Every Child Is Special

In   this   world,   children   exist   with   exceptional   behaviors.   Their   behavior   is   hard   to   accept   for   the   society.   Teachers   play   a   very   vital   role   in   making   them   educated.   First   of   all   teacher   should   be   trained   to   work   in   the   school   where   there   are   children   with   exceptionalities.   Sometimes   it   becomes   very   hard   for   the   teacher   to   react   in   a   right   manner   when   they   teach.   The   students   with   behavioral   issues   needs   extra   of   teaching   and   attention. The   small   classes   would   help   a   lot   in   teaching   them   effectively.   Also   there   must   be   a   room   for   visiting   faculty   to   come   and   take   extra   sessions.   This   not   only   comes   out   to   be   beneficial   for   children   but   also   is   a   help   to   the   teachers.   There   could   be   a   new   technique   of   teaching   or   handling   the   students   and   could   be   advantageous.   The   visiting   faculty   proves   out   to   be   change   for   the   students. The   good   teacher   is,   who   emphasize   on   child's   ability   not   disability.   The   disability   must   be   removed   but   without   depressing   a   child.   A   child   must   know   about   his   disabilities,   but   he   must   also   that   he   has   abilities   which   are   more   in   number   than   his   disabilities.   A   teacher   must   teach   with   a   mentality   that   every   child   has   some   incapacities.   Teacher   should   help   a   child   in   bringing   up   his   abilities   and   should   curb   the   disabilities   silently.   Expectations   should   be   high,   because   every   child   can   achieve   some   position   in   a   society   according   to   his   potential,   but   this   needs   assistance. Environment   of   class   should   be   positive   and  Ã‚   friendly.   This   depends   on   a   teacher   that   how   she   maintain   the   environment.   Because   the   positive   environment   boost   the   learning   capabilities   of   a   child.   Also   the   behavior   of   a   child   depends   on   his   surroundings.   If   a   child   feels   threatened   by   something   then   it   is   obvious   that   his   behavior   would   change.   Sometimes   it   become   very   important   for   a   teacher   to   know   about   child's   likes   and   dislikes. Every   child   has   an   individual   goal,   so   from   time   to   time   teachers   should   keep   themselves   updated   that   how   far   he   has   progressed.   The   grade   does   not   tell   everything   about   what   the   child   has   learned   so   far.   The   emphasis   on   grade   should   be   low.   Teacher   should   know   what   he   has   learned   so   far   or   in   which   field   is   he   lacking   behind. This   also   boosts   up   the   confidence   of a   child. The   whole   learning   process   makes   a   child   tired.   This   not   only   effects   their   learning   abilities   but   also   distracts   them.   Therefore   a   teacher   should   employ   proper   techniques   for   relaxing   in   a   class.   A   child   with   attention   disorder   gets   mentally   tired   soon.   There   should   be   proper   relaxing   techniques   like   listening   to   soft   music   or   playing   games.   Playing   games   not   only   ease   a   child   but   also   keeps   them   healthy. The   first   thing   a   child   should  Ã‚   learn   is   to   take   care   of   himself.   They   should   be   made   self   dependent.   Taking,   basic   example   a   child   must   learn   to   tie   his   shoe   laces.   The   dependent   child   always   has   a   low   confidence   level.   There   must   be   short   extra   sessions   to   teach   the   students,   how   to   take   care   of   themselves,   or   how   to   be   more   organized. There   should   be   also   be   sessions   to   prevent   behavior   issues.   Sometimes   teacher   takes   a   child   as   a   normal   child,   she   does   not   lay   stress   on   the   behavior   problems.   But   she   does   not   know   that   the   lack   of   attention   by   a   teacher   encourages   the   problem   in   a   child. But   sometimes   these   session   proves   out   to   be   futile   as   students   continues   to   misbehave,   then   it   is   necessary   to   know   that   they   are   misbehaving   because   of   these   sessions.   Because   the   sessions   does   not   fit   to   their   needs   every time,   and   they   wait   for   someone   who   can   help   them   in   personal. In   case   of   higher   education   there   are   many   faculties   who   are   taking   a   single   class.   The   coordination   between   these   faculties   is   a   must   so   that   the   students   does   not   get   confused   between   all   the   faculties.   A   teacher   has   its   own   style   of   teaching   and   if   another   teacher   comes   and   teaches   them   in   totally   different   style   it   becomes   hard   for   the   students   to   know,   which   one   they   should   follow.   Therefore   all   the   faculties   teaching   a   particular   class   should   know   about   each   other   teaching   styles,   it   becomes   easy   for   a   student   to   learn. Teacher   should   make   sure   the   behavioral   improvements   and   achievements   generalize   to   other   situations.   They   should   make   sure   that   what   they   teach   should   apply   in   most   of   the   real   world   situations.   The   generalized   teachings   proves   out   to   be   more   beneficial   to   the   students,   as they   come   to   know   the   particular   thing   that   they   have   learned   can   apply   in   the   most   of   the   problems.   This   type   of   teaching   method   proves   out   to   be   very   beneficial   because   students   can   learn   more   things   with   less   stress   on   their   brains. Students   should   learn   to   socialize   with   other   students   who   may   or   may   not   be   disable   like   them.   The   interaction   with   other   students   should   be   started   at   the   beginning   of   their   year.   Their   should   be   learning   centers   that   promote   social   interaction   for   these   children’s.   Necessary   social   skills   should   be   taught   in   the   learning   centers.   If   the   school   is   finding   it   difficult   to   start   learning   centers   then   skills   should   be   taught   in   the   lunch   time   or   in   the   free   period. Literature   Review:- Teaching   strategies   for   attention   deficit   hyperactivity   disorder:– Unable   to   pay   attention,   hyperactivity,   impulsive   are   the   signs   of   ADHD.   There   are   about   three   to   five   percent   of   the   students   in   United   States   who   are   suffering   from   ADHD   (   American Psychiatric Association, 1994   ).   The   students   suffering   from   ADHD   fail   to   finish   their   homework   and   are   careless.   Older   students   with   ADHD   are   less   communicative   and   react   spontaneously.   The   main   symptoms   are:– 1)   Restlessness 2)   Unable   to   concentrate 3)   Difficulty   in   following   instructions 4)   Losing   things 5)   Doing   little   mistakes 6)   Great   deal   of   mood   swings Teacher   should   start   with   evaluating   the   child's   needs   and   strengths.   The   assessment   should   be   done   on   the   behavior   and   academic   needs.   After   evaluating   all   their   needs   appropriate   practice   should   be   chose.   The   selected   practice   should   gain   the   attention   of   the   child   and   is   appropriate   to   their   age.   It   should   be   kept   in   mind   that   the   practice   that   is   selected   should   be   a   additional   benefit   to   the   students   who   do   not   have   ADHD.   After   selecting   all   the   practices   they   must   be   wrapped   up   in   a   single   program. After   the   conclusion   of   each  Ã‚   lesson   the   selected   practice   should   achieve   its   goal.   The   lessons   must   be   presented   in   a   different   manner.   Teacher   should   prepare   the   lesson   and   the   activities   planned   in   advance.   The   review   of   the   previous   lessons   also   proves   out   to   be   beneficial   for   the   students.   Teacher   must   identify   all   the   materials   needed   in   the   classroom,   because   sometimes   it   becomes   very   difficult   for   the   children   to   identify   the   materials   on   their   own. It   is   very   hard   for   the   students   with   ADHD   to   change   from   one   topic   to   another.   Therefore   revision   of   the   previous   lecture   is   a   must.   The   use   of   audiovisual   materials   helps   the   students   a   lot. Describe   how   students   can identify   and   correct   their   own   mistakes.   For   example,   remind   students   that   they   should   check   their   calculations   in math   problems   and   reiterate how   they   can   check their   calculations;   remind   students   of   particularly   difficult  Ã‚   spelling rules   and   how   students   can   watch   out   for   easy- to – make   errors. If   the   teacher   tries   to   lower   the   noise   level   in   the   classroom   it   helps   a   child   in   maintaining   his   focus. Teaching   strategies   for   students   with   emotional   behavioral   disorder:- For   teaching   the   students   with   EBD   teacher   should   encourage   the   positive   learning   techniques.   The   objectives   of   the   lesson   should   be   presented   before   which   helps   in   predictability.   The   presentation   should   be   exciting,   and   if   the   students   performs   well   he   should   be   given rewards.   This   helps   a   lot   in   dealing   with   the   students   with   EBD.   The   vocabulary   used   in   the   presentation   should   be   lucid   and   the   feedback   should   be   given   immediately. The   lessons   should   be   started   with   the   interesting   items   or   questions.   It   should   be   kept   in   mind   that   if   a   teacher   wants a   child   to   be   excited   about   learning   then   teacher   should   be   excited   about   teaching.   While   taking   up   the   lessons   students   should   know   that   they   are   learning   and   making   progress.   After   completing,   the   lesson   must   be   revised   and   the   students   should   be   prepared   to   move   to   next   lesson.   The   long   presentations   must   be   cut   into   short   presentations,   so   as   in   case   of   long   assignments.   Extra   time   should   be   given   to   students   for   completing   their   work. The   environment   of   a   class   should   be   healthy.   Rules and   regulations   should   be   made   and   teach   them   to   act   in   accordance   with   the   rules.   The   environment   of   a   class   should   be   quiet   as   well   active.   Adequate   materials   should   be   provided   to   them   so   that   they   do   not   feel   shortage   of   resources   in   between   the   lecture.   There should   be enough room   for   the   students   to   move   in   the   classroom   without   disturbing   each other   and   adequate   space   must   be   provided   to   them   for   their   personal   belongings.   The   classroom   rules should   be   less   and   positive.   They   should   emphasize   more   on   like   what   students   must   do   in   class. Teacher   should   communicate   with   a   child   in   a   non   threatening   manner   and   should   show   the   personal   interest   in   a   child.   This   makes   a   child   feel   good   and   boost   up   his   confidence   level.   Proper   gestures   and   body   language   is   very   important   in   communication.   The   gesture   given   should   be   holding   longer   than   normal.   Speaking   slowly   and   clearly   are   also   very   important.   Proper   wait   time   should   be   included   because   some   students   are   slow   learners. Managing   behavior   is   very   important   in   dealing   with   the   EBD   students.   Sometimes   it   proves   out   to   be   very   beneficial   to   ignore   the   negative   behaviors,   because   sometimes   a   child   behaves   negatively   in   order   to   grab   the   attention.   Punishment   should   only   be   used   in   a   case   when   the   behavior   of   a   child   is   harmful   for   other   students. There   must   be   a   social   problem   technique,   which   effectively   identifies   the   problems   and   provides   the   best   solution   for   it.   Anger   management   is   the   main   problem   with   the   child   suffering   from   EBD.   Anger   is   natural   so   it   useful   to   teach   anger   control   techniques   rather   anger   elimination   techniques.   The   first   step   in   anger   management   is   to   convince   a   child   that   he   should   change,   teaching   relaxation   techniques   helps   a   lot. Teaching   strategies   for   the   students   having   learning   disabilities:- Learning   disabilities   is   a   problem   in   which   a   child   finds   difficulty   in   organizing   received   information,   remembering   them,   manipulating   them.   But   with   the   effective   learning   strategies   they   can   be   taught   effectively.   The   common   symptoms   are   difficulty   in   learning,   poor   memory,   difficulty   in   remembering   facts,   confusion   among   the   basic   words,   spelling   and   reading   errors,   impulsive   behavior   etc.  ·      The   course   load   should   be   low,   because the   course   load  Ã‚   will   make   them   even   more   poor   learners.  ·    Questions should   be   asked   in   a   clarifying   manner,   the   language   used   must   be   easy   to   digest.  ·      The   key   points   of   the   chapter   must   be   told   before   the   beginning   of   the   chapter.  ·      While   writing   on   the   board   verbalize   what   is   being   written,   the   audio   and   video   effects   in   teaching   boost   up   the   learning   capabilities.  ·      The   environment   of   the   class   must   be   peaceful   so   that   the   students   do   not   feel   diverted.  ·      The   assignments   should   be   given   in   oral   form   as   well   as   in   written   form.  ·      They   should   be   given   more   time   to   complete   difficult   assignments.  ·      The   pace   of   teaching   should   be   kept   in   accordance   with   their   learning   abilities.  ·      Using   plenty   of   examples   in   the   presentation   makes   their   understanding   level   high.  ·      Encourage   them   to   borrow   the   classmate’s   notes   if   required.  ·      Colored   apparatus   must   be   used   for   high   visual   recognition. Group   discussion   helps   a   lot   for   the   students   having   learning   disabilities,   for   them   group   discussion   is   fun   as   well   as   is   beneficial   in   learning.   Encourage   them   to   ask   questions   during   or   after   the   lecture   to   make   sure   that   they   have   understood   completely.   Teacher   must   pay   individual   attention   towards   every   child.   Frequent   sessions   with   a   child   for   proper   assessment   should   be   conducted.   Using   large   fonts   make   their   processing   fast. Give   individual   conferences   to   guide   students   with learning   disabilities   to   monitor   progress   and   understanding   of   the   assignment   and   of   the   course   content. Examples   of   science   role   models   with   disabilities   should   be   given   to   them   frequently   so   that   they   do   not   feel   depressed.   Encourage   them   to   ask   for   help   whenever   needed. It   would   be   wrong   to   assess   the   potential   of   a   child   on   the   basis   of   test   scores.   Every   child   has   its   own   strength   and   weaknesses. Summary:- The   main   aim   of   teaching   is to educate   individuals   who   are   active   members   in   the   society   at   it’s   various   levels. Teachers   are   very   important   in   our   society   because   we   need   them   to   provide   our   youth   with   the   knowledge   and social   experiences   they   will   need   to   improve   their   future   and   the   future   of   the   entire   planet. While   teaching   students   with   exceptionalities   teacher   should   keep   in   mind   that   every   child   is   special.   Teacher   should   not   run   from  Ã‚   their   responsibilities,   they   can   change   the   life   of   these   children’s.   Every   child   likes   different   environment,   so   it   better   for   a   teacher   to   try   to   educate   them   keeping   in   mind   their   likes   and   dislikes. Teachers   can   apologies   to   the   government   to   issue   the   policies   which   are   in   pure   favor   of   these   children’s.   Like   in   maximum   countries   reservations   are   made   for   these   children. The   teachers should   motivate   the   society   around   them   to   take   care   of   these   children.   We   should   all believe   that   there   are   hopes   for   those   children’s   and   we   can   do   something   for   them.   These   children   have   their   own   qualities   like   others   and   they   can   help   our   society   uprising.   No   one   should   take   it   as   taken   for   granted   because   this   can   happen   to   any   body,   what   if  Ã‚   they   got   suffered   with  Ã‚   the  Ã‚   same.   The   society   will   surely  Ã‚  Ã‚   turn   their   face   around   from   those   children.   But   if   we   all   together   work   for   them   then   changes   can   be   there. Questions:— 1)   Did   you   ever   felt   frustrated   in   teaching   students   with   exceptionalities? 2)   What   are   the   important   strategies   adopted   by   you? 3)   How   you   will   handle  Ã‚   the   disputes   between   the   students? 4)   Any   special   apparatus   is   required   for   teaching   them? 5)   What   are   the   methods   you   have   implemented   to   provide   social   exposure? 6) According   to   you   what   kind   of   environment   do   you   think   is   best   suited   for   them? References Adelizzi,   Jane U.   &   Goss,   Diane B.,   (2001),   Parenting   children   with   learning disabilities,   Greenwood Publishing  Ã‚   Group,   ISBN: 0897897722 Dockrell, Julie,   & McShane, John   (1993), Children's   learning   difficulties:   A   cognitive  Ã‚   approach,   Blackwell Publishing,   ISBN: 0631170170

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Each member of the group seemed keen to get involved and contribute their own ideas as we went along. To keep motivation high I always used positive comments as they worked, having the understanding and deadline established at the beginning helped them reach the goal and work together As the group reached the final session we reviewed the work involved and how they had achieved the understanding of what was set out. I asked them to explain by each of them writing 3 key points they had learned that could involve either what they had learnt about Learning styles or about the subject they had applied them in. Although each member had remembered a different point they realised the potential in working as a group. 2. Be able to organise and initiate mentoring support in group settings For a group to come together efficiently you have to consider how they will function as a whole. Will the members of the group bond immediately or will it take some time to reach a normality. You can help this process come together by developing techniques such as creating a Poster or Spider Diagram together about something in common. This will help ease any tension and allow you to see the more dominant members in the group and who might sit back during the process. Bruce Tuckman developed a model that looks at the stages of group development (Web Ref 1) 1. Forming: The group comes together and gets to initially know one other and form as a group. Can be a very important stage as it allows the group to see who is more dominant and how they will work together. 2. Storming: A chaotic Vying for leadership and trialling of group processes This can lead to confrontation in the group if somebody is seen not to get along with the others. Problems in this area would arise from individuals giving a different opinion or idea on how to do the task set before them. 3. Norming: Eventually agreement is reached on how the group operates (norming) Possibly a leader in the group is set out who takes charge. The group might have specific tasks that each of them are focusing on. 4. Performing: The group practices its craft and becomes effective in meeting its objectives. Now that the group can work together they focus on the tasks and perform what they grouped together to achieve. 5. Adjourning: The process of â€Å"unforming† the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on. As it was important for each of them to get together and understand it’s important to leave the process effectively. They each need to recognise what they have done and hopefully be proud of their achievements. Coming away from a group badly can affect future group processes. (Web Ref 1) This model of how a group evolves with each other briefly describes how they operate from the beginning to the end of the group process. Being the Learning Coach allows you to have a unique position in the group allowing you to take on any position you see suitable. It’s advisable to set ground rules for them to follow, these could be to be open and honest, keeping confidentiality within the group, not letting each other down or just respecting each other. With these sort of ground rules in place you can take a position of just watching the group or be a member of the group, if you feel they need some guidance raise the issue they are concerned with and put them on the right path. It is important to consider what differences might be there for the group, so with the ground rules and having them focus on themselves as a whole and trust and respect each other can be a main focus. With some students coming from different backgrounds and diversity’s or having issues they might not want to talk about in a group environment can put a block on the groups progress. Don’t pressure them into these kind of topics and let the group flow naturally. 3. Analyse the mentoring skills, experience and qualities you used in this group setting. When I deal with any students I always try to be friendly and make them feel comfortable to talk in front of me while being professional. I understand that the students will often look to me for guidance so I make sure not to be judgemental towards any of the group members and give everyone a fair chance. Hopefully this will promote them in doing the same to each other. While my role in the group was more observational I did question them from time to time, making sure they were on the right path and understood what they had said. While talking with them I did try and avoid using questions that lead to a yes or no answer, asking them to explain, once they explained it to me I would try and relate to them personally. My observation in the group kept them disciplined and focused more on the task. I didn’t have to be talking for them to know I was there. I didn’t want to be intimidating them either, I would occasionally agree and give my opinion on something they said to see if I was following correctly and more importantly they knew I wasn’t ignoring them. At the beginning of the time together we set out a goal that they all had in common. Something they all felt they could benefit from. I picked them all for this group originally because of that reason. The goal deadline was set out from the start for them to know when it would definitely be coming to an end. I hoped that from the sessions they would have learned everything they needed to and not need to come back to me. I have always said I keep an open door policy and if they needed to see me individually I would open it up as a new session time and new goal, this way they can understand that it’s not being dragged on from the previous time. 4. Be able to review the outcomes of the mentoring process With my Learning Coach group sessions what went well was discussing the matters with them and being a guide to keep them on the right track. The discipline was always fair and I never had to take any real precautions just focus them on the goal in sight. With future groups I will try to focus more on achieving a greater goal. I possibly set the goal to easily for them to achieve but this is hard to see when you don’t know how the group will work with each other. I would also try and give some kind of reward incentive to give them more of a morale boost throughout the sessions. I didn’t present them with anything that could give them real pride in what they did other than knowing themselves what they achieved. I will consider giving them achievement points on the school system to acknowledge how well they have done. My overall support I felt was just the right amount. I didn’t want to take total control of the group so I focused more on guidance to push them in the right direction. I may possibly in the future take more control of a group if I feel they are not going to achieve their goal within the deadline or not focusing on the task in hand. I would like to involve a different group activity for them to start with. The activity I have given them may not appeal to everyone. I would like to arrange a few activity’s they could pick from. I asked the group afterwards how they felt the process went. They were generally happy with the result but were not sure if they would bother to use it when not in these group sessions. One individual was not happy with not being listened to and felt she would have directed her time in a different area to what the group decided on. I might consider making the groups smaller so that others get a chance to say something rather then just listening to others.