Kourtney has concerns about struggling student

        One day during my observations, my cooperating teacher gave me a student to work with one-to-one.     We were working on reducing fractions to simplest form because she did very poorly on her homework and quizzes. It was apparent that she did not know her multiplication facts, even the easy ones like 2s and 3s and 5s. That was clearly hindering her ability to find common factors. As we worked on it more, I realized she did not know what an even number was. It was as if she never even heard the term. I was astonished. How could a third grader not be able to identify what an even number was? It took her a few times working solely with even numbers to realize that no matter what the number was, if it ended in an even number, it could be reduced by 2. We had to go over this concept again and again. Finally,  after about half an hour,  she started to understand the concept of an even number. I could not figure out if this is a child that has just quietly slipped through the cracks or if she needs some sort of extra help. It took her a very long time to understand a fairly simple concept, and something that she should have learned in first grade.

 

        What are your opinions about this? Have you worked individually with students that really seem to be struggling? What are your suggestions? What would you say to your cooperating teacher?

Diana and ESL Concern

As I am completing my observation hours, I feel that I must share with you an issue that has gained my attention and, at the same time, has produced much concern on my part.    The issue to which I am referring is the way in which teachers in my school treat Spanish speaking students.   There appears to be a difference in the way that Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking students are perceived by the teachers within this building.   In my classroom in particular there are  about eight Spanish speaking students, yet only five of those students are classified as ESL students. When it comes to the ESL students, I believe that they are being treated differently than are the other students within the class.    By that I mean it is as if the teachers who come into the classroom do not expect these students to learn the basic educational skills that they need at their grade level.  My question is this:    How does a teacher whose students are struggling to learn English help those students to succeed in every subject? Although the cooperating teacher speaks to them in English, and works one-on-one with them, the ESL teacher is constantly reminding her of the fact that she needs to speak to these students in Spanish. These students are considered to be "slower" than the other students and in one way or another, it would appear, less is expected of them.  Do you think that it is fair to expect less from a second grade ESL student than you expect from a general education second grade student?    Should we expect less from ESL students in general?    What standard should we set for these students?    Are dual expectations fair?   Why or why not?    

Meghan asks if it is our job to teach empathy

Teaching Students Empathy

Where I am observing, teachers have commented on the lack of empathy in some of their students.  One particular fourth grade teacher struggles greatly with the students in her class.   They are, apparently, being very mean to one another.  This teacher even commented on the fact that for three months, students in her class laughed whenever a student who has speech delays spoke. I believe that this is too long of a time period for such issues to have continued.   The situation had become so bad that the guidance counselor had  to create an activity for the entire grade with the hope that they would develop some empathy for others.    She assigned students certain colors and groups. This taught students the feeling of what it feels like to leave out a classmate.

 In the fourth grade class in which I am observing, however,  the students have been wonderful. They are very kind, and I know that they had some idea of what to expect with my situation, before I even came.  Their teacher had in the past been a special education teacher. That way, students wouldn’t feel scared and they are always welcome to ask questions. I think that perhaps the other classes are struggling because,  this concept is not being taught in their homes.

Is it important for us to teach empathy in our classes?     Why?    How much of this do you feel is the  teacher’s role?  How much of it is a parent’s role at home?   What are some strategies you would use to incorporate the concept of empathy into your classroom?

 

Do personality conflicts exist within a school building?

I have been observing an elementary music teacher who seems to have a bit of an ego. His strong personality mostly surfaces when interacting with other teachers, with the exception of his principal. When he is teaching, however, he is a completely different person. He is funny, and so in tune with what his kids need to learn.  My respect level remains so high due to the fact that he is awesome when he is with his students.

 

I bring this up because, I believe,  there will be many times that we come face to face with a colleague with whom we may have a personality conflict. Teaching requires us to work in an environment with many different people and many different personality-types.  Yet, we are all expected to “pull together” and “work pleasantly together” for the sake of our students.     

My question is this:

 What do we do, as teachers, when we come face to face with someone who has different views, and opinions, than we do?   How do we work with that person on a daily basis? My personal approach has been to remain passive due to my limited time and my limited role in this school.   But what would I do  if this were the job that I went to every day?     

 

Kourtney is concerned about student comprehension

This semester I am observing in a third grade class and, as with most every school, once a week these students prepare for the NJASK.  Many times they do readings and those readings are followed by questions that refer to the story, essay, narrative or poem that they have just read.   These booklets are collected and usually the teacher gives them to me to grade. I have noticed that many students are careless in their work.    They do not read directions.    They often just completely miss the point of the excerpt they have just read.  They do not seem to be able to answer the comprehension questions correctly, especially went they are asked to respond to open-ended questions. I never see the teacher give reading instruction in any of the areas in which the students seriously need help. The comprehension problem continues to exist.  

 Do you have any ideas of ways I could kindly suggest something about this problem to the teacher? Should I share with her what I observe about the work that I am correcting?   What are your thoughts about this problem?   Is it that students cannot understand what they are reading?   Do any of you see the students in your classes exhibiting the same comprehension problem?    Thanks!

 

 

Marina questions the idea of too much material and too little time

I'm observing in a kindergarten class this semester. The children are only in school with the teacher for a half day. As I am observing I am noticing that the teacher doesn't have enough time to cover all of the curriculum subject areas and lessons that she is expected to cover.   I assume that the problem is that this happens to be a half day kindergarten and that there is just not enough time.   It makes me think about how I, if I were ever a half-day kindergarten teacher, would be able to get in all of the content that is required over the course of the kindergarten year.  Do you believe that kindergarten should be only half day or can you think of reasons why these children should go to school for a full day?   This half day schedule and the pressure the teacher is under to cover all of the material on the kindergarten level really makes one wonder what type of curriculum we should have for these students?     Are we expecting the teacher to cover too much material?  Or should the state of New Jersey just mandate that all kindergartens need to be all-day kindergartens?  How would you go about teaching under these circumstances?  Are there any suggestions you have as to how to incorporate those other subjects into this daily routine?    

Jacquel and yet another struggling student

I am tutoring a second grader who is struggling with much of her school work.   Since she was in kindergarten, two years ago,  she has been tutored both before and after school.  This tutoring does not seem to be helping her to “get a handle” on the work that she is being given in class. Her first grade teachers observed that she was having difficulty and approached the parents with the suggestion the she be tested in order to determine the problem and receive recommendations for assistance that would address her specific needs. The parents refused to have her tested and said they will continue with the tutoring until the end of 1^st grade.  At the end of the year the teachers suggested that she repeat 1st grade, but the parents fought this suggestion and this child was promoted to the 2nd grade. I am now her tutor and I see that she is struggling.  I believe that she needs specific special needs help which means that she would have to be classified.   I have spoken to her teacher as well as her principal and the school superintendent.   They all agree with me that this child should be tested, but each of these professionals has warned me that the parents are against taking that course of action. I try to do my best as I help her every day.   I use many different teaching strategies for each subject. Her teacher knows this child’s situation and tries to work with her as much as possible, however the regular classroom teacher is now on maternity leave and there is substitute teacher in the room.    The substitute teacher does not know this child’s needs as well as the original teacher.  The child, of course, does not have an IEP and thus she continues to struggle academically.    .

 How can I help this student?  Without being tested she has no IEP.   How will the new teacher know how to help her and address her specific needs? What would you do in this situation?

 

 

 

Nicole and Struggling Student

           While observing recently, my attention was drawn to a student who was clearly struggling with her assignments. She has a very hard time reading, and often requires one-on-one instruction, or alternate assignments. She is not classified as a special education student, nor does she have a 504 classification. When I asked my cooperating teacher about this particular student and inquired as to why she does not have an aide, the teacher told me that she had been trying for months to get extra help and extra resources for this student.  My cooperating teacher stated that she has been to countless child study team (CST) meetings.   In addition, there have been numerous phone calls and e-mails back and forth with the student’s parents. It was  my cooperating teacher’s understanding that the parents felt as though their child was completely fine and that she was “keeping up with the rest of the class.”  In fact, the parents had problems with the idea of having the teacher give the student an alternate homework assignment, even though it was clear she could not work on the same assignments as the rest of the class.

I can understand why  parents would want their child to feel as though he/she were at the same level as the rest of the students, but why wouldn’t they also want to try and help their child as much as they can?   Parents have the right and the opportunity to fight for their child so that a child who is struggling can get extra help and extra resources in class. Apparently these parents are choosing to fight with the teacher and the school instead.

My question to everyone is this, what do you think the teacher can do to get the parents on her side? All the teacher wants is for the student to be able to get the necessary extra help in order to do well in class, to really learn and to gain confidence.   My cooperating teacher feels as if she always has to defend herself and her teaching style.    Over the past year as you have been observing, have you noted a problem similar to this one?   That is, have you experienced parents who are reluctant to have their child classified?  Parents who are reluctant to give their child extra help?    What did your cooperating teacher do in that particular situation?  How did the CST handle these  parents?   And finally, how would you handle these parents?   

Diana wishes to assess a particular reading approach

The teacher that I am observing pairs up her students in order to have them read aloud to one another.    She matches stronger readers with weaker readers and then she has them sit next to one another and take turns "whisper read” to each other. I honestly don't know how I feel about this particular reading strategy.   My first reaction is that stronger readers will just read and get it out of the way, while the less advanced students will read softer so that their mistakes will not get noticed. A part of me feels as if this is more busy work and does not actually help the students become better readers.   While I am in the classroom, I notice that unless I am attentive to each of the pairs all the time,  the students do not read.    Rather than read, they talk to one another.  Some finish faster than other pairs and then they talk.   I want to know if you have ever observed this approach to reading and how successful do you think it is?    Am I wrong for thinking that it isn't really helping?    I am anxious to learn how to teach my students to become competent readers and I could use more input that will help me to assess this particular approach.   What do you remember from our ED 340 class?    I look forward to having you share your thoughts with me.     Thanks.  

Amanda seeks advice about a severe behavioral problem

I am observing a second grade class that has a total of twenty-one students. Out of the twenty-one students there is only one child who seems to have behavioral problems. In my first day of  observing my cooperating teacher warned me about this student and told me to keep an extra eye one him. For the past week, this student has been nothing but trouble. He punched a student in the face because “by accident” one of the students stepped on his fingers during circle time. Another incident occurred when he hit a girl in the forehead with a ball during recess. He was sent to the principal’s office and the principal then required that the parents come in for a conference.  It would appear that this child is taught at home that “if anyone bothers him or hurts his feelings he has the right to hit them in self-defense.”

 It seems to me that sending him to the principal’s office all the time isn’t working since he continues to misbehave. At this point, when the students are working together, he has to be excluded because he doesn’t know how to work nicely with his classmates. What do you think is the best thing for the teacher to do at this point?  Do you think that this problem  will be become worse when he gets older? At the same time, do you think his parents have an impact on this behavioral problems? Has anyone else experienced a similar situation?   If so, how did your school district handle this issue?  I look forward to hearing your responses.

Meghan has questions about ELL programs

I am observing two fourth-grade teachers.  In each of these classess there are students have who  just arrived in the United States.   They arrive only   a few weeks ago. Since they do not yet know English, it is difficult for the teachers to communicate and provide help to these students.  The students do communicate with one boy in the classroom who speaks Spanish with them.  What concerns me is that even the ESL teacher  is struggling to communicate with these new students.  This is because, as my cooperating teacher told me, this particular ESL teacher,  at the time of her  certification, was not required to learn a foreign language. This  ESL teacher has only completed minimal coursework in Spanish.  I am seeing that sometimes even a specialist struggles to provide the right services to students.  Now the school is waiting for more support from the state and more teachers with advanced Spanish knowledge.  It is frustrating to me as a budding  educator to realize that  students have to wait for more support.   Also, I am noting that it is very difficult for these particular students to participate in all of the school activities right now. 

One of my cooperating teachers said that it could take up to seven years before these students academically understand the language. Don’t you think that is too long for these children to be struggling? What are your suggestions for the meantime? Some strategies I have learned about are picture dictionaries and differentiated cubes such as those found on the following website: http://teachhighschoolmath.blogspot.com/2009/12/cube-differentiated-instruction-lesson.html .   I suggest these because I believe that these teaching aids can help to promote  simple conversation questions.

What is your opinion about the fact that the ESL teacher in this school was not required to learn a foreign language? What are some strategies that you would suggest to help these recently arrived  students?  My cooperating teacher said, “The classroom is changing these days.”   Do you agree with her statement?   Are there many ELL students in the classes in which you are doing your observations?    Have you or any of your family members ever been part of an ELL program?  Was it helpful?    Do you know another language?    Do you think it would be helpful to know another language fluently?    Which one?   Why?     I look forward to reading your comments

 

Donna DeTore poses a question about the importance of teachers' guides

          The school district in which I have been observing no longer wants their teachers to be dependent on teachers’ guides or teachers’ manuals. The administration is discouraging teachers from using these reference materials.      Administration is considering eliminating text books and, as a result,  teachers are being encouraged to search out on their own material in order to find all of the worksheets and materials needed for their lessons.  Administration appears to believe that this approach would benefit students more than the present reliance on teacher manuals.     My biggest concern about this approach is for myself and ultimately for my students… when I begin my student teaching will I  be able to find good material for my students?    Will I be sure that what I am finding is actually beneficial to my students? 

          Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I would find such material and how I would know that the material I find to help teach my lessons would be educational and beneficial to the children?  Does anyone else work in a setting in which teachers are discouraged from using manuals or teachers’ guides?    At the same time, do you think that the teachers that you are observing rely on the teacher’s guides that go with the student textbooks?   Explain.    

 I look forward to hearing your responses.