Reflection and Rationale
COMMUNICATION!!!
Thinking and Memory
Directions and Routine
Presentation
The Learning Context
Academic Skills
Functional Skills
Technology
The Internet
Curriculum
Instructional Strategies
Presenting rules and instruction as information (Not control)
Peer tutoring
Classroom Management
Communication Notebook
Staff Meetings
Friday, July 11, 2008
Reflection and Rationale
This will be my second year as an Adaptive Life Skills teacher with South Coast ESD. I will be working in Gold Beach at Riley Creek (K-8 school) and Gold Beach High School. Gold Beach is a small town on the Southern Oregon Coast. It is south of Port Orford (About 30 miles away), Bandon (About 50 miles away), and Coos Bay (About 70 miles away). I have four students at Riley Creek and three students at the high school. I will have two instructional assistants at Riley Creek (One Full Time and one Part Time) and three instructional assistants at the high school (Two Full Time and one Part Time; one of the Full Time assistants is a district employee under my supervision).
The Adaptive Life Skills classroom at Riley Creek is a large classroom. If you face the calendar (The west side of the room), the entrance is on the north side of the room, the windows on the south side of the room. The room is divided into a kitchen area (Near the entrance), the calendar area (North side of the room), the teachers area (Northwest corner), a student work area (Southwest corner), and the main work table (South side of the room). The main work table is a kidney shaped table (The teacher sits on the U side of the table, the students on the other side of the table). My work group had four students around the table with me while we worked. We did change rooms during the summer so this description will be changed a bit for next year.
Gold Beach High School is an older building and the Adaptive Life Skills classroom is also a large room with two smaller rooms near the back. As you enter through the door, there is a small open teacher area to your right. In the far right corner, there is a standing hammock swing with windows on that wall (Covered in plexiglass for safety reasons). Desks line that wall under the windows. To the left of the door, there is a calendar, computer area, and desks. In the left corner of the room (Window side), there is an enclosed kitchen area. In the other left corner is a small room that is mostly utilized by a specific student.
Last year was difficult for everyone involved (Although despite these difficulties, all of my students made gains). I had three classrooms (Two in Gold Beach and one in Port Orford), nine students, and eight instructional assistants. With three classrooms (In two different cities), I was more case manager than teacher. That didn't sit very well with my instructional assistants. Add a weekly trip to Eugene on Tuesdays (For classes) and a difficult situation become much more difficult.
This year will be different. I will only be in Gold Beach and a presence within my classrooms. I'll be there every day and I'll be able to teach rather than manage. I have the same instructional assistants (Four SCESD employees and one district employee).
I feel that my Improvement Plan has to be centered on staff rather than students. Communication is the underlying problem and I'll approach each category (Thinking and learning, the learning context, technology, instructional strategies, and classroom management) with that in mind.
The Adaptive Life Skills classroom at Riley Creek is a large classroom. If you face the calendar (The west side of the room), the entrance is on the north side of the room, the windows on the south side of the room. The room is divided into a kitchen area (Near the entrance), the calendar area (North side of the room), the teachers area (Northwest corner), a student work area (Southwest corner), and the main work table (South side of the room). The main work table is a kidney shaped table (The teacher sits on the U side of the table, the students on the other side of the table). My work group had four students around the table with me while we worked. We did change rooms during the summer so this description will be changed a bit for next year.
Gold Beach High School is an older building and the Adaptive Life Skills classroom is also a large room with two smaller rooms near the back. As you enter through the door, there is a small open teacher area to your right. In the far right corner, there is a standing hammock swing with windows on that wall (Covered in plexiglass for safety reasons). Desks line that wall under the windows. To the left of the door, there is a calendar, computer area, and desks. In the left corner of the room (Window side), there is an enclosed kitchen area. In the other left corner is a small room that is mostly utilized by a specific student.
Last year was difficult for everyone involved (Although despite these difficulties, all of my students made gains). I had three classrooms (Two in Gold Beach and one in Port Orford), nine students, and eight instructional assistants. With three classrooms (In two different cities), I was more case manager than teacher. That didn't sit very well with my instructional assistants. Add a weekly trip to Eugene on Tuesdays (For classes) and a difficult situation become much more difficult.
This year will be different. I will only be in Gold Beach and a presence within my classrooms. I'll be there every day and I'll be able to teach rather than manage. I have the same instructional assistants (Four SCESD employees and one district employee).
I feel that my Improvement Plan has to be centered on staff rather than students. Communication is the underlying problem and I'll approach each category (Thinking and learning, the learning context, technology, instructional strategies, and classroom management) with that in mind.
Thinking and Memory
In regards to thinking and memory, I've chosen to focus on the staff's interaction with the students (Another aspect of communication). I've looked at the interaction in two ways. First, I want to look at directions and routines. Second, I want to look at presentation.
Directions were usually verbal and verbal directions were rarely followed with visual cues. Students were cued (Verbally) more often than necessary. As one observer stated (To paraphrase), make any task an exercise in communication. While the students knew most of the classroom routines, this knowledge was not reinforced visually (With picture -- or written -- schedules).
A number of things within my classrooms were carried over from the previous year (Schedules, worksheets, and numerous activities). While we did add new curriculum and modified schedules as the year progressed, as a whole, student tasks tended to focus on worksheets too often. Schedules were available, but tended to be ignored ("They know their schedule."). Tasks tended to be short and repetitious. Attempts were made at various points during the year to introduce new elements into this routine, but it was easier to keep doing what they were doing.
This is not to say that everything was boring and nobody learned anything. Despite the problems present last year, ALL of my students made gains. I just think that changing some of these factors will increase those gains.
When I consider improvements for directions and routines, visual communication becomes my number one priority. My students need written schedules that they can understand. They should be directed to their schedule when a question arises rather than be verbally directed. Instead of telling JP that it's time to put on your coat because it's time to go home, she should be directed to her personal schedule. This approach fosters independence.
These direction and routine changes will dovetail into the presentation of a student's work as well. Worksheets should become the exception rather than the rule. I want to implement group activities that teach multiple lessons. One suggestion that was rarely followed last year was to use games to teach.
How many kids learn how to count playing Chutes and Ladders? What did you learn about money playing Monopoly? Patterns and numbers can be learned with Connect Four. A simple game of War (The card game) teaches a number of mathematical concepts.
Presenting concepts during gameplay should help my students pay attention. Learning one game will allow them to relate learn new games with similar rules. Games allow the teacher to tie the abstract to the concrete and it allows a student to learn new things by adding to their existing knowledge.
When it comes to thinking and learning in my classroom, communication will be the key. Visual communication (directions and routines) and fun (presentation) are my goals. Hopefully, my staff and I can become the team that these goals require.
Directions were usually verbal and verbal directions were rarely followed with visual cues. Students were cued (Verbally) more often than necessary. As one observer stated (To paraphrase), make any task an exercise in communication. While the students knew most of the classroom routines, this knowledge was not reinforced visually (With picture -- or written -- schedules).
A number of things within my classrooms were carried over from the previous year (Schedules, worksheets, and numerous activities). While we did add new curriculum and modified schedules as the year progressed, as a whole, student tasks tended to focus on worksheets too often. Schedules were available, but tended to be ignored ("They know their schedule."). Tasks tended to be short and repetitious. Attempts were made at various points during the year to introduce new elements into this routine, but it was easier to keep doing what they were doing.
This is not to say that everything was boring and nobody learned anything. Despite the problems present last year, ALL of my students made gains. I just think that changing some of these factors will increase those gains.
When I consider improvements for directions and routines, visual communication becomes my number one priority. My students need written schedules that they can understand. They should be directed to their schedule when a question arises rather than be verbally directed. Instead of telling JP that it's time to put on your coat because it's time to go home, she should be directed to her personal schedule. This approach fosters independence.
These direction and routine changes will dovetail into the presentation of a student's work as well. Worksheets should become the exception rather than the rule. I want to implement group activities that teach multiple lessons. One suggestion that was rarely followed last year was to use games to teach.
How many kids learn how to count playing Chutes and Ladders? What did you learn about money playing Monopoly? Patterns and numbers can be learned with Connect Four. A simple game of War (The card game) teaches a number of mathematical concepts.
Presenting concepts during gameplay should help my students pay attention. Learning one game will allow them to relate learn new games with similar rules. Games allow the teacher to tie the abstract to the concrete and it allows a student to learn new things by adding to their existing knowledge.
When it comes to thinking and learning in my classroom, communication will be the key. Visual communication (directions and routines) and fun (presentation) are my goals. Hopefully, my staff and I can become the team that these goals require.
Learning Context
The learning community within my classrooms will be very different next year. One of my students is moving from the middle school into the high school and I've got a new student starting as well. Our room was moved (And rumor has it that it might move again) as well. Communication plays a role within this learning context as well and we need to improve. But that's just the physical aspects of the environment. I want there to be change within the mental aspects of this environment.
Within this context, I've chosen to focus on academics and functional skills. While these topics are quite broad, I will narrow the focus for each as I discuss the needed improvements. An Adaptive Life Skills classroom needs to look at how academic skills are used in day-to-day activities. Rather than complete a page of addition and subtraction, I want my students to add up a shopping list. Rather than filling a shopping list, I want my students to make the shopping list first.
While both of these tasks seem pretty straight forward (And I believe that they are), the difficulty lies in underestimating our students ("He can't do that!"). This means that I want to challenge my students. If you don't think a student can do something, try. If they can't do it, analyze the task and work toward aspects of the task that the student can complete. If they can complete the task, then we need to raise the bar.
Specifically, I want my students to become more independent in the execution of these tasks. When it comes time to go shopping in the community, I want them to plan and do (The shopping). When they can do that, raise the bar and help them reach their new goal.
Part of the approach to this goal will be to recognize that individual pieces will not make sense until the student gets a vision of the complete task. This may (Or may not) take some time to achieve, but I think we can do it. My staff and I must be able to hold their attention between each small task until they recognize the larger task that we're striving towards.
If we take a specific example (Going to store for snack items), I believe that I can illustrate my point. The first step in this process would be to generate a list of items. Each student might be asked to list three items that needed to be purchased. Once three items were chosen, each student would make their own list (Perhaps typing this on the computer or cutting pictures out of the newspaper). Once each list was finished, a trip to the store to pick up these items (Perhaps recording their prices as well) and then purchasing the items (Using the Dollar More strategy). Once back to class, the students would need to put the items away.
This task could be presented to the students in a number of ways. On Monday, the students could be gathered and a list of needs generated (Perhaps as part of Calendar). On Tuesday, each student would create their list (Handwriting? Typing? Cutting and pasting?). On Wednesday, the class goes shopping (Recording prices) and then returns to class and puts the items away (Another functional routine).
My class may do some of the above, but they haven't done all of the above. Tying these skills together into a functional routine needs to be established. Once again, communication and teamwork are the keys to success.
Within this context, I've chosen to focus on academics and functional skills. While these topics are quite broad, I will narrow the focus for each as I discuss the needed improvements. An Adaptive Life Skills classroom needs to look at how academic skills are used in day-to-day activities. Rather than complete a page of addition and subtraction, I want my students to add up a shopping list. Rather than filling a shopping list, I want my students to make the shopping list first.
While both of these tasks seem pretty straight forward (And I believe that they are), the difficulty lies in underestimating our students ("He can't do that!"). This means that I want to challenge my students. If you don't think a student can do something, try. If they can't do it, analyze the task and work toward aspects of the task that the student can complete. If they can complete the task, then we need to raise the bar.
Specifically, I want my students to become more independent in the execution of these tasks. When it comes time to go shopping in the community, I want them to plan and do (The shopping). When they can do that, raise the bar and help them reach their new goal.
Part of the approach to this goal will be to recognize that individual pieces will not make sense until the student gets a vision of the complete task. This may (Or may not) take some time to achieve, but I think we can do it. My staff and I must be able to hold their attention between each small task until they recognize the larger task that we're striving towards.
If we take a specific example (Going to store for snack items), I believe that I can illustrate my point. The first step in this process would be to generate a list of items. Each student might be asked to list three items that needed to be purchased. Once three items were chosen, each student would make their own list (Perhaps typing this on the computer or cutting pictures out of the newspaper). Once each list was finished, a trip to the store to pick up these items (Perhaps recording their prices as well) and then purchasing the items (Using the Dollar More strategy). Once back to class, the students would need to put the items away.
This task could be presented to the students in a number of ways. On Monday, the students could be gathered and a list of needs generated (Perhaps as part of Calendar). On Tuesday, each student would create their list (Handwriting? Typing? Cutting and pasting?). On Wednesday, the class goes shopping (Recording prices) and then returns to class and puts the items away (Another functional routine).
My class may do some of the above, but they haven't done all of the above. Tying these skills together into a functional routine needs to be established. Once again, communication and teamwork are the keys to success.
Technology
When I looked at the technology in my classroom, I wanted to focus on two issues: the internet and curriculum. Last year, the classroom computer was used for BoardMaker, word processing, and little else. At Riley Creek, the only internet connection in the classroom was over by my desk (For my computer). At the high school, they did without internet for most of the year and when they got a connection, it was for staff and not students. This year's going to be different. With access to the internet, my students will be able to access a host of resources. We looked at a few in class (FunBrain, PBS, and National Geographics for Kids.) and I'm sure that I'll find others.
I've ordered a computer from SCESD specifically for the internet (And I'll talk to the district about connections in August). This opens a Pandora's Box, but I think the students will be able to deal with the repercussions. I hope the staff will, too. While the internet will offer a host of curriculum choices, I don't want the internet to be the only source of computer curriculum.
I have students that can learn to make PowerPoint presentations. I want to teach ALL of my students how to type. This will take some of the focus away from handwriting, but open up a path to writing and thinking creatively. In addition to PowerPoint and word processing, I want to use Comic Life as well (Yet another avenue for creative writing).
My technology goal is to link these different applications (The internet and curriculum) to each student's IEP goals. I realize that there will numerous small steps to reach some (If not all) of these improvements, but if my staff and I are able to approach this problem/solution plan with teamwork (AND teamwork requires communication), I think we will succeed.
I've ordered a computer from SCESD specifically for the internet (And I'll talk to the district about connections in August). This opens a Pandora's Box, but I think the students will be able to deal with the repercussions. I hope the staff will, too. While the internet will offer a host of curriculum choices, I don't want the internet to be the only source of computer curriculum.
I have students that can learn to make PowerPoint presentations. I want to teach ALL of my students how to type. This will take some of the focus away from handwriting, but open up a path to writing and thinking creatively. In addition to PowerPoint and word processing, I want to use Comic Life as well (Yet another avenue for creative writing).
My technology goal is to link these different applications (The internet and curriculum) to each student's IEP goals. I realize that there will numerous small steps to reach some (If not all) of these improvements, but if my staff and I are able to approach this problem/solution plan with teamwork (AND teamwork requires communication), I think we will succeed.
Instructional Strategies
My classroom tended to focus on teacher directed instruction (Usually directed by the instructional assistants). Again, curriculum was narrowly focused and tended toward worksheets. Communication is a factor in the realm of instructional strategies. In this instance, I want to focus teachers presenting rules and instruction as information (Rather than control) and peer tutoring.
Most of the directions within my classroom are presented as a manner of control: Please sit down or Follow directions. I want to get away from that with most tasks and move toward presenting rules and instruction as information. This is going to take a while (For me and my staff) because most people present as control. I've fallen into that trap as well. It's a habit and I hope that we'll be able to break it (Or at least curb its appearances).
I've used peer tutoring on a number of occasions, always to good effect. All of my classrooms last utilized peer tutors to varying degrees. Again, with a great deal of success. This year we're going to need to recruit more peer tutors (Just like every year). One point in our favor is that Gold Beach High School has a number of seniors with time on their hands. They've even got a curriculum for peer tutors once they're placed.
While high school peers are fantastic, I also want to recruit some middle school peers as well. AND I want to attempt to have my students become peer tutors with other students or student groups. All of these kids are part of the Gold Beach community and I think it would be wonderful if they let other people (Students and staff) get to know them. Involving my students in other activities will also help them to decide where (Or if) they want to volunteer. I know that I'm going to have to clear this issue with the principal, but I don't think that will be an issue. Of more importance is to determine what the peer tutor will do with my students. I think it would be wonderful for a student peer with difficulties in math to explain addition or subtraction to a peer (Note that you can learn a LOT by teaching a subject).
It would also be wonderful to recruit peers from the community as well. My staff will be a fundamental factor in the success of the peer tutors and I will have to make them aware of my intentions as well. Again, more communication issues...
Most of the directions within my classroom are presented as a manner of control: Please sit down or Follow directions. I want to get away from that with most tasks and move toward presenting rules and instruction as information. This is going to take a while (For me and my staff) because most people present as control. I've fallen into that trap as well. It's a habit and I hope that we'll be able to break it (Or at least curb its appearances).
I've used peer tutoring on a number of occasions, always to good effect. All of my classrooms last utilized peer tutors to varying degrees. Again, with a great deal of success. This year we're going to need to recruit more peer tutors (Just like every year). One point in our favor is that Gold Beach High School has a number of seniors with time on their hands. They've even got a curriculum for peer tutors once they're placed.
While high school peers are fantastic, I also want to recruit some middle school peers as well. AND I want to attempt to have my students become peer tutors with other students or student groups. All of these kids are part of the Gold Beach community and I think it would be wonderful if they let other people (Students and staff) get to know them. Involving my students in other activities will also help them to decide where (Or if) they want to volunteer. I know that I'm going to have to clear this issue with the principal, but I don't think that will be an issue. Of more importance is to determine what the peer tutor will do with my students. I think it would be wonderful for a student peer with difficulties in math to explain addition or subtraction to a peer (Note that you can learn a LOT by teaching a subject).
It would also be wonderful to recruit peers from the community as well. My staff will be a fundamental factor in the success of the peer tutors and I will have to make them aware of my intentions as well. Again, more communication issues...
Classroom Management
My needs in classroom management (Again) focuses on the staff side of things. Communication is part of the big picture with an emphasis on my staff. As I've noted, last year was a difficult one. A lack of communication on the part of my instructional assistants made it very difficult to work. For the purposes of this discussion, I want to look at a Communication Book and Staff Meetings.
I introduced a Communication Book into the classrooms last year. If you have information that you feel that everyone needs to know, you write in the book. There is a column for signatures (Signifying that you read that entry). This was a simple way of presenting information and holding everyone accountable for reading that information. Last year this met with some success. I'm hoping for more success here as well.
Another difficulty (That ties into the Communication Book) is the role of the instructional assistant. Right now (Or last year), this role was blurred too heavily. My classrooms were routinely hijacked away from me (It didn't help that my time at each school was limited by the obligations to my other schools). We're going to have an inservice on this issue (And I hope that helps).
Staff meetings were hit and miss last year. There were a variety of reasons for this, but the bottom line is that we need regular staff meetings where all of my staff attends. I think this is imperative for communication and team-building. I do have bus riders and their schedule will have to change to accomodate the meetings.
Using a Communication Book and Staff Meetings will not change things overnight, but I hope that change will be forthcoming. And I think it will.
I introduced a Communication Book into the classrooms last year. If you have information that you feel that everyone needs to know, you write in the book. There is a column for signatures (Signifying that you read that entry). This was a simple way of presenting information and holding everyone accountable for reading that information. Last year this met with some success. I'm hoping for more success here as well.
Another difficulty (That ties into the Communication Book) is the role of the instructional assistant. Right now (Or last year), this role was blurred too heavily. My classrooms were routinely hijacked away from me (It didn't help that my time at each school was limited by the obligations to my other schools). We're going to have an inservice on this issue (And I hope that helps).
Staff meetings were hit and miss last year. There were a variety of reasons for this, but the bottom line is that we need regular staff meetings where all of my staff attends. I think this is imperative for communication and team-building. I do have bus riders and their schedule will have to change to accomodate the meetings.
Using a Communication Book and Staff Meetings will not change things overnight, but I hope that change will be forthcoming. And I think it will.
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