Note: All identifying details are changed in posted questions and responses.
As you have noted, the “assists” we use to help our students sometimes end up taking on a life of their own, separate from our original intent. Your intention of giving your students a way to focus on the lesson before them was excellent. But, as you observed, post-its and index cards may have been distracting because they are easily manipulated and the students got more interested in moving them around than in focusing on the lesson.
One approach you can try:
1. Prepare a brief outline of the text you will be reading.
2. Distribute these outlines at the beginning of class.
3. Ask students to follow along on the outline and check off key words or concepts as you proceed with the discussion. Perhaps they can also underline the key words or concepts.
If working with an outline seems too much for your students to handle, there are other possibilities:
1. Ask your students to follow along with the text, but this time, ask them to look for specific words within the text or a category of words, such as verbs.
2. Have students work in pairs. As one student reads, the other student can follow along and, again, look for specific words or categories of words, such as verbs, within the text.
The important point here is that you are asking the students to be actively involved with their reading, i.e., they mark and/or underline key words on the outline or they search for specific words.. They are actually doing something with the content and these activities help them focus on what they are reading. Tip: The checked-off outline can also serve as a good review sheet for them..
We have a first grader, new to our school, who has acclimated beautifully in almost all respects. She is reading on grade level in Hebrew, and above grade level in English, writes well, does her math, is articulate, well-spoken and creative. What she cannot seem to do, though, is memorize!
Although she has been in a Yeshiva setting since nursery school, and has certainly heard the Brocha of "Borei N'fashos" endless times, she will mumble-jumble through the words if asked to repeat them. She can manage the alef-bet through the letter "yud" when the stumbling starts.
Right now, the class is preparing for their Chumash presentation and she sings the songs beautifully when there are visual prompts - but it becomes a big jumble when those prompts are removed. These memory glitches seem to be related only to "singing" or "chanting" tasks - and they are not really getting in her way as a student on the whole. I am concerned, though, that a child that is clearly bright cannot master the words to a song, etc.
Is there a way to strengthen her memory at this young age? I would hate to see her struggle her way through the type of tasks that so many other youngsters find so easy to master. Your insight would be appreciated!
What you describe as “memory glitches” for your new first grader sound like a student having difficulty storing information in long term memory. You observe that her difficulties are most obvious when she is singing or chanting. Perhaps she does better when there is a dramatic narrative to the content. But whatever the cause, the task now is to find ways to help her.
There are some tried and true aids to memory which could be useful here.
• The best way to remember something is to change its form in some way. That is, give the information a new shape. For example, if the content is all verbal, chart it in a visual pattern; if the content is visual, convert it into words. You had mentioned that she has done well with visual prompts. Is there a way of continuing the visual prompts, but this time have her create a visual pattern for herself? If she changes the verbal information into some type of visual pattern for herself, there is a good chance she will be able to remember it. Changing the form of the information gives her a chance to take it in, restructure it, and in a real sense take ownership of the content.
• Another means of supporting memory is simple repetition. The more frequently we hear or see something, the greater the recall. Is there sometime during the day when this student could have short practice periods?
• Finally, the information we take in just before falling asleep seems to be consolidated most easily into our long term memory. Perhaps her parents would be able to encourage her to repeat the songs or chants just before she goes to sleep at night?
The most important part of helping this student is to let her know that all people have different ways of remembering things. If changing the form of the content or finding ways to repeat it during the day or reviewing it before she falls asleep at night are helpful for her, than she has learned memory tools she can use for many years to come.
I would like to teach my first grade students something about how they learn. Are they too young to think about their own learning?
It’s probably never too early to start to talk with school children about their own learning. They know they have come to school to learn. They will be naturally curious about how this procedure called learning actually works. And the best way to start is with the students themselves.
In the early primary grades a natural place to begin is with memory. Most of your students will know their addresses or phone numbers. Start a discussion by asking them how they learned this information. Many will probably say that they kept repeating it over and over. That’s a good opening to explain that one way the brain holds on to new information is through repeated exposure. Some may have learned their phone number and address by associating the new information with something they already knew. Here is an opportunity to talk about how connecting new information to prior knowledge is another useful memory technique. Talk with students about their own strategies for remembering things. This is a powerful way to learn about and appreciate memory skills.
Older students can certainly talk about their own strategies for remembering, but you might want to broaden the discussion to include an appraisal of how attention works. One way to initiate this discussion is to set up a distraction in your classroom. Maybe some loud music, or a colleague walking in and out of the class while you are teaching, or even you yourself arranging and re-arranging papers as you present a lesson. When the distraction has ceased, ask your students how they managed to keep their focus, or didn’t, as the case may be. Use this exercise as the basis for a class chart of the kinds of ways students can keep their focus and pay attention, both inside and outside of school.
Learning about learning is, obviously, a rich and fascinating topic and there’s more to learning than just memory and attention. But these are good beginning places for students and will give them a chance both to understand themselves better and to realize that many different learning styles exist in their own classroom.
You are describing a classroom situation that requires some differentiated instruction. Your students are at various levels of understanding. "One size" instruction is not going to work. And, parenthetically, it is not unusual for differences in learning to emerge when new content is taught. Perhaps through prior knowledge or exposure, perhaps through some specific affinity, some children will pick up a new concept quickly, while others, as you note, need much more repetition.
One way to deal with the differences is to group the students in smaller work groups according to their familiarity or connection with the new material. You can create these work groups through the use of entrance cards, a simple form of assessing a student's level of prior knowledge or skills. Create a question, or, in math, a specific problem, that requires some pre-requisite skills for learning about the new content. What you are looking for in the students' answers are appropriate readiness skills to take on the new knowledge. Using information from these cards, group students together who have similar levels of understanding. Those students who already know the basics of your new content can delve more deeply into the subject matter. Those for whom it seems brand new can have the time for the repetition they need. In both cases, students are getting the level of instruction most appropriate for them.
You can also use exit cards as a way of noting how much of the lesson has been absorbed. At the end of the class ask the entire class to write down, on a card, an answer to a question you pose. These exit questions can be either specifically linked to the content you taught or more general questions asking the student to reflect on how the new information connects with prior knowledge. In either case, having some idea of student understanding can be very helpful as you plan for the next lesson.
For a fuller discussion of assessment leading to differentiated instruction, consult the Hidden Sparks Without Walls (HSWOW) webinar led by Dr. Jane Gertler on "Assessment and Differentiated Instruction." This webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, 2011 from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. Before May 17th, register to participate by clicking here (and scrolling down). After May 17th, download the session from the HSWOW Archive.
1. The creative thinking or imagination before the writing the writing begins
2. The organization of his ideas into a framework or outline;
3. Staying focused on the task while he is working;
4. The ability to put his ideas into written sentences; and
5. The actual graphomotor skills of the writing.
The next step is to isolate what part of the writing process he feels comfortable with. (It works best to start with the strengths). Maybe he has great ideas. Maybe he is able to focus on task with no difficulty. Whatever he can accomplish with little difficulty needs recognition.
Having identified his strengths, it's time to move on to the struggles. Take a look together at the part of the writing process that is hard for him and initiate a strategy that addresses that particular part. For example, does he have trouble translating his ideas into written language? Suggest he start by speaking his ideas first, perhaps into a tape recorder. Does he have trouble organizing his ideas? Practice with him what goes into a productive outline. Is he having trouble staying on task? Perhaps he can take breaks periodically in order to re-focus.
The important point here is that writing effectively is not a single skill, but the product of a number of different skills. An analysis of the specific skills that are troubling your student gives the two of you the chance to work on just what is hindering him, rather than just feeling overwhelmed by the whole process.
The first step is to establish empathy in order to explore the behavior, i.e., the chutzpah you describe. In a nonjudgmental manner, initiate a private conversation. An opening question might be," I've noticed that sometimes when you are speaking to other people it sounds disrespectful and I was wondering if there was some reason why. Can you tell me anything about it?" The point here is let the 7th grader know that you are not judging her, but rather want to learn more about her perspective and what she is feeling.
The second step is to define both her concerns and your concerns. What does she know about why she speaks the way she does, and, equally relevant, why does her speech and manner bother you? At this second step you are working to identify and articulate the concerns for both of you. You are not talking about any solutions as yet, but rather trying to understand when and why this pattern of what looks like disrespect occurs, and whether it really is disrespect. You are also clarifying why this perceived disrespect troubles you.
After both her and your concerns have been articulated, the third step is to invite the student to work with you, i.e., collaborate, on figuring out a solution that is mutually satisfactory. It can't just work for one of you, and that needs to be made clear. Without knowing her concerns, it is difficult to suggest specific solutions, but they might range from a simple pre-arranged hand signal when her speech and manner seem disrespectful to a more direct intervention in these situations. Whatever it is, try out potentially satisfying solutions, see how that work, and revise as you go along.
A more complete discussion of Collaborative Problem Solving can be found in the book, Lost at School, by Ross W.Greene, Ph.D.(Scribner, 2008) or further discussed on the web-site www.thinkkids.org by J. Stuart Ablon, Ph.D.
Most of us are, by nature, social animals. We learn many of our social skills by modeling what we see around us at home, at school, and in our larger community. But this form of learning through observation and imitation does not work for everyone, and some children need more directed instruction in how individuals relate and behave with one another.
Your description of the student in your fourth grade class sounds like a child who wants to be recognized and has not figured out how to go about it. She wants to make a connection with her peers, doesn't have the skills, and so she resorts to inappropriate means, perhaps because on some level she understands that will get her noticed.
The challenge here is to teach her the skills she needs to connect with her peers. And, as a corollary, discourage her from using the approaches that are inhibiting friendships. A useful first step is to look for and enlist another child who could be a coach and buddy, much like a Big Sister. If this coach came from a higher grade, there is less chance the student will feel awkward and may even welcome the attention. The coach/buddy could perhaps have lunch with the student on occasion, work on a school related project together, or help with homework or class assignments. The interactions between the coach and the student become a gentle form of peer social tutoring. A second step is a classroom discussion on what builds friendships and what we tend to like about our friends. Part of the discussion could include role plays in which students enact the ways in which friends get along, or, perhaps, do not get along. These playlets give the student in question examples that she can model to improve her own social skills.
To learn more about social cognition, consult the Hidden Sparks Without Walls
(HSWOW) webinar presented by Dr. Tamar Bauman entitled, Social Cognition:
The Science of Relating. In this two session discussion, originally presented
in May, 2008, Dr. Bauman reviews how to recognize strengths and struggles
in social cognition as well as how to apply appropriate strategies for those
who are struggling. Hidden Sparks webinars can be reached by visiting the
Hidden Sparks website, www.hiddensparks.org, and clicking on the HSWOW
Archive.
On a similar note, I always encourage the students'' input and thoughts. yet at times they have so many thoughts to share (and I would like to give them all the proper attention), that it can be hard to balance this with covering the necessary material of the lesson. what would be a proper medium? And what would be a good way to explain to the boys that we have to continue further, even though they all have many important thoughts to share on the subject.
1. Use this as a teaching opportunity and initiate a discussion asking students themselves to come up with ideas for how to keep class discussions on track. From their ideas formulate a set of class discussion rules. Perhaps you want to post them as a visual reminder of what you all agreed on. You can always point to them when the going gets rough!
2. Another possibility is for you to present 3 to 4 words before a class discussion which represent the main ideas you want to cover. Write these words on the board. When a student asks a questions or volunteers an answer or an observation, have him first identify which of the 3 or 4 words his comment applies to. Here you are practicing both keeping on track and the ability to identify the main ideas.
3. You ask about an appropriate medium for the boys to share their thoughts even if they are not associated with the curriculum. Do you have time in the school day for the boys to create and work on a class newsletter? Could you channel any of the thoughts they wish to share into writing assignments for class?
He has typical ADHD behaviors. When I am teaching he seems to be in another world, but when he wants to ask a question he blurts it out and it is often off topic. When I am trying to give him instruction one on one, he is all over the place - moving around and is not focusing. When I am trying to help other students, he is literally in my face asking me question.
My question: what can I do as a teacher for this student to have him engaged in work and not disturbing others?
Working with children with ADHD within the boundaries of a classroom draws
on many approaches and probably a few "experiments" as well. A good beginning
would be the ideas behind Collaborative Problem Solving, a program you can
access through www.thinkkids.org.
The core technique of collaborative problem solving is the teacher inviting the student into a gentle and empathetic conversation about his/her challenging behavior. For example, you might say to your student, "I've noticed that sometimes when you have a question about something, you will interrupt my teaching to ask it, even if it is about a different topic. I know you have things you are really interested in, and I would love to be able to answer you. The thing is, that makes it hard for me to stay on track with my teaching. I was wondering if we could put our heads together and come up with some other ideas that work for both of us about what we could do when you have a question."
The advantage to working collaboratively, of course, is to help the student feel that you are engaged with him in the process of learning to manage his needs and impulses, rather than him experiencing his teacher as someone who is "telling him" what he can and cannot do.
As for the larger question of how to engage this student in work and keep him from disturbing others - perhaps he can offer ideas and suggestions as to what makes different tasks more engaging than others. Using the student's input, you may be able to devise creative ways to make even mundane tasks more "engaging", which, by the way, can be useful for other students as well. Consider a page of math problems. It seems boring and routine, but explaining that the answers correspond to the code you have written on the board and spell out a secret message makes the task more engaging. A simple reading task when combined with the challenge - How many words with double letters (ball, tall, etc) do you think are in the passage? How accurate was your prediction? - can be made more interesting. Finally, you may need to program in more "breaks" for the student. If during a lesson, he is asked to erase a section of the board, distribute papers, sharpen your pencil, etc., you are creating opportunities for him to be up and about that are practical, approved, and non-disruptive.
The most important thing with students like this, I find, is to adopt an attitude of experimentation. We won't know what works until we try it. And if something doesn't work, try changing it a bit and see what happens. There are no cookbook answers to situations like this, and lots of trial and error will likely be necessary.
Dr. Rona Novick is Co-educational Director of Hidden Sparks and also Director of the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Doctoral Program in Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University, and a licensed Clinical Psychologist.
What you describe sounds very much like a student struggling with transitions. Transitions occur all day long in a classroom. The shifting from one subject area to another, the shifting from one place to another, the shifting from small groups to large groups are just three examples of the ways students have to shift context or content or both. Smooth and efficient transitions do not just occur spontaneously. They require teacher planning and students knowing what to expect.
A thoughtful discussion and excellent source for "teaching" students how to make efficient and smooth transitions is a Hidden Sparks Without Walls (HSWOW) webinar by Andrea Rousso entitled Transition: Creating a Smooth School Day. Visit the HSWOW portion of our website and look for it in the Archive, presented on December 9, 2009. You can read and/or download the complete text and audio recording.
As Andrea herself notes, the Big Idea in this webinar is that it is both possible and essential to plan transitions before they occur and to teach students the necessary steps.
Your student's inflexibility with a change in routine will ease as she begins to understand and anticipate the series of steps necessary to making that change. To diminish her negative reactions, first clarify for her the purpose of and the discrete steps in changing a routine. The two of you might work together to create a list of these steps and then tape this list to her desk so she can review it as necessary. Perhaps she would like to illustrate this list. Perhaps others in the class would like a similar list which they, too, could illustrate. The teaching and discussion of transitions is an effective class project that benefits all. Andrea's webinar will bring you many good ideas.
Accommodating different levels of instruction in a classroom is always a challenge. A basic first step is to group students with similar levels of understanding together. Present the lesson initially to the whole group and then have students of similar abilities work together in small groups. This enables the teacher to provide extra support or modification for those who need it and lets those who have grasped the ideas move ahead at their own speed.
In reference to math instruction specifically, consult the website, www.mathsolutions.com, which represents the work of Marilyn Burns, an innovative thinker in the teaching of mathematics. The website is filled with ideas for classroom teachers. Check out the Educator Tools which includes collection of articles written by Marilyn Burns, as well as the Math Solutions Online Newsletter and some free classroom lessons. Many of her ideas and solutions focus on the working of small groups, and all her ideas will enrich your teaching of mathematics.
Finally, when differentiating instruction in any subject, think about the three factors you can adjust: the amount of material you ask the student to learn, the speed at which it must be learned, and the level of complexity presented at any one time. Reducing amount or speed or level of complexity (or any combination of the three) gives struggling students more time for processing new information and leads to better understanding.
Forging a parent's name on homework is a complicated behavior. To be helpful, the adults involved need to try to understand the reason for the child's actions. Some questions to think about: Is this child concerned about being exposed as not understanding the assignment? And, if so, is this a sign of a greater fear of academic failure? Could the forging stem from deeper psychological issues, perhaps concerning a sense of self or a perceived pressure to perform? Are there some specific family issues that might be relevant? Does the child understand that forging a signature, and other types of lying or misrepresentation are wrong?
The search for the underlying issues involves both conversations with the child and help from outside the classroom. Conversations with the child require patience, understanding, and delicacy. A program, Collaborative Problem Solving, has a protocol for talking with challenging students and might be useful here. This protocol and the thinking behind it can be accessed at www.thinkkids.org. Support outside the classroom could come from the support professionals associated with your school, such as a guidance counselor, social worker, or school psychologist. Forging a parent's signature is often a statement about something else, and that something else needs to be looked at.
Organizational skills are an important, perhaps even crucial, part of managing a Junior High school curriculum. For many students this may be their first exposure to different subjects taught by different teachers. It may also be the first time they have to exercise time management skills on their own. Your idea of binder check for each test is an excellent, but there are other ways to help students keep their materials at hand and in order. The following idea of a 3-tiered system comes from Jane Gertler of the Churchill School in New York City. Dr. Gertler talks about a 3-Tiered System including Working Notebooks, a Reserve Notebook, and a Long-Term filing drawer.The Working Notebook category includes a 3-Ring binder with separate tabs for each class. It also includes a spiral notebook for each class, (color-coded to match the appropriate tab in the 3-Ring binder) and a separate folder for handouts and homework for each class.
The second part of the system, the Reserve Notebook, is actually a multi-section accordion folder for each class. This accordion folder has a homework section, a class notes section and test and quizzes section.
And, finally, a Long Term Filing Drawer at home gives students a place to keep samples of work they feel good about. Together these three coordinated files will keep a student's work organized by class and available when needed.
The 3-Tiered System is explained more fully in Dr. Gertler's Hidden Sparks Without Walls (HSWOW) webinar which can be accessed on the Hidden Sparks website in the HSWOW Archive. Look for Strategies for Peak Performance: Effective Tools For Organizing Your Student, presented on April 29, 2009 by Jane Gertler, Ph.D.
Having the flow of a class discussion broken unexpectedly by interruptions can be troublesome for students and teachers alike. Here are three suggestions:1. Make the break in the classroom flow a "teaching moment." Talk about the experience of being distracted. Ask students how they refocus their attention when they are distracted. Encourage suggestions from the students that the whole class could try the next time they are distracted. Let them know that being distracted is part of life and it is always helpful to have techniques to counter-act the distraction.2. Elect a Class Paraphraser whose job is to re-tell for the class just what the class was discussing when they were interrupted. Ideally this job would rotate so that all students have the experience.
3. For younger students try a stretching exercise (Stand up and stretch your hands to the sky) to help them re-focus.
