What should Mrs. Potter do:
Lupita:
When reading about Mrs. Potter's concerns with Lupita I would have to say I'm a little confused as to where exactly she is concerned with her academic performance. Does she believe her lack of academic skills is due to her being quiet and shy? Or because she is a migrant student unfamiliar with several tools available in the classroom? To help with her shyness I think Mrs. Potter should allow some in-group activities to be present in the classroom, and done so often. Working in groups takes away the anxiety some students get to participate in front of the whole class, and this way Lupita may become more familiar and open with her fellow classmates. It also explained how Lupita was good at working with puzzles, which means she could be a 'visual' or 'hands-on' learner. With this being said, Mrs. Potter should give the students an assignment that includes using materials or visuals. Also Mrs. Potter said that she rarely calls on Lupita because of her lack in academics and I do not think this is the right thing for her to do. Students all around struggle with things and sometimes calling on them and putting them on the spot (every once in a while) can help children learn the material and become better at participating in the long run.
Jonathan:
In one of the readings assigned for us to read it mentioned that visuals in a classroom; such as photographs, hand-drawn pictures, graphics, or computer generated tasks, often benefit children who have trouble reading. With this being said, I think putting up visuals around the classroom would help Jonathan and his reading progress. Mrs. Potter says that Jonathan just keeps doing the same thing over and over again, which involves him sitting at his desk while not reading nor asking for help. However, maybe if Mrs. Potter changed up her assignment for Jonathan this would help him. Maybe in order for him to change his ways, she may need to change hers (and that doesn't mean just reminding him to ask for help). Maybe she could have Jonathan working at a computer using a program that guides him through his reading and helps him better understand things. He may get easily distracted/bored and using a computer gives visuals, which makes assignments more enjoyable, while allowing the students to learn.
Eddie:
When reading about Eddie, I immediately thought back to myself as a student because I am one who suffers from ADHD. Now, I am not saying Eddie is a child with ADD or ADHD, however I have several of the same symptoms; the restless legs, constant movement, tapping of pencil, etc. As a student today because of my ADHD, I love hands-on activities or ones that involve movement, and I think these types of things are something for Mrs. Potter to consider when dealing with or teaching Eddie in the classroom. He likes to be up and moving so it's best if she assigns some things that allow him to do so. Another idea would be to allow the students to get up and move freely around the classroom for 2 minutes every 30 minutes or so. This allows their blood to get moving and will allow Eddie to get his anxiety out from sitting so long out.
I think all three of these cases have one common denomenator that is clear to see is important to incorporate into your classroom. It seems like most to all younger students need some sort of movement and visuals in their education. Having visuals helps with the students thinking as well as gets them to use new and different strategies to elicit thinking. Keeping the lessons engaging seems to be helpful also not the same boring things sitting at a desk. I agree will all of the comments Taylor made about each student. Getting their blood ciruculating will definitely help in the classroom and getting them moving will make them motivated to learn.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the suggestions that Taylor has made for helping each student succeed more in the classroom. It is important for students like Lupita to get the experience of being called on in order to grow as a student. It seems like Lupita is a smart girl and she is often overlooked by the teacher. Even though she is shy, it does not mean that Lupita does not want to try to answer a question in class and I think that she should get more opportunities to do so. As for Jonathon, I think visuals is a good idea. I also think that maybe having Jonathon read with one of his peers during silent reading may keep him on task. By pairing Jonathon up with a proactive student and advanced reader, he may be more focused and stay on track. The students could take turns reading pages. I suffer from ADD/ADHD as well and I also immediately connected to the symptoms that Eddie has. In order to help Eddie become a better student I think it is important for the teacher to allow movement in the classroom or short periods of time for the students to stand up and stretch after long periods of teaching. I also think that he should be put at a desk in the front of the classroom so the teacher can keep an eye on him and keep him focused when he starts to drift off. Each student in a classroom will probably struggle more in some areas than others, but it is important as future teachers to know how to help these students better succeed.
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