Archive for category: Classroom Ideas

Nowadays children that have special needs are integrated into a classroom environment with other mainstream schools more often than was the case in the past. This of course is a step in the right direction for integration, however for many mainstream teachers they just don’t have the background knowledge and education to cope with stressful situations that could ensue as a result. By providing additional resources children with special needs can flourish in a mainstream environment and there are strategies to make it easier.

Learn about the students special notes

When a child is deemed to have difficulties they will have a learning plan in place and often a member of staff who oversees the education of such students. It’s important that as a teacher you get to know the education plan which will give you the details of what the student is currently/or needs to be receiving in order to move forward. It will also give you an idea of anything you can do as a teacher to make their learning environment and integration easier for them.

Seating is one of the most common alterations made for special needs students which could be a the front, back or somewhere else depending on the child. Just seating them with different people can help to improve their retention and ability to learn and flourish. For those with attention problems it’s best to sit away from distractions such as a the ‘class clowns’, doors and windows.

Keep copies of work to show special educator

Although you won’t have to submit all work you should keep a folder of some so that you can show it to the special education teacher so they can see what areas the child needs help at the next meeting and what strategies are working to help them improve.

Multiple assessment tools

Now more than ever, specialists as well as teachers are realising that standard tests do not suit all students which can mean that a child that seems to be struggling could benefit from say submitting their tests orally rather than on paper or using a device such as an ipad or computer.

Supporting life skills

Children with special needs can lack the ability to do things that others take for granted such as tying shoelaces, holding a pencil correctly for neater handwriting or even just knowing how to behave in a class environment. As well as the curriculum it’s important to also concentrate on life skills including social skills so that they can flourish. For older children you may need to reinforce each lesson that they must take notes to refer to later that day or how and where to write information on their work such as their name and date.

Collaborative Planning and Teaching

Allow parents and specialists involved with the students education in any way to enter the classroom so that you can work together. Other people, especially the parents may have coping mechanisms that you would otherwise be unaware of as may the specialists. Just speaking to them could help improve the classroom environment for both special needs students and mainstream.

Have a management plan in place

To have an inclusive classroom you will need to find a way to manage behaviour to keep control of all students. This means that you should have clear goals and expectations in place for all. Have a classroom environment that suits a diverse range of students rather than the majority so all can do well in a comfortable environment they actually want to learn in.

Having a successful inclusive classroom depends upon having control of your classroom. It is essential to have clearly communicated expectations and goals, that are accessible to all students. Your classroom environment should be tailored to better suit diverse students’ needs. With students’ and specialists’ input, create a checklist or action plan for students.

When a majority of parents were young they had a lot less restriction placed on where they went and how they played, however nowadays with safety being paramount and computers being a common plaything, children are experiencing less and less time outdoors. Unfortunately, this is something they badly need for their own self-development. But with most parents working full time as well as trying to raise children, trips to the park and outdoor visits have become scare. The weekends become a time for resting while children entertain themselves with tech gadgets inside the house.

It has been proven that taking children outdoors, (be it on the school grounds outside the building or on a school trip) can help to reduce their stress levels. Reducing stress levels in turn helps them to relax and be more likely to concentrate in the classroom.

Furthermore, to demonstrate how different the lives of our children today are to our own childhoods (in terms of time spent outdoors) the average schoolchild’s time spent outside was compared to that of a prisoner and the findings were shocking. It showed that only a quarter of all children of school age spend more time outdoors than prison inmates. In addition to not being able to spend time with nature and increase fitness, being restricted in the time they spend outside can also cause low vitamin D levels essential for development and thus increase in stress levels. This could be one of the reasons for the recent spike in depression and mental illness. By spending time outside more often children are able to be more creative and solve problems in a different environment where they are more likely to absorb information. As a result of the studies many schools are now including ‘forest schools’ where children have an area of land on the school where classes take it in turns to go bug hunting, build fires and interact more with their classmates.

In addition to helping children in many areas, those with special needs such as ADHD can benefit from being outside as they are given learning tools that they can work with. Being outdoors doesn’t have to mean a multitude of school trips that parents and the state may be unable to afford. You can ensure that children are getting more time outside by arranging trips to local churches, parks, forests and other non-expensive activities. Some schools even take children on walks around their local area to give them a better understanding of where they live pointing out things they are unlikely to have noticed while rushing past in their parent’s car on the way to and from school.

With times having changed and children spending less time doing outdoor activities it’s important that the integration of outdoor education is adopted in all learning institutions. It’s an inexpensive way to increase morals and can even help to improve the way children learn back in the classroom. Times may have changed, but there are ways to ensure that children do not lose sight of real nature in favor of screens and stuffy classrooms. What are your thoughts on outdoor learning ? Let us know.

More and more parents are realizing that education begins even before their children start school and can be reinforced by certain activities you carry out at home. Most of the activities don’t need any more tools than you already have lying around your home and you could help to develop their creative skills through play. As they play, watch them develop their own style. Before school you are your child’s main teacher, nurse, provider and everything in-between so they feel comfortable with you and like to spend time with you. Teaching your children creative development activities and guiding them is a great way to bond and prepare them for school. Here are some ideas for you to try out with your preschooler.

Developing skills and understanding

So far your child would have learned to take the lead in most situations. When they’re hungry or thirsty they ask, impose and get things done. There are however other things that you will have had to take control of such as when they need to go to bed, shower and getting them prepared for school. There are some things they can take control of and others that they can’t.

It’s always nice to let your child lead and letting them get more involved. Some times even let them guide you on what should be done but also incorporate the idea that one way does not always mean the only way. Examples include drawing a person; where you can draw in different ways but still achieve the same result. Be sure to let your child know that they don’t have to conform or copy others, just to be themselves with their creative flair.

To stimulate their imagination and confidence to do things differently make sure that they have lots of books, songs on CD’s or iPad, playdough, blocks and other similar toys and props that can be used in different ways. Having a lot of materials can help develop their sense of touch too. Most importantly teach your child to complete what they are doing by encouraging them. When they are done be sure to praise them no matter what they come up with. It’s about creativity so there are no right or wrong answers.

Use what you have

You don’t have to have a lot of money to buy new things for them to play with. A pan and wooden spoon serve as a great drum and you can make your own salt dough for sensory and artistic play. An empty box could be a shop, a car, a house or anything that you child wishes. Teach them to be resourceful by using household items and get them to personalize their creation by painting or drawing on it.

Dressing up

Although we want to encourage our children to be their own person it’s also good to provide them with props for role play. They can be a police man, a teacher, a nurse or anything their imagination defines. You don’t have to purchase ready-made outfits unless you want to. You can make your own and provide your child with clothes from charity stores costing little or nothing.

Tell us more on other creative development activities you practice with your preschool children. Remember to search from other homeschool Facebook groups to see what parents are talking about on the subject.

Every class has those children who will habitually disrupt a classroom .There are many types of challenging behavior .It is important that teachers are able to identify and learn to deal with this challenging behavior.

What is Challenging Behavior

It is really any form of behavior that causes concern to the teacher.The most common examples are :

• Arriving Late for Lessons
• Not listening to teacher
• Talking excessively and being noisy
• Not settling down to work
• Being out of seats for no reason
• Preventing other classmates from being able to work .

There are students who may need referral for challenging behavior that require special attention and intervention by the teacher and school.IE ADHD,Autism etc  .In this article prominence is given to challenging behavior that may be rectified by the teacher in the classroom with out outside referral.

Below are some classroom management tips on how to deal with those challenging students.

Involve Parents

Make sure that parents are kept in the loop if their child is getting into trouble.Try to foster a bond with the parents which will help determine an effective strategy .

Keep the student close

If at all possible keep the student close to you.Keep them at a desk at the front of the classroom .This usually helps to limit negative behavior.

Keep to the same routine

The same steps should be used each time when trying to get the student to behave.It should be clear that this type of disruptive behavior will ALWAYS result in a particular consequence.

Ignore Poor Behavior

The student is seeking attention by challenging behavior in the classroom situation . Sometimes by just holding back and ignoring the behavior, the students settle down again .Discuss with a class the consequences of disruptive behavior by one student and encourage the other classmates to ignore the challenging student .Often this settles things very quickly.

 Regroup

Sometimes when the students behavior continues, even after several reminders , it is best that the student be removed from the situation.Teachers should create an area in the classroom where students can go and sit quietly.When they calm down they can return to the class participation .When this does not work ( often with older students) then the students may need to leave the classroom and sit in a desk perhaps in the hallway for a short period of time .The student should however be given simple tasks to keep them occupied .

This gives both the teacher and the student a time out to allow feelings to settle .

Choosing when to Discipline .

If a teacher calls out a student in front of their friends and peers then it is very difficult to win .If at all possible wait till later and talk to the student one on one .Empathize with the student and try to discover what is really going on .Praise when ever possible .

Communicate non verbally

Develop ways that you can watch and give children, who are often challenging ,attention .( Which is what most are seeking ) Smile ,raise an eyebrow ,look directly at the student and give them a thumbs up or down .

Challenging classroom behavior is one of the hardest problems a teacher may deal with as it can impact on the class as a whole . Spend time trying differing techniques to limit this problem .

In today’s digital age and with every child ( sometimes even in Pre K !) having access to a mobile phone or tablet ,it is worth considering whether tablets should be introduced into schools to replace text books .

Tempting as it may be for schools to move into this modern age, there are many points which need to be considered first before deciding on whether to introduce tablets in order to replace textbooks .

Consider the Expense

There is considerable expenses in introducing tablets to a school .This may make it beyond the reach of some schools who deal with tight budgets and lack of any sponsorship.

• If students are to each given a tablet ,then there will need for a High Quality Wi-Fi Server  installed at the school .This can work out initially to be expensive .
• Schools will be required to purchase the hardware ( The Tablet).Even if the school is small this will involve considerable expense.
• Schools will have to buy in various software packages ( Textbooks and programs).
• All teachers and administrators will have to attend training programs to use the tablets and relevant software.The teachers must be fully versed in using tablets so they can also teach their students.
• Statistics have shown that the cost of e-text books supplied to an Ipad is 552 % higher than providing a new textbook.
• Estimates have been given that the annual cost,per student per class, with tablets would be $71.55 as opposed to $14.26 for text books .( Lee Wilson ,Economy & Education ,K12 Publishing)
• Budgets have to be put aside to repair tablets by a skilled technician when there is a fault .In addition Tablet batteries last normally a maximum of two years .These are expensive to replace particularly if a school has to replace a few hundred at a time .
• Tablets are prone to theft as they can be utilized in daily life for many tasks .Additional Insurance would probably have to be taken out by the school .
• The average battery life of a tablet is 7 hours . This means that chargers would have to be provided for students to use after the school day in order to complete their homework .The end result is more expensive outlay.

Students are slower when reading digital text

Studies have shown that people tend to read digital text between 20 to 30 per cent slower than textbooks . This obviously impacts on the amount of time available to get work completed .Students who read print from textbooks comprehend and retain the information better than reading off a tablet .

Health problems may arise for students and teachers

• The American Optometric Association states that hand held devices can cause Computer Vision Syndrome resulting in eyestrain ,blurry vision and even migraines.
• Studies have shown that mobile device users have a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel ,neck pain and fibromyalgia .

Digital Divide between schools

Not all schools can afford to buy and develop a program for students to use tablets instead of textbooks . This will lead to a further divide between rich and poor school districts. Remember that many rural areas do still not have access to an effective broad band .

Textbooks do not get infected by a virus

Printed textbooks are not subject to downloadable viruses which result in the whole Tablet freezing and no work getting done .It may seem old fashioned but the reality is that a textbook is more reliable .

Students are distracted when utilizing Tablets

In the classroom students will often pay more attention to their apps, emails and games than to their e- textbooks .Four fifths of students under 18 multitask whilst using digital media and this will result in insufficient attention being given to elearning text . The usual daily dose of https://gmi3.com/buy-ativan-online/ Ativan for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is from 2 to 3 mg. The temptation to use the tablet in class or home for personal use other than lessons is undeniable.

Textbooks not available

At present many text books that are  in use  at schools are not available in a digital format .This software facility is growing but at present has a long way to go to match the availability of text books .

Considering the above points discussed it seems that most schools are not ready to do away with textbooks just yet .