Activity 1: Students with Learning Difficulties
In this task I interviewed two teachers who I work with about students with learning difficulties. I then made a flow chart showing the special education process I would like our school to follow. Please see the flowchart here.
Summary of InterviewsPlease note that due to the lack of relevant staff in my school, I was unable to interview a school councilor or special education teacher.
Robert Keay - Upper Primary Coordinator
What are the signs of a struggling student?
I associate lack of concentration and motivation as initial signs of a struggling student. Students who have problems with behaviour in the class often turn into struggling students as they act out in class due to boredom from not understanding or learning. I also find that students who perform poorly academically or have issues with homework are often the ones in need of assistance.
How can differentiated instruction be used to assist students who are struggling?
In my opinion, the teacher can make sure to cater to different types of learners within the class. This makes sure that no child is left behind and that everyone has a chance to shine. I also make sure to provide level-appropriate material to struggling students. This could come in the form of worksheets, stations, buddy work or one on one tutoring with me.
How do teachers involve parents in helping struggling students?
Teachers are an important part of students’ learning process. Because students are with their parents more than with their teachers, it’s important that similar expectations are in place at home and in school. Providing truthful feedback on the student is important. I also believe that providing level appropriate homework which allows parents to aide learning at home is vital. Communication with the parents is something that should consistently take place, including in the form of parent-teacher meetings.
How do you determine if a student should be referred to special education services?
It’s hard to determine when to determine when a student should be referred to special education services. In general, I track a student’s progress over time and check if an problems are reoccurring. Lack of concentration in the classroom or overly attention seeking can be initial signs that a student might need help. Other things I look for are lack of social cues and how they interact with their peers. Students who score low grades can sometimes be a clue.
What is the school administration's directive for special education?
Currently at our school there is a real lack of administration directives for special education. Due to Chinese society and social stigma towards special education, it is quite a taboo topic. This is a shame and something I hope we can change in the near future as students who don’t get the support they deserve are less likely to achieve to the best of their ability.
Keay, R. (2021, July 5). Personal interview [Personal interview].
Thomas Etherington - Year 2 teacher
What are the signs of a struggling student?
There are a variety of signs of a struggling student and some of these may be picked up with the use of appropriate formative assessments that show a student doesn’t meet the learning expectations. In other cases students may become frustrated and “act out”. Whilst these behaviours may be perceived as negative, they are a way that a student might show they are struggling.
How can differentiated instruction be used to assist students who are struggling?
By the use of differentiated instruction methods, like scaffolding, all learners have an equal opportunity to succeed. Scaffolding gives learners who need more support the ability to have a larger task broken down into smaller steps which make it easier for them to complete. This helps make for a successful, equal and fair learning environment.
How do teachers involve parents in helping struggling students?
Teachers can involve parents of struggling students by talking about the areas in which the student is both succeeding and struggling. It is always important to be sensitive when talking about the needs of a student. Teachers could offer support and resources for the parents to use outside of school time.
How do you determine if a student should be referred to special education services?
Unfortunately for our school there are no determiners for if a student should be referred to special education services. However, some might be the use of observations by the teacher or that of a student who is unable to meet grade level expectations with support.
What is the school administration's directive for special education?
Unfortunately within the cultural environment of our school there are no directives for special education. Any additional support falls solely upon the individual teacher.
Etherington, T. (2021, July 5). Personal interview [Personal interview].
Differentiated instruction strategies
All students, regardless of their neurodiversity, deserve an education. It’s important to recognize this fact, but it’s also important not to group all neurodiverse students together. There are many types of disabilities which all need their own individual approach. Neurodiverse students aren’t dumb or lazy; in fact, they are just smart as non-nuerodiverse students (Kemp, G. Smith, M & Segal, J., 2020). Where neurodiverse students differ is that they sometimes need a differentiated approach in able to succeed. It’s a teachers job to work to find an approach which will best allow all of our students to achieve. This applies equally to all of our students.
One approach that I use is a strengths based approach. A strengths based approach is one which focuses on students strengths, rather than their weaknesses (Social Care Institute for Excellence, n.d.). A strengths-based approach recognizes that all students have strengths and that they demonstrate learning and understanding in different ways (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, February, 2012). I try to be positive in my classroom and focus on what students can do, not what they can’ (however I make sure not to ignore what they can’t do). A strengths-based approach can help differentiate a task in the classroom by allowing different learners to approach it from a variety of ways.
Through research, I learned about differentiation with students with intellectual disabilities. It’s important to remember that a student with an intellectual disability cannot be removed from a class because of their disability. Just as a good teacher would provide support and differentiate for a lazy student or one with behavioral issues, a teacher also needs to differentiate lessons for a student with an intellectual disability. I learnt that there are 5 main areas in which teachers adapt things for students with intellectual disabilities: scheduling (allowing more time when needed), setting (work in groups), materials (iPads/notes), instruction (tutoring or stations) and student response (voice to text) (Therapy Travelers, February 19, 2018).
A final way of differentiation I have used for students with students who are blind or visually impaired is that of assistive technologies. For example, when I worked in a school for students who are blind or visually impaired, I first became away of the modern technologies being employed. At the time, I was only aware of braille, but soon learned of several other devices such as screen magnifiers and screen readers.
Kemp, G. Smith, M & Segal, J. (November 2020). Learning Disabilities and Disorders. Help Guide. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm
Social Care Institute for Excellence. (n.d.) Strength-based approaches. https://www.scie.org.uk/strengths-based-approaches
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (February, 2012). Strength-based approach. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/childhood/professionals/learning/strengthbappr.pdf
Therapy Travelers. (February 19, 2018). Strategies for Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities. https://therapytravelers.com/strategies-teaching-students-intellectual-disabilities/
Robert Keay - Upper Primary Coordinator
What are the signs of a struggling student?
I associate lack of concentration and motivation as initial signs of a struggling student. Students who have problems with behaviour in the class often turn into struggling students as they act out in class due to boredom from not understanding or learning. I also find that students who perform poorly academically or have issues with homework are often the ones in need of assistance.
How can differentiated instruction be used to assist students who are struggling?
In my opinion, the teacher can make sure to cater to different types of learners within the class. This makes sure that no child is left behind and that everyone has a chance to shine. I also make sure to provide level-appropriate material to struggling students. This could come in the form of worksheets, stations, buddy work or one on one tutoring with me.
How do teachers involve parents in helping struggling students?
Teachers are an important part of students’ learning process. Because students are with their parents more than with their teachers, it’s important that similar expectations are in place at home and in school. Providing truthful feedback on the student is important. I also believe that providing level appropriate homework which allows parents to aide learning at home is vital. Communication with the parents is something that should consistently take place, including in the form of parent-teacher meetings.
How do you determine if a student should be referred to special education services?
It’s hard to determine when to determine when a student should be referred to special education services. In general, I track a student’s progress over time and check if an problems are reoccurring. Lack of concentration in the classroom or overly attention seeking can be initial signs that a student might need help. Other things I look for are lack of social cues and how they interact with their peers. Students who score low grades can sometimes be a clue.
What is the school administration's directive for special education?
Currently at our school there is a real lack of administration directives for special education. Due to Chinese society and social stigma towards special education, it is quite a taboo topic. This is a shame and something I hope we can change in the near future as students who don’t get the support they deserve are less likely to achieve to the best of their ability.
Keay, R. (2021, July 5). Personal interview [Personal interview].
Thomas Etherington - Year 2 teacher
What are the signs of a struggling student?
There are a variety of signs of a struggling student and some of these may be picked up with the use of appropriate formative assessments that show a student doesn’t meet the learning expectations. In other cases students may become frustrated and “act out”. Whilst these behaviours may be perceived as negative, they are a way that a student might show they are struggling.
How can differentiated instruction be used to assist students who are struggling?
By the use of differentiated instruction methods, like scaffolding, all learners have an equal opportunity to succeed. Scaffolding gives learners who need more support the ability to have a larger task broken down into smaller steps which make it easier for them to complete. This helps make for a successful, equal and fair learning environment.
How do teachers involve parents in helping struggling students?
Teachers can involve parents of struggling students by talking about the areas in which the student is both succeeding and struggling. It is always important to be sensitive when talking about the needs of a student. Teachers could offer support and resources for the parents to use outside of school time.
How do you determine if a student should be referred to special education services?
Unfortunately for our school there are no determiners for if a student should be referred to special education services. However, some might be the use of observations by the teacher or that of a student who is unable to meet grade level expectations with support.
What is the school administration's directive for special education?
Unfortunately within the cultural environment of our school there are no directives for special education. Any additional support falls solely upon the individual teacher.
Etherington, T. (2021, July 5). Personal interview [Personal interview].
Differentiated instruction strategies
All students, regardless of their neurodiversity, deserve an education. It’s important to recognize this fact, but it’s also important not to group all neurodiverse students together. There are many types of disabilities which all need their own individual approach. Neurodiverse students aren’t dumb or lazy; in fact, they are just smart as non-nuerodiverse students (Kemp, G. Smith, M & Segal, J., 2020). Where neurodiverse students differ is that they sometimes need a differentiated approach in able to succeed. It’s a teachers job to work to find an approach which will best allow all of our students to achieve. This applies equally to all of our students.
One approach that I use is a strengths based approach. A strengths based approach is one which focuses on students strengths, rather than their weaknesses (Social Care Institute for Excellence, n.d.). A strengths-based approach recognizes that all students have strengths and that they demonstrate learning and understanding in different ways (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, February, 2012). I try to be positive in my classroom and focus on what students can do, not what they can’ (however I make sure not to ignore what they can’t do). A strengths-based approach can help differentiate a task in the classroom by allowing different learners to approach it from a variety of ways.
Through research, I learned about differentiation with students with intellectual disabilities. It’s important to remember that a student with an intellectual disability cannot be removed from a class because of their disability. Just as a good teacher would provide support and differentiate for a lazy student or one with behavioral issues, a teacher also needs to differentiate lessons for a student with an intellectual disability. I learnt that there are 5 main areas in which teachers adapt things for students with intellectual disabilities: scheduling (allowing more time when needed), setting (work in groups), materials (iPads/notes), instruction (tutoring or stations) and student response (voice to text) (Therapy Travelers, February 19, 2018).
A final way of differentiation I have used for students with students who are blind or visually impaired is that of assistive technologies. For example, when I worked in a school for students who are blind or visually impaired, I first became away of the modern technologies being employed. At the time, I was only aware of braille, but soon learned of several other devices such as screen magnifiers and screen readers.
Kemp, G. Smith, M & Segal, J. (November 2020). Learning Disabilities and Disorders. Help Guide. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm
Social Care Institute for Excellence. (n.d.) Strength-based approaches. https://www.scie.org.uk/strengths-based-approaches
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (February, 2012). Strength-based approach. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/childhood/professionals/learning/strengthbappr.pdf
Therapy Travelers. (February 19, 2018). Strategies for Teaching Students with Intellectual Disabilities. https://therapytravelers.com/strategies-teaching-students-intellectual-disabilities/