The third chapter discusses research findings and strategies for students with attention disorders. I think it’s important that we look at our instructional strategies and learning environments to avoid inadvertently using structures that lead to school-created ADHD-like behavior and contribute to the difficulties our ADHD and ADD students have already. Too often, especially in the older grades, we do focus on lecture formats, move too quickly because we have so much to cover, inconsistently enforce behavior rules between different classes, expect students to stay in their seats, use a lot of textbook and copying from the board/overhead, and become too focused on presenting information. Monitoring our learning environments and instructional strategies from the perspective of students with attentional difficulties would help students with attentional difficulties (and all students) learn.
This chapter also suggests some great strategies to provide the student with a structured, predictable and welcoming environment, modifying the curriculum, and getting, focusing and maintaining student attention. If we incorporated those strategies into our classrooms, all students would benefit!
I also really liked the strategies for specific ADHD/ADD behaviors: specific strategies for excessive activity, for inability to wait, for failure to sustain attention, for noncompliance and failure to complete tasks, difficulty at the beginning of tasks and completing assignments on time. Too often, we forget to break down the student’s difficulties and focus strategies on those difficulties, we just think of them as a student with ADHD and focus on all ADHD behaviors. Or we think about it for the IEP, but don’t necessarily target teaching to specific areas for specific students, rather lump them together in groups with the same instruction.
Question 2 -
Some of the strategies for providing a structured, predictable and welcoming environment would be important in developing the schedule, room layout, and developing relationships – critical steps in the beginning of the year. This provides a great foundation for the rest of the year.
Strategies for modifying the curriculum can be incorporated into all academics. Strategies for getting, focusing and maintaining attention would be beneficial to all students in all environments and classes, such as use of visual signals, visual cues, auditory signals, humor, multisensory strategies, enthusiastic teaching style, groups, computers, individual dry erase boards, etc, can be incorporated into all subjects.
Question 3 -
Students with autism also have difficulties with attention and difficulties with executive function. Although the cause may differ, they often need many of the same medications and strategies as students with attention difficulties. When I work with staff of students with autism, I often talk about many of these same strategies: need for structured, predictable and welcoming environment, curriculum modification, getting/focusing and maintaining attention. As with students with attention difficulties, we need to assess the classroom environment and instructional strategies that lead to school-created ADHD-like behaviors for students with autism, and work to provide a supportive environment. The self-assessment and strategies could be a useful tool, as well as some of the current research on attention and executive function, for the staff I support.
According to Sousa, brain research indicates that survival (“Am I safe?”) and emotional needs (“Am I wanted here?”) must be met before we can expect students to focus on curriculum. I think that is very true for students with attentional needs, as well as students with autism. When working with the teams that support students with autism, developing a safe place and safe staff is always a focal point, and can be the focus for much of the year. Without that positive relationship and supportive environment, students will always be in a stressed, survival-focused, mode.
Marcy - How the Special Needs Brain Learns - Chapter 3
Amen...and not just for Special students...ALL students need to feel safe and cared for...I also thought about 45 minute periods and how they play into the mix...
1. Chapter 3 is a very important chapter. Classroom organization is so important. I agree that confusion and frustration will be reduced as the brain feels secure. Once children know and understand the classroom system, they are more relaxed and able to organize themselves. I agree with the chapter and believe we must begin to consider things we need to put in place for children to flourish instead of considering how we can make them do what we want. Our classrooms should keep rules simple. Respect and responsibility are huge concepts! Once respect is portrayed from the teacher, students will show respect in return. 2. The principles from this chapter could be implemented into everyday useful methods. Everyone should remember our words and actions and how to treat others as we would like to be treated. Showing consideration for others can go a long way in school and the real world. As a teacher, we need to model common courtesies and practice them daily. 3. Next year I plan on changing my classroom rules to classroom expectations. I'll probably use some of the same ideas which were used at the Monarch Community School. The idea of classroom expectations seems less controlling than classroom rules. I already talk a lot about expectations to my students so it may be easy for me to implement next year.
1. The whole time I was reading chapter 3 in the back of my mind was multiage and looping classrooms. In those classrooms the kids would already know the procedures and routines... this would be so wonderful. The is just so much to try to explain, practice and role model to the class at the beginning of each school year. I totally agree with the chapter 3 in that we must set our procedures to avoid choas and all the questions. I'd like to switch to the classroom expectations instead of rules. I think the kids will pick up on those easily.
2. We definitely need to model courtesy and explain what we mean by common courtesy. Role model would work great for this and the kids would love it too.
3. I agree with Jodi - I already talk to my class a lot about what I expect so I think did would be great to switch to classroom expectations instead of rules... and make sure to keep them simple. I feel routines and procedures are key components in how smooth the classroom is run.
Our school does not have a specific set of expectations/rules that we follow or enforce. Each teacher has their own rules. It would be benficial to develop rules/expectations that our k-2 students can understand. It is important students know what the desired behavior looks like and feels like. I think role playing could help reinforce the rules/expectations.
I believe the developing classroom patterns and procedures are necessary to have an effective classroom. My students depend on daily routines, procedures, and weekly and daily schedules. My students like to know what is going to happen daily and what changes there may be for the day and or week. In my class we go through our schedule during our morning meeting so there are no surprizes during the day.
At the beginning of the year my class brainstorms and develops their classroom expectations. I then print it on a poster and have each student sign the poster. It is then placed where it is visible to all students. I feel I could model more at the beginning of the school year.I would do the same with the procedures.
5 comments:
Question 1-
The third chapter discusses research findings and strategies for students with attention disorders. I think it’s important that we look at our instructional strategies and learning environments to avoid inadvertently using structures that lead to school-created ADHD-like behavior and contribute to the difficulties our ADHD and ADD students have already. Too often, especially in the older grades, we do focus on lecture formats, move too quickly because we have so much to cover, inconsistently enforce behavior rules between different classes, expect students to stay in their seats, use a lot of textbook and copying from the board/overhead, and become too focused on presenting information. Monitoring our learning environments and instructional strategies from the perspective of students with attentional difficulties would help students with attentional difficulties (and all students) learn.
This chapter also suggests some great strategies to provide the student with a structured, predictable and welcoming environment, modifying the curriculum, and getting, focusing and maintaining student attention. If we incorporated those strategies into our classrooms, all students would benefit!
I also really liked the strategies for specific ADHD/ADD behaviors: specific strategies for excessive activity, for inability to wait, for failure to sustain attention, for noncompliance and failure to complete tasks, difficulty at the beginning of tasks and completing assignments on time. Too often, we forget to break down the student’s difficulties and focus strategies on those difficulties, we just think of them as a student with ADHD and focus on all ADHD behaviors. Or we think about it for the IEP, but don’t necessarily target teaching to specific areas for specific students, rather lump them together in groups with the same instruction.
Question 2 -
Some of the strategies for providing a structured, predictable and welcoming environment would be important in developing the schedule, room layout, and developing relationships – critical steps in the beginning of the year. This provides a great foundation for the rest of the year.
Strategies for modifying the curriculum can be incorporated into all academics.
Strategies for getting, focusing and maintaining attention would be beneficial to all students in all environments and classes, such as use of visual signals, visual cues, auditory signals, humor, multisensory strategies, enthusiastic teaching style, groups, computers, individual dry erase boards, etc, can be incorporated into all subjects.
Question 3 -
Students with autism also have difficulties with attention and difficulties with executive function. Although the cause may differ, they often need many of the same medications and strategies as students with attention difficulties. When I work with staff of students with autism, I often talk about many of these same strategies: need for structured, predictable and welcoming environment, curriculum modification, getting/focusing and maintaining attention. As with students with attention difficulties, we need to assess the classroom environment and instructional strategies that lead to school-created ADHD-like behaviors for students with autism, and work to provide a supportive environment. The self-assessment and strategies could be a useful tool, as well as some of the current research on attention and executive function, for the staff I support.
According to Sousa, brain research indicates that survival (“Am I safe?”) and emotional needs (“Am I wanted here?”) must be met before we can expect students to focus on curriculum. I think that is very true for students with attentional needs, as well as students with autism. When working with the teams that support students with autism, developing a safe place and safe staff is always a focal point, and can be the focus for much of the year. Without that positive relationship and supportive environment, students will always be in a stressed, survival-focused, mode.
Marcy - How the Special Needs Brain Learns - Chapter 3
Amen...and not just for Special students...ALL students need to feel safe and cared for...I also thought about 45 minute periods and how they play into the mix...
1. Chapter 3 is a very important chapter. Classroom organization is so important. I agree that confusion and frustration will be reduced as the brain feels secure. Once children know and understand the classroom system, they are more relaxed and able to organize themselves. I agree with the chapter and believe we must begin to consider things we need to put in place for children to flourish instead of considering how we can make them do what we want.
Our classrooms should keep rules simple. Respect and responsibility are huge concepts! Once respect is portrayed from the teacher, students will show respect in return.
2. The principles from this chapter could be implemented into everyday useful methods. Everyone should remember our words and actions and how to treat others as we would like to be treated. Showing consideration for others can go a long way in school and the real world. As a teacher, we need to model common courtesies and practice them daily.
3. Next year I plan on changing my classroom rules to classroom expectations. I'll probably use some of the same ideas which were used at the Monarch Community School. The idea of classroom expectations seems less controlling than classroom rules. I already talk a lot about expectations to my students so it may be easy for me to implement next year.
1. The whole time I was reading chapter 3 in the back of my mind was multiage and looping classrooms. In those classrooms the kids would already know the procedures and routines... this would be so wonderful. The is just so much to try to explain, practice and role model to the class at the beginning of each school year. I totally agree with the chapter 3 in that we must set our procedures to avoid choas and all the questions. I'd like to switch to the classroom expectations instead of rules. I think the kids will pick up on those easily.
2. We definitely need to model courtesy and explain what we mean by common courtesy. Role model would work great for this and the kids would love it too.
3. I agree with Jodi - I already talk to my class a lot about what I expect so I think did would be great to switch to classroom expectations instead of rules... and make sure to keep them simple. I feel routines and procedures are key components in how smooth the classroom is run.
Our school does not have a specific set of expectations/rules that we follow or enforce. Each teacher has their own rules. It would be benficial to develop rules/expectations that our k-2 students can understand. It is important students know what the desired behavior looks like and feels like. I think role playing could help reinforce the rules/expectations.
I believe the developing classroom patterns and procedures are necessary to have an effective classroom. My students depend on daily routines, procedures, and weekly and daily schedules. My students like to know what is going to happen daily and what changes there may be for the day and or week. In my class we go through our schedule during our morning meeting so there are no surprizes during the day.
At the beginning of the year my class brainstorms and develops their classroom expectations. I then print it on a poster and have each student sign the poster. It is then placed where it is visible to all students. I feel I could model more at the beginning of the school year.I would do the same with the procedures.
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