Stepping Into Teaching
From the time I stepped into the school, I felt welcomed. The lady in the front office was absolutely friendly and seemed happy to help me track down my cooperating teacher. I'm surprised my neck didn't break in the first 10 minutes in the school - there were so many items on the wall. While there were a few pre-printed posters on the walls, the majority of material was made by students. Teachers had a wide variety of ways that they had students tell a little bit about themselves including photographs of themselves, drawn pictures of themselves, and collages of their interests. From the start, I felt that the school works hard to make the school about the students and celebrate their voices in a variety of ways.
I'm fortunate to be able to spend two math periods with the same teacher, but different students. This unique opportunity has allowed me to see the way a general education teacher handles the same content with different sets of students. The majority of the times that I've been in the classroom during math, it is very rare that the students are at their desks completing worksheets. The students are often engaged in whole group instruction before being released to small groups or pairs to play a variety of "math games." I really like how the teacher rotates groups during small group time to check in with students and provide extra feedback. My cooperating teacher is usually in the room during this time as well. She plays a variety of roles. I like how she isn't in the room to only attend to students who have IEPs, but any student who is struggling. I have adjusted my mindset to emulate her in that way - avoiding the mentally of only serving "my kids."
In working with different students in a variety of contexts, I've noticed that when manipulatives are handed out as supports, students don't always use them. I observed students whom I know have IEPs that allow them the use of manipulatives and calculators, but choose not to use them. One student in particular seemed intent on only using what was attached to her - her fingers. I tried to engage her to use the manipulatives or multiplication chart or the calculator - she said she didn't need them. Another student I observed kind of pushed around the manipulatives, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what he was doing. I decided to ask him. He said "I don't know, but I know I'm supposed to use them."
Lightbulb moment: we have to teach kids how to use manipulatives!
Today, as I moved around the room from group to group, I noticed that I immediately went to the steps taught since the beginning of time of what order to multiply numbers in within the same, old algorithm. While I know that they are expected to know this algorithm and use it, I really want to learn other ways/strategies I can show students to apply to their work.
I loved thinking about your "light bulb moment". The more I think about it, the more I realize that, I might not have thought about how I would begin to teach my students how to use manipulatives to solve the problems I needed them to. It always seems as thought I have watched teacher time and time again just give the students some manipulatives and expect them to know how those can facilitate a better vision and understanding of the problem. I am going to try and brainstorm some ideas on how I can teach my resource students how to use the manipulatives that they have right now. Maybe it is not that they do not know how to solve the problem, but without proper instruction on how to use manipulatives, it can make the problem more difficult than it actually is.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have an excellent placement, and I especially like what you say about how you have "adjusted your mindset so that you are not only serving your kids". I think as future special education teachers we get caught up in the mentality that we have our caseload of students and maybe we sometimes forget about other students. I know that for me it will be important to remind myself that I need to serve ALL students who may be struggling, because the ultimate goal of intervention for students with disabilities is for them to access the general education curriculum where the general education students are. I will not be able to adequately do so if i do not have experience helping general education students as well as special education students.
ReplyDeleteI liked reading about your placement. I like how the teacher is there to help all kids, not just the ones who are "classified" as needing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd your light bulb moment fascinates me. I never really would have thought of that, but it is so true. Maybe some model problems should be worked with the students using the manipulatives so that they could see the ways in which to use them. Sometimes they help, but I could also see them as a distraction. . . oh no, here I go playing devil's advocate on my own POV. It's true, though. Sometimes students may want to play with them or fiddle with them when they should really be listening.
Jennifer
Thanks for posting this, Claudia. I enjoyed reading your insight, as well as your "light bulb" moment. I wish you would have posted more photos, however. It would add deeper to the narrative of what you see. And, the photo you did choose could also be narrated better to show what was going on.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were cognitive to realize that you kept going back to the traditional algorithm in your mathematics approach. That's fine. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just knowing that it's your comfortable algorithm is good, because it shows that you're opening up to listening to other ways of solving problems.
And I like the fact that you pinpointed the issue with students now knowing how to use manipulatives. The Van de Walle book has extensive examples of manipulatives and the different ways students use them. To me, the bigger issue isn't about teaching students how to use manipulatives, but in allowing them time to incorporate them into thinking so they can use them to communicate how they think through a problem.
You are 100% correct! We as special education teachers are not only at school to serve to the students who are classified as special ed. but to help any child who is struggling. Students who receive special education services are not the only ones where the general education curriculum doesn't work for them. Each child learns his or her own way. We are there to provide other ways for the students (sped or not) to survive (for a lack of a better word) in the general education classroom.
ReplyDelete***Lauren Fritz
I never thought about teaching students how to use manipulatives, but that's actually really important. My middle schoolers had no idea how to use the manipulatives that I gave them, probably because it had been so long since they had worked with them. But once they realize that using them is not baby-ish (something that is really hard impress on them) and how they are supposed to use them, I think it will really help them expand their understanding.
ReplyDelete