepted by us we  need to invest time, in getting to know these students personally, and academically.  We need to be persistent in setting goals and helping the child achieve these goals.  When the child can see that the goal is important to us then the goal will become important to them as well.

The child should always feel like the teacher has his/her best interest at heart.  This can be done by realizing the unique qualities that the student brings to the classroom.  Make sure the student knows that you are there to help them in anyway that you can to develop the abilities that they need to be successful both in the classroom and at home.  In order to be successful in the classroom both the teacher and the student need to figure out how to work together effectively, determine guidelines for attaining achievable goals and develop a support system both at school and at home.

When these things are done, there is a message sent to the student that the teacher cares about the student, and in return the student will try harder in class and make a better effort to work with the teacher.

Morning Meetings

I was introduced to morning meeting for the first time in the first semester
of my jr. year in the elementary ed program at UVU.  The teacher that I did my field work with used these in her classroom.  She had a class president that changed weekly and they were the ones that conducted the meeting each day.  The president chose how the class would great each other, and then would choose three people to share.  The teacher allowed for 2 comments for each share one was for hearts and one was for wishes.  After sharing the teacher would make the necessary announcements for the day, and the students would be returned to their seats using some type of activity like heads up seven up.

At the time I thought the meetings were great.  I liked how the students all seemed to get along, and their didn't seem to be any major behaviors in the class.  I loved how the president made each student fill welcomed each day and the overwhelming feeling of community.

When I have a my own classroom I want to have morning meetings in my classroom.  I want all students to feel successful, safe and welcome.

It is proven that conducting morning meeting on a regular basis will improve your classroom community.  They help students develop, empathy, responsibility, cooperation, and self control.  With all of these characteristics being in check the students in your classroom are going to behave better overall and preform better academically.

A note from Ben's Blog.

I had a chance to visit a blog of a friend.  On his blog he made several really good points about differentiation.  The idea that stuck out to me the most was the fair vs. equal chart.   It is important for students and parents to understand the difference between fair vs. equal in a class room setting.  Not all situations in a classroom are going to be equal, but they can be fair.  Children of the same age come in all different shapes and sizes and ability levels.  One student may need more help in math, while that same student excels in science.  That student would get more help in math then they would in science making his/her learning fair and equal.

The Hallmarks of Differntiation

There are 9 Hallmarks for differentiated classroom success.  With the use of these hallmarks you can create a "Best Fit" link between curriculum, instruction, and student learning.  It is important to implement the hallmarks with out them you are not truly differentiating in your classroom.

Hallmark 1: A Strong Link Between Assessment and Instruction- This hallmark helps to know that assessment and instruction go hand in hand, this can be accomplished by using backwards design to create lesson plans, assessments should measure your instruction, informal and formal assessment should constantly be going on in your classroom, and if needed you should tweak your instructions.

Hallmark 2: Absolute Clarity about what the Teacher wants the students to know, understand and be able to do- about what is truly important to learn in this unit- Imagine this as a road map.  The teacher must be clear of what is being taught in order to reach his/her goal.

Hallmark 3: Shared responsibility for the classroom is between teacher and students, in the foal of making it work for everyone- This hallmark works like a set of stairs.  We start on the bottom step with the teacher and the student working together.  On the next step the student knows what his goal are, by doing this you take the next step and give the student responsibility and involve them in completing their goal, and finally you have autonomy for learning.

Hallmark 4: Individual Growth is emphasized as central to classroom success- This is emphasized as central to classroom success.  Individual Growth = Classroom Success.

Hallmark 5: A "Way up" usually through multiple and varied pathways, and never a "way out"- Imagine this as a ladder, the teacher is always scaffolding simultaneously  in the classroom by giving at least two learning options.  It is important to always teach "up" to the students and never "down".

Hallmark 6: "Respectful" and engaging work for all students.  Teachers should give enticing work for every child. " we want them to "think out side the box".  Students should work through different pathways.  For our fast finishers we should give them more challenging activities to test their knowledge.  The ELL's want to do their work, but may not know how to do it, we need to help them with that.  Students that are Gifted and Talented need to be challenged so they aren't bored at school.  Lastly our special needs students need to feel included in the activities that are going on in our classroom.  We should never single them out or make them fell less smart then other students in our classroom.

Hallmark 7: Proactive thinking and planning for different pathways-  We need to plan ahead for our students.  If we know that they might struggle with a topic that we are teaching we can plan in advance for different ways to teach the topic more effectively.

Hallmark 8: Flexible grouping- This creates a colorful classroom by creating groups in many different ways.  We should never have a one size fits all group.  By grouping children more effectively depending on the learning task and purpose of the group we can balance the needs and productivity of the classroom.

Hallmark 9: Flexible use of time, space, and materials.  We need to remember that there is more than one way to do things.  Making good use of time, space and having materials organized and grouped together by subject can help us move quickly throughout the day.  We need to remember to be flexible with our time.

By using these hallmaks in the classroom we can be successful teachers.

Different Learners Different Lessons

Teachers that differentiate in their classroom teach to the learners level. The curriculum while still important is not what the teacher focuses all of her attention on.  The teacher should start teaching where the child is academically, not at the beginning of the curriculum guide.  An easy way to do this is by adding in the interests of the students.  By doing this students are able to make a connecion to what the teacher is teaching, and are more engged through different learning modalities.  It is important that the teacher challenges all students to compete against themselfs and not other studnents in the classroom, by doing this the student has more confidance in what they are learning and doing.  The student is also able to learn quicker.

"Esentially, teachers in differentiated classrooms accept, embrace, and plan for the fact that learners bring many commonalities to school, but that they also bring the essential differences that make them individual." Different Learners Different Lessons by Carol Ann Tomlinson

What the students need in differentiation.

We as teachers need to understand that students have basic needs that must be met in order to learn. Maslow taught us that we need to feel safe, and feel like we belong before we can learn. In recent years researchers have told us that emotions trump all things including learning. This is important to me as a teacher, because I need to make sure that my students are emotionally fed by making sure that my classroom environment is positive to all of it's members. I recently read an article that I enjoyed about how a teacher made sure that her classroom was emotionally taken care of. Every Friday she allowed her students to put in a request on paper of who in the classroom they would like to sit by, and who they would like to work with in groups the following week. The teacher said that by doing this she is actually doing an analysis of who never gets chosen to be worked with or sat by, and who is the bully in the class and who always choose the same people week after week. I want to implement this in my classroom to help foster a positive atmosphere, and to give students a choice in who they work with. Other things that students seek are Affirmation, Contribution, Power, Purpose, and Challenge. When we allow students to feel like successful in a classroom they will learn more.