Blog Entry #8
Does the "enrichment mind-set" prevail at your school? Is
every staff member united in the belief that every kid can succeed?
Think of some specific strategies and activities you can use to
strengthen the processes in your students' academic operating systems.
The enrichment mind set is prevalent in our school; however, I wouldn’t say that everyone was on board. When participating in the general education classroom, I saw many teachers who were ready to give up on their students. The special education teachers who I am currently working with seem to have the enrichment mind set at all times. These teachers and teacher assistants who work in my room all constantly show the belief that their students can learn. They make sure that they’re doing everything they can to make learning fun for their students and make adaptations as necessary.
ReplyDeleteSome specific strategies and activities that I can use to strengthen the process in my students’ academic operating systems include hands on activities, questioning strategies, kinesthetic movements to compliment the lessons and many other ways to address the students’ diverse needs. Incorporating these things shows the students that you care about their learning and are going to do everything you can to make sure they are learning the information.
Brittany I totally agree with the differences with gen ed and special ed teachers! Special educators are used to going the extra mile and making the modifications and adaptations for their students, whereas gen ed teachers are not.
DeleteI do believe that the enrichment mind-set does prevail within the Cornwall District, however it is hard to tell if every teacher agrees and practices this theory. I believe and feel that every teacher should believe that students are capable of success in order to truly foster a supportive and enriching learning environment.
ReplyDeleteOne strategy that was mentioned in the text and I believe supports the enrichment mind-set is direct instruction. This strategy utilizes small-group instruction and is skill-oriented. Through face-to-face explicit instruction, teachers approach academic and cognitive skills with a deliberate plan. I also believe that it is important for students and teachers to reach deeper meaning in questioning and exploring topics. Through specific essential questions and active/hands-on/exploratory learning, teachers can promote and achieve student success.
In my general education placement, the teachers seemed to be on board to help all the students succeed. They believed that everyone could succeed if they had the proper supports and instruction at their fingertips. I had watched teachers find additional supports and utilize them, but I also witnessed teachers challenging students that were labeled as "enrichment". The general education teachers were as on board as the special education teachers.
ReplyDeleteIn this placement, my cooperating is on board to believe that all students can succeed. She looks out for all of the students in the classroom by ensuring their accommodations and IEPs are up to date. However, the general education teachers are not following the accommodations listed in the IEPs. The students are struggling in the general education classroom and the general education teacher is refusing to follow the specific accommodations. The general education teacher's attitude is much different toward these students since she tries to do everything to help them succeed.
I also see many of the general education teachers in my school not accommodating for the student's IEP. They look to my co-op, as the learning support teacher, to do everything she has to in her room and they don't fully meet the student's needs in their room, where they spend 80% of the day. My co-op sometimes complains about other teachers expecting her to achieve all the goals and meet the needs on her time, when they need the accommodations consistently all day long.
DeleteI have also seen general education teachers not fully accommodating for the student's IEP. I have also seen general education teachers who expect my co-op to do everything for the students who do have IEPs even though they spend almost 85% of their day in the general education classroom. My co-op and other special education teachers in the school have mentioned that they feel that some of the general education teachers just are not well trained in what the special educator's true role is and what inclusion really should look like.
DeleteDoesn't this make you think that lack of other teacher support could be the reason for such high rates of burn out?
DeleteThe “enrichment mind-set” prevails at my school to some extent. In both my general education and special education placement, I have seen situations in which the staff members will work together to make sure their students succeed. For example, one of the students in a general education classroom is in the process of getting tested for a learning disability. My cooperating teacher (learning support) works with the boy’s classroom teacher to come up with ideas to help him succeed. In addition, groups of teachers have been working together to come up with plans for how to help the lowest groups of students become proficient or advanced on the PSSA’s.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there are also situations in which staff members become frustrated because they believe that it is close to impossible to help one of their students succeed. This student does not focus well, has a short attention span, and is defiant at times. He can be very smart, but does not always want to put in that effort in the classroom. This boy’s teacher just needs to keep trying to teach in a way that will motivate him to learn to the fullest.
To help students succeed, it is important to focus on what they DO know, rather than what they DON’T know. By activating prior knowledge, students may be able to better understand a confusing topic. In addition, whenever students have the opportunity to physically be a part of their learning, they are more prone to remember what they had learned. Hands-on activities promote a greater sense of academic development and achievement through “doing” and not just “listening.” Cooperative groups are also a great way to help students succeed. With this strategy, students are able to work with peers to complete a task. This promotes group work and staying on task and motivated throughout the lesson.
Emily, I agree with you that we need to use the hands on activities as much as possible. But, I also think it is important to use minds on too. I can specifically remember one lesson with my students where they were reading about Narwhals. This lesson went really well because they had not really heard of narwhals and were constantly asking questions about the animal. I found that this lesson engaged all of my students. One student in particular who comes from poverty and learns at a lower level was particularly interested, participating more then I had ever seen him do before and following along with all of my directions.
DeleteI think that the enrichment mind-set does prevail at my school. I think that I especially saw this mind-set in my general education cooperating teacher’s classroom. The lower level students often get placed in her classroom because of her teaching style. I have found that often students who are learning below grade level often times come from lower SES homes. My cooperating teacher always is focusing on what she can do so that students can reach their full potential. I believe that for the most part, all staff members are united in the belief that every kid can succeed. However, after switching to my special education placement and being in multiple rooms a day, I have seen teachers who do not always have the enrichment mind-set. I believe that certain teaching styles work better for students who are living in poverty and there are some styles that do not work at all.
ReplyDeleteI think that one strategy that I can use to strengthen the process in my students’ academic operating systems is supporting those teachers who may be struggling to deal with the students’ behaviors. I also think it is important to engage the students in their learning so that are able to be in the moment. I also believe that it is important to determine background knowledge of all the students so that the instruction is not too above the students’ level. One strategy that my general education cooperating teacher implemented was the idea of good nutrition. I am not sure if she noticed this or not, but by providing access to breakfast for those students who miss breakfast shows the importance of starting off the day with a good meal. I also think it is important to make sure that all supports from the IEP are being used in the general education classroom so that all students have the ability to succeed.
Laura I agree with your strategies. I think it is very important to make sure all IEP supports are being utilized in all aspects of the students education. I have noticed that some general education teachers are reluctant to use all the suggested strategies. I think as dually certified teachers we should help bridge this gap.
ReplyDeleteI have also noticed this reluctance in my school. It sometimes seems as if the general education teachers are almost unaware of the IEP accommodations or choose to ignore. It is certainly something to consider for our future teaching. Whether I teach general education or special education, I hope to collaborate regularly with other teachers in order to provide for the students.
DeleteI do not believe that every staff member at my special education placement is united on the belief of the enrichment mind-set. My cooperating teacher has made comments expressing her frustration in some of the other teachers in the school on the topic of what is best for our learning support students. I also believe that when I entered my learning support classroom it felt like a “drill and kill” atmosphere. Each student has a variety of workbooks based on their ability level and what they need to work on. My cooperating teacher explained how this is the easiest way for her to differentiate between all the students who need supplemental support.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am teaching more, I am trying to introduce a variety of teaching styles. Although the student still complete their seat work, I also have the time to teach a variety of individual lessons based purely on what concepts I observe the students are struggling with. My cooperating teacher has expressed her excitement that I am now in the classroom to also provide for the students. She is aware of the fact that there really are more students then she has time for every day. I have made it my goal to reach every student, every day and to do so with a variety of techniques.
Sometimes, it might be difficult for the general education teachers to understand and listen to special education teachers about what is best for LS students, but they do what they can. It is frusturating. I can only imagine. Another issue is communication- my cooperating teacher has been trying to write an IEP, but he can't start it until he has all the data from the student's general education teacher and he's getting frustruated because the teachers don't think it's a big deal to wait a week before sending the data and don't understand that he needs it right away.
DeleteI understand how and why your cooperating teacher thinks that it's easiest to give students leveled workbooks, but it's also important to implement hands on lessons to engage the students more than just through worksheets. It's great that you get the chance to work individually with the students and give them something different than what they're used to.
I love your goals, Anna! I feel the same way, and think that it is so sad that not all teachers at our schools agree. I sometimes feel like it is a generational thing. Not all of the older teachers fully grasp the concept of learning disabilities/differences, and I often see these teachers giving up more easily simply because they don't seem to understand how to reach all of the students in their classroom. I understand that it can absolutely be frustrating at times, but just wish that they wouldn't have lower expectations for these kids.
DeleteLiz, I definitely agree with the older teachers thing. In my experiences I have seen many more older teachers putting students down and not believing in them rather than the younger teachers. I am not sure if it has to do with the fact that learning disabilities and differences have become more prevalent recently, or if it is them getting sick of being in the classroom. It makes me wonder how we can prevent this from happening to teachers!
DeleteDoes the "enrichment mind-set" prevail at your school? Is every staff member united in the belief that every kid can succeed?
ReplyDeleteThink of some specific strategies and activities you can use to strengthen the processes in your students' academic operating systems.
I do not believe that the "enrichment mind-set" prevails at my school by any means. Every staff member is not united in the belief that every kid can succeed, and that makes me so incredibly sad. I am currently in an autistic support classroom in Harrisburg, and I know that certain regular ed. teachers look at some of the students in my class (especially the non-verbal ones) and see them as unable to learn anything at all. I wish that they could come into our classroom for just a 10 minute VB session and see what all these students really are capable of, because it's amazing. They are learning more and more each day, and even if it takes an entire year to master a skill, they will continue working hard in order to get there. I personally feel as though VB is a great way to strengthen the processes in my students' academic operating systems. That repetitive language and behavior is what is necessary for them to understand, and I am really looking forward to getting the opportunity to lead a session on my own. I know that my students with autism are just as capable of learning as anyone else, and wish that was the mindset throughout the entire school. I think that as a new generation of educators begins to come through, that the stigma/negative belief will hopefully go away in time.
That is very sad that not every teacher believes every student can learn. Children are at all different levels. They may not be able to accomplish the same learning goals or accomplish them in the same time frame but every child has the ability to learn something. Everyone is different and what they accomplish is special to them. This is what teachers should embrace. Every child can learn. It may take longer or be in a different way but teachers should find ways to support each and every one of their students. That definitely makes me very sad too.
DeleteI believe that in my first student teaching placement where I was in a 2nd grade general education classroom, not everyone was on board with the "enrichment mind-set." I would hear faculty members talking in the lounge about certain students and how they are just giving up on them and there is no hope. I understand that as a student teacher it is easier to come in and be more optimisitic because you haven't been with the students all year, but I still do not think these teachers should be giving up on their students.
ReplyDeleteIn my current special education classroom, I see alot more of an "enrichment mind-set" than I did in my last placement. This school is much more special ed focused and there are many more special education classrooms than in my other placement, which I think has something to do with it. I believe that the mind-set of every educator should be that all children shoud and can succeed, but I feel that especially a special educators mind-set should be this because they are working with the students that are having the most trouble succeeding.
In my placement now, I have started to implement OT strategies with my one student who is constantly out of his seat and causing trouble and has a very hard time calming down. It has worked wonders! We do hand and breathing exercises that he really seems to enjoy and that really help his body and mind relax and get focused. A lot of other teachers in this school use the same type of OT strategies, which is amazing! When teachers can get creative and involve their students in ways that benefit them, it promotes the saying that "everyone can succeed!"
Does the "enrichment mind-set" prevail at your school? Is every staff member united in the belief that every kid can succeed?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that the "enrichment mind-set" prevails at Hempfield. When I was in my general education placement in the K-3 building, the faculty were such a close knit group. They communicated on a daily basis, participated in social events outside of school, and ate lunch altogether in the faculty room. I definitely think these relationships helped towards their enrichment mind-set. Because the faculty was so close with each other, so were their goals and beliefs. Having good rapport with all of the faculty members is so important. They were all on the same page with certain students and it made their instruction much more cohesive.
Now that I am on the special ed side of things in the 4-6 building, it is very different. First of all, the morale of the faculty is totally different. The faculty here is much more laid back and reserved. Most people eat in their rooms and don't seem some faculty members every week. All of the teacher want their students to succeed, but I'm not sure the faculty is united in this goal.
Think of some specific strategies and activities you can use to strengthen the processes in your students' academic operating systems.
I think one of the most important things is just applying those modifications and adaptations from students' IEPs to their general education classroom. Most general education teachers often forget that these things need to be applied on a day to day basis. For example, most of our LS students require adaptations to their tests and quizzes. Recently, we've had to modify assessments for our kids when that is the job of the general education teacher. It can be frustrating at times, but I feel like when you have those types of relationships with your faculty everything runs much smoother.
I would say that Hempfield definitely has an enrichment mind-set. However, I think most schools would say that they have an enrichment mind-set. I cannot speak for the entire school, but in my class, I see strategic efforts being made to help my students succeed. My students are all below grade level by at least two grades. I see how research-based strategies are being implemented in small group instruction. I have been working on adapting studying materials so that my students can be successful on assessment measures in the general education class. I only have three students who participate in instruction with the general education class for Science/Social Studies. In those situations, I work with the general education teacher to make sure that my students are prepared to participate in instruction. Although I know that the staff in my classroom are set on helping my students succeed. However, I agree with Lauren's comments that the faculty could be doing a better job at communicating about students.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the "enrichment mind-set" prevails at my school. There are many teachers who believe that all students can succeed, but there are a few who do not. My current school has a high rate of students with low SES and I feel that behavior becomes more of a focus than academics. I believe that teachers spend a lot of their time maintaining order in the classroom, so they think that the kids won't ever learn because they don't want to pay attention and could care less about school. Some teachers also write off some of the special education students as not ever going to succeed, and talk about how poorly the student is doing. Sometimes they will say "they're just not going to do well" or "she just does not know and is clueless."
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are teachers who fully support the students, and do everything they can to accommodate the student's needs. They will talk with my co-op and discuss behaviors, and some areas of need that the student has. They will also discuss big and little successes so they can work as a team to build on the success, and find strategies to strengthen any weaknesses the student has.
Strategies that I can use to strengthen my students' academic operating systems, would be to create hands-on learning activities that will break the mold of boring drills and activities. Also, I would include as much technology as I could. My students tend to respond extremely positively to iPads and SmartBoard activities.
I think that a good majority of the teachers in my school have the "enrichment mindset". Now being on the special education side of things and working with teachers that I did not work with during my general education part, I see that there are some teachers who do not always have the "enrichment mindset". I have heard comments made about the students that my co-op and I have that are sad to hear because we have seen that they truly can be successful. Sometimes it seems like some teachers are trying to just get their students who are struggling out of their classroom so they try and send them with us to another room in the school, when we are supposed to be pushing into the general education classrooms.
ReplyDeleteSome strategies that I can use to strengthen my students' academic operating systems, would be to make activities both minds-on and hands-on so that students are engaged and excited about learning. I also like to include different questioning strategies to get my students really thinking about what we are discussing or learning about. I think it is also very important to know each student's background knowledge, so that we can meet them on their academic level. I also agree with Aly that students really enjoy technology and we should use that to our advantage to promote their engagement in their own learning.
That is the same way in my school. There are some teachers in the building who don't see that a student can be successful, but my co-op and I know that they can be successful. My co-op is the opposite in the sense that she is trying to get our students included more into the general education classroom. Its nice to hear that she is pushing for inclusion. I agree with you that incorporating different activities that will be hands on and minds on will definitely help students promote and engage their own learning. Seeing success is what my co-op focus on and not on the skills that they cannot do.
DeleteI would say that most teachers have the "enrichment mindset" at my placement. Students are constantly in and out of the classroom for support and aides are pushing into the classroom for even more added support. Students who are struggling academically go to learning support and math club. These groups are pull out programs where students get more intense help than they can get in the classroom. Aides push in for students who have behavior problems and those who are struggling but do not qualify for learning support. There are also enrichment programs for students who are above- level in different subjects. This is a pull out program where students get challenged academically through different activities and projects. I do believe that every teacher has hope that students will be able to learn to the best of their ability. They may not all be on the same level but for their personal ability, they will be able to succeed with the right support.
ReplyDeleteOn way I can support my students is by differentiating instruction. Knowing the different levels my students are on can help me accommodate their needs and support their academic success. I can differentiate instruction by including technology, partner work, gesturing, and a variety of questioning. Students should also have the chance to take part in their own learning by advocating for different types of instruction that help them learn the best.
At my school I would say about half the staff say that they are putting enrichment mind-set and the other half are not. In my classroom, my co-op does the best she can to reinforce the skills already learned and tries to incorporate new skills as well. I would say that my co-op tries to incorporate different activities that will make each student successful. It is hard for her at times to meet with every student just because of her large case load, but she somehow makes it to all of them. From what I have seen, she definitely starts where they are at and works from there. She praises students who have come such a long way so that they would feel successful. For example, one of our students could count to 100 all by himself where in the beginning of the year he could only count to 38. It is amazing to see how far one student has come. It is important to start where the students are and then incorporate more difficult skill sets. In my future classroom, I would make sure to use skills that my students already have and make sure to incorporate hands on activities that would keep my students engaged.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you said that in your classroom you would build upon the skills that students already have. I think it is so important to build upon a child's strengths because only through that can you improve upon his/her weaknesses!
DeleteI feel that the enrichment mind-set is a school-wide mind set; however, I agree with what many others have said, that not every teacher feels that way. I have seen from my experience with my general education cooperating teacher that she seemed pretty ready to give up on some students because she was handling 21 other students and had tried several things. In my special education placement, I feel that my cooperating teacher has more of this mind-set in believing that every child can succeed; but I have also seen that she is overwhelmed with her caseload and how many goals and issues she must address for each individual student that she does not always see how this is possible. Both of these experiences opened my eyes to the fact that we can do all we can to have the enrichment mind-set; however, this can be hindered by the need to juggle so many different needs at once.
ReplyDeleteTo do all that I can to try for each child to succeed, I think it is incredibly important to remove all barriers in your lessons. By opening up lessons so that they can reach each learner and accommodate all learning styles, every student is much more likely to succeed. I also think that it is incredibly important to ensure that all students are motivated. I will try to establish connections with students and do all that I can to create a positive learning environment where students want to work to succeed.
I like how you said we should remove barriers. I agree that all students should have the same opportunity to learn by accommodating lessons, and that all students should be motivated. It is a lot to do, but it will turn out for the best in the end!
DeleteMy school is near York,so there is an urban feeling to the school building as well as the students. I have heard stories about students living in trailer parks with Mom's new boyfriend, or different stories where the family life is not so supportive. I think the teachers realize how student's family life isn't so great, so they can unite on that front. I think that most teachers want student's academic life to improve by providing a parental figure in their lives because most do not have a strong family life. I think as teachers, we should always be supportive of their students. However, I feel like some teachers feel like it might be too late to impact these student's lives. It is hard to help these students, because we can not control what goes on in their home lives. It is important to communicate with all school educators to discuss the well-being of the students. In my current placement, we have grade level meetings every Day 4 to discuss the student progress, and see if any students need more support or how their IEP's are progressing. This helps students get the support they need as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteSara,
DeleteAre you in Eastern York? I was there for my junior block and I saw how those grade level meetings work. I think they did a great day at updating the other teachers on how the students are progressing. I sat in on one meeting where we looked at scores of specific students in fourth grade and how their specific difficulties can be addressed in the current second grade students. Do you feel like these meetings are helpful?
From what I have observed at Washington Elementary in inner-city Lancaster, most teachers are united in the belief that all students can learn and succeed when provided with the right opportunity and supports. Although most seem to believe this there are some teachers who have already started dividing students in their mind into categories like jail, drop out, McDonalds, and then only put a few students in the category of going to college. The ones that do this will openly admit it to the other teachers and it really makes me sad because if they know that's where a student is headed why don't they take it upon themselves to try to change it. Establish some really great rapport and set the student up for success, rather than condemning them to a track where they will only know failure.
ReplyDeleteI think some things that teachers can do for students who are struggling is to celebrate the little successes and allow them to gain confidence in themselves which will help them take risks and make mistakes they can learn from. Teachers should not always focus on what students did wrong, which for some it is hard to overlook, but focus on the things that the student can contribute to the class, the school, and the community. It is also important to make sound instructional choices where each student has what it will take for them to succeed. It is often best to emphasize collaboration rather than competition and to incorporate student interest somewhere into instruction even if it is only the most brief sentence or phrase. For example, sometimes I use my students interests in our vocabulary instruction when demonstrating how to use a word in a sentence. It makes the relationship between my students and I stronger because they know I am listening when they are talking to me.