Mrs. Potter should make adaptions
for each of these three "struggling" students.
Personally, it seems to me that Lupita is very bright and would be a
very good student if her needs were met.
Since Lupita has little experience with toys, puzzles, paper, crayons,
scissors and opportunities interacting with other children, I think small group
work would be very beneficial for Lupita.
This case states that Lupita plays with puzzles during her free time and
is patient when showing her classmates how to assemble puzzles. Lupita seems a little shy because she is so
quiet in class, but is able to help students when she is asked. Small group work would give Lupita the chance
to make friends in the classroom, experience with toys, puzzles, paper, etc.
and the opportunity to help and be helped by her classmates. After this boost of confidence, she would
most likely enjoy being called on during class.
The second
student, Jonathan, seems to be apprehensive to ask a question when he does not
understand something. Instead of asking
for help from his teacher or classmates, he just sits at his desk confused. Since Jonathan is good at piano, a star
pitcher on his baseball team and is average in mathematics, Jonathan may be
embarrassed to admit that he struggles with reading. I think Jonathan would benefit from one-on-one
time from his teacher, or help from his parents at home. This way, Jonathan will be in a safe
environment where others will not judge him or make him feel anxious to ask for
help.
It sounds
like the third student, Eddie, has trouble paying attention, or according to
Breitfelder, attention deficit disorder (ADD), or attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the
article titled, Quick and Easy
Adaptations and Accommodations for Early Childhood Students, visual
supports can be an “effective way to get students to process language”. Breitfelder states that visual supports in a
classroom setting can have “eased transitions, feeling of empowerment by having
visual choices, clearly defined expectations, longer attention span, reduced
anxiety, concepts can become more concrete, and the ability to help them
express their thoughts”. Since Eddie was
excited about seeing the tadpoles, it proved that this visual aid encouraged
Eddie to pay attention. Mrs. Potter
should try using more or multiple visual aids in her classroom to keep Eddie stimulated
during class.
If these
adaptions were made for Lupita, Jonathan and Eddie, Mrs. Potter would see
advancements in their academic progress.
Small group work, one-on-one work time/parent involvement and visual
aids could strongly benefit these students.
I think these are realistic adaptations because nothing is being taken
away from her other students. In Lupita’s
case, students could learn from one each other, gaining problem solving skills,
communication skills and teamwork strategies.
By adding more visuals into the classroom for Eddie, other visual
learners could become more actively engaged in class discussion. By altering teaching methods, one could make
a large difference in another’s ability to learn.
Amanda, I completely agree with everything you've said here. With a few minor changes these students (who I wouldn't even really consider struggling) could really excel in the classroom. It is understandable that Lupita would be shy in the classroom, she has had a huge change in her life. I think the fact that she is able to help students who ask for her help and does not ignore them shows that she is able to communicate well. I agree with Amanda, if Lupita could do more small group activities she might be more willing to open up and talk to her classmates which might eventually help her open up and be less shy in a whole group setting. Even though she is shy, she might just need some time adjusting to this new lifestyle she is in so I don't really think her shyness makes her a struggling student.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when reading about Jonathan was the same as Amanda's. If a student excels at almost everything they aren't going to want to admit they are struggling in school. I think as a teacher I would talk to his parents to possibly do his homework with him or check it over at home so that they could report back to me if he understood or not. Also, during the school day I would make a good effort to keep my eye on him to make sure he was understanding what he was supposed to be doing. I agree that one-on-one time would help, time that no other classmates had to know about so that he didn't get embarrassed but could still get the help he needed.
I agree that Eddie sounds like a child with ADHD or ADD, he has trouble focusing in class. There are many different ways to help a student with ADHD. The teacher could seat him in an area away from doors and windows so that he isn't getting distracted by what is going on outside, the teacher could incorporate more physical activities into their lessons so that Eddie has more opportunities to get some energy out and move around a bit, she could also give him a stress ball to squeeze as opposed to tapping his pencil which could disrupt the class.
I think all of these students could really improve in the classroom environment if even just a few minimal changes were made. I think once these changes are made this classroom could become a better place of learning for all three of these children.
These are three very different cases of struggling students, all of which I have witnessed before. I agree that group work would be best for Lupita. It seems as if her confidence level is not where it needs to be in order to excel in the classroom to her very best. I think it would be most beneficial for her to be able to interact with a small group, that way she is only required to interact with minimal people at one time. I think that if these groups were changed around and the students got new partners, it would help Lupita to open up to all students in her class and not just a select few. Once she has had time to do this, I believe she would be less likely to shy away from speaking in front of the class because I feel as is her confidence level would be much higher. A student like Lupita is not once in which can easily change from being a timid student to being a very outgoing and expressive student, but with time, I believe that she will be able to interact with the class as a whole with confidence.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of friends growing up that were like Jonathan. These were the students that were very well-liked, usually a great friend, and always very bubbly. These students, however, also have moments in which they struggle in school in certain areas, like most children do. Although, it is hard when you are so good at so many things and people see that to be able to admit that you are not proficient in something that most people are. If Jonathan was my student I would definitely understand him not wanting his classmates to know that he is struggling, for that can be embarrassing. I would work out a special signal with Jonathan so that if he was having a hard time understanding something, he could put a fist to his chest or something along those lines and I could come help him, or I would tell him he is always free to visit me at my desk. I would also give him the option to contact me in any way he feels comfortable, if email is appropriate, or after school. I would want Jonathan to feel as comfortable as possible and receive the assistance he needs.
Eddie is a student that is very common in younger grades. It is very normal for younger kids to not be able to stay still for an allotted amount of time. It does sound like, however, that he is having greater difficulty than most. If I was Eddie's teacher I would provide him with a stress ball that we could hold in one hand while working at his desk or sitting at group time. I would explain to him that this could only be used, however, if he used it respectfully and did not disturbed or distract any of his classmates. I would also have sensory breaks in the classroom where we would "get the wiggles" out and stretch so that we were ready to sit down and learn.
With some minor adjustments I think that these students would benefit greatly and be able to learn to the best of their ability in the classroom.