A Grain of Wheat

I’ve been teaching for eight weeks now, and it seems like the harder I work, the more exposed I feel.  Insecurities seem to surface on a daily basis.  My father taught me to proclaim my faith out loud (see “Aspergers and Spirituality”), so I thought I would share something that the holy spirit whispered to my heart the other day on the way home from work.

Having our weaknesses exposed feels crushing, and taking on a new position can  make that seem inevitable.  But the crushing process can bear fruit.  “…unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24.

Even God Took Seven Days to Create the World!

I have been in this profession now for eight whole weeks!  My supervisor insists that it was my energy and enthusiasm that won me this position over the other applicants.  I am eager to build a model special education program.  I work long hours, and I am often preoccupied with thoughts of work.However, in my efforts to create this program quickly and effectively, I guess that I forgot that it takes time to build something long lasting.  I also forgot that I don’t work alone.

One of the instructional assistants who works in my classroom told me that it would be helpful for him to focus on one thing at a time when working with students.  This is true of all of us, including myself.  He made this request in his usual polite and humble way that somehow sank in through the busyness that has consumed my life lately.  With a sly smile he added, “Even God took seven wholes days to create the world.”

Perhaps my new focus should on building a cohesive team.

Anything For A Dill Pickle

My special education director brought it to my attention first.  “That young man will do anything for a dill pickle!”  The special education teacher that preceded me used to keep a jar of pickles in her small classroom refrigerator to reward his work and to keep the student motivated.

One of the instructional assistants who works in my classroom buys candy bars for her reading students when they reach a certain fluency level. Students focus on earning that candy bar, and in the process become better readers.

When my son was a in preschool, my husband and I used a reward system for sleep.  If he could bravely face his problem with night terrors and go to sleep in his own bed for seven nights, he could earn a night hike with his daddy to see nocturnal animals (which he loved).  My husband gladly sacrificed one night’s sleep to gain seven more.

One of my former professors used to work with adults with developmental disabilities.  One young man had to be kept in physical restraints and guarded by two adult supervisors at all times simply because the supervisor of the facility did not believe in reward systems.  This same young man would do anything for a Pepsi cola.  My professor said he would do away with the restraints and keep  Pepsi colas in a gun holster at both sides to pull out as needed for cooperation!

When we teach children in their area of greatest difficulty, they often need that extra incentive.  We’re asking them to tackle their greatest weakness, yet again, and they may lack the natural rewards other children experience from success or good grades.  Our kids often work hard and still struggle.  Progress can be slow and painful at times.  Tired and frustrated children can easily loose sight of the long term benefits associated with hard work. Reward systems can be a valuable motivation tool, and I believe they honor the child’s struggle with a legitimate disability.

Failure During Inclusion Times

A parent brought the problem to my attention first, and I am still trying to find a solution.  After an IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting, the parent expressed concern that her child was earning D’s and F’s in several of his classes.  I told her that I would check with classroom teachers to make sure that her son was receiving the classroom accommodations and modifications specified in his IEP.
I have since begun checking on the grades of other students on my caseload, and the information has been discouraging.  As I see it, the problem is that the accommodations are too subjective for the teachers to understand and implement effectively. Or the child’s disability is extreme enough that simple accommodations are not enough to close the achievement gap.  Many of my students are not able to access the regular education curriculum.
I have begun to meddle on their behalf.  Here are some things I am trying.  I have sent instructional assistants into their classes to help implement accommodations. I have gotten parent consent to add accommodations to existing IEPs.  Still, I am not satisfied with my student’s success.  I think that some of children could benefit from a more individualized program in content area classes, especially if the disability lowers skills by more than two grade levels.
I would like to use the formative assessment strategies (link to Formative Assessment) that I have had success with in my resource room, to rewrite some of the content area curriculum.  Attached is an eighth grade level science self-evaluation form from a modified science unit.  I will let you know how it goes.

Formative Assessments: Involving Students in Instructional Planning

I am teetering on the edge of a potential solution to my problem with letter grades in special education.  I attended a great in-service last week, with an assessment approach that fits within the philosophical paradigm that guides my teaching.  It is called “formative assessment”.  Ironically, this workshop was not aimed at special education teachers.  However, it mirrored the approach we use in my resource room (see Teaching to Mastery).
Expectations are clear and students are involved in monitoring their own progress.  Learning objectives for an entire unit are spelled out clearly between the teacher and the student. Students decide  when they are ready to move forward towards the next learning target.  I created a self-evaluation form for all of my math groups this past week, and I was amazed by the success.  Here’s a Pdf.
My students responded in a variety of ways, all of which encouraged me.  Some students reflected on the day’s work and concluded that they needed to practice the skill more before moving on.  I agreed with their self-assessment, and the next day they began working with little to no prompting from me.
Other students saw it as a race.  They worked hard to meet one, two or even three objectives in one day and proudly showed me their accomplishments.  There were a few students who needed me to explain to them what I wanted them to focus on the next day, but they nodded with agreement at my suggestions.  Still, for everyone, expectations were clear and goals were attainable.  Motivation and self-confidence increased, and the trust that I am building with my students deepened.  (See This is Where the Failure Stops)

Teaching to Mastery

At least theoretically, a student should not be able to fail a special education class. Student failure would be a professional embarrassment to me, because I should be teaching diagnostically. Student learning is my guide, and instruction is an ongoing problem solving process.
I do not allow my students to earn a B or C either. For example, after teaching a math skill, I will conduct a short curriculum based assessment to see if the student has mastered the skill. If they demonstrate mastery, we will move on. If the student gets a B (8 out of 10 problems correct) or a C (7 out of 10 problems correct), I will reteach the skill until they excel.
So, in my resource room, although we collect lots of data to guide our instruction, we only allow our students to earn A’s. (See This is Where the Failure Stops)

This is where the failure stops

Picture of an F grade on paper.I began wrestling with this philosophical issue on my very first day of teaching.   Our school district uses the Pinnacle Grading System, which is a wonderful resource if you want to assign letter grades to students.  I; however, did not want to assign grades for my student’s work.  I had trouble articulating the dissonance I was experiencing to the instructional assistants who work in my classroom, my colleagues, and my supervisor.  It just seemed as though our grading system could never work for me.  What I wanted instead was a way to communicate with my students and their families that would give them specific feedback on the progress children were making towards their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals and objectives.

I am a middle school teacher, so most of my students have already experienced academic failure in one form or another.  Very few of my students perceive themselves as good students.  A fragile self-esteem is almost a more foreboding obstacle than the disability that qualified them for special education services in the first place.  Because of this, I try to build self-confidence into each and every learning experience.  When students feel safe, learning increases.  When students feel threatened, they often shut down and learning stops.  A guarded and defensive student requires the greatest  caution and care.  Our relationship, teacher to student, is tenuous at first.  However, it grows stronger with each success the student experiences.  I  tread with caution as I try to build self-confidence and trust.

I still haven’t figured out what to do about my “grades” dilemma, but I am wrestling it out on a daily basis as I strive to do what is best for my students.

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