Building a rapport

I believe that in order to build a rapport with students with special needs, the teacher must treat that student just like any other student in their classroom. The way I build a rapport with my students is by getting to know them. I will find out what their interests are and try to have conversations about their interests. I do the same thing for special needs students. It may be a little more difficult to get to know these students at times, but I believe that it should be done. I also feel that once you have begun connecting to the students, they will be more willing to work for you. If a student trusts you as a teacher, I feel that they will be more willing to participate and give a greater effort while they are in your classroom. I know that I need to do a better job with this with some of my students with special needs. I need to make sure that they understand that I care about their success. If they can see that I care about them, I believe that I will get more positive results while they are in my classroom. I also need to be careful with this because if I spend too much time with these students, I may single them out from the rest of the class. I believe that these students should receive some special treatment but not go overboard with it. I may help these students out a little more but not enough that it seems like they are getting more attention than the rest of the class.

Student-Centered Instruction

I believe that student centered instruction is a great way for the students to learn new material and information. This type of instruction enables the students to reach the goal on their own. With this type of instruction, the student is taking control of learning the material. The teacher's role is to guide the students and the discussion in the right direction. The students are in control, but the teacher needs to make sure they are hitting key points to enable the students to learn the new concept, skill, etc.

Because the students are taking control of the instruction, I feel that they are capable of retaining more information because they are learning in ways that correspond to their individual learning style. It is also   a different way to learn and the students could be more likely to stay engaged on the topic as opposed to the teacher standing in the front of the room and lecturing to them. Although this is a great way for students to learn, the teacher needs to be careful and plan so that the students will stay on task. Naturally, if a student is placed in a group with their peers they will want to talk about things not related  to the material. I believe that this is the most difficult aspect, for a teacher, when using student centered instruction. The teacher needs to be prepared to steer the students back on topic if they become side tracked. The teacher can do this by asking questions that students must figure out on their own. Another way to avoid socializing would be by simply knowing your students. By knowing how each individual student will react when put in student centered instruction, the teacher is able to maximize student activity and learning.

Small Groups vs. Whole Group Discussions

A teacher must be prepared to instruct the students whether they plan to use a whole group lecture or if they will use small group discussions. Even though, the material that is covered is the same, a teacher must plan differently for each type of discussion.

When a teacher is using a whole group discussion, they must plan to keep the students engaged the entire time they are lecturing. I usually use this type of instruction when I am introducing a new skill or new material. This is where I can instruct the students on how to perform a certain skill and then demonstrate the skill to the whole class. When I am using a whole class discussion, I make sure that I plan each topic that I want to introduce to the class and make sure that I do it in a clear manner. After I have taught the whole class, I often ask questions to ensure that the students where paying attention.

For a small group discussion a teacher must be able to plan so that the students stay engaged while they are in their small groups. With my experience, I have learned that the students can become off task quickly when they are put into small groups. The teacher must be able to plan enough activities or ask enough questions to keep the students on task and working towards the goal of learning the material. I usually use small groups after I have introduced the students to a new skill. This is where they can "fine tune" the material that I went over during the whole group discussion. I walk around and make sure that the students are practicing the skill and correct mistakes that I see. I am a firm believer that the students learn more efficiently when they are performing the skills that they are learning.

Multiple Teaching Strategies

I believe to be an effective teacher, one must be able use multiple teaching strategies. This not only enables the teacher to reach more students but it also prevents the students to become bored. By changing teaching strategies, the teacher will be able get to the students who learn in different ways. One student may benefit from lectures or taking notes, while another student must have visual cues and hands on activities to learn the material. If the teacher changes their way of teaching often, more students will be able to retain the information that the teacher is giving them. Also, if the teacher is changes their teaching styles, the students are less likely to become bored. With different teaching strategies, the students are more engaged with what they are learning and therefore, are able to benefit the most. During the weekly discussion, a great point was brought up. "Does changing teaching strategies also keep the teacher from becoming bored?" I had not thought of this but this statement is absolutely right. If the teacher becomes bored, then the students are most likely bored also.

After reading and discussing this topic, I believe that I need to change my teaching styles more often. I believe that it will keep the students engaged and also keep me engaged. The next time I see a student who seems to not get a concept I am trying to teach, I will keep in mind that I need to change the way I am teaching that student. Another point that was made during the discussion was that if a student does not seem to get the material and the teacher has explained it over and over in the same manner, then it is the teacher's fault because they have not changed the way they are teaching the material.

Reinforcing Behaviors and Televison

I have experienced some students who would act out just so they would be able to receive some attention. I feel for these students because obviously they are acting out since they do not receive any attention at home or away from school. I need to make it a point to spend some extra time and give these students positive attention so they would not act out in a negative way. I have done this in the past by making a "problem" student a special helper for me. I made that student in charge of cleaning up the area or making sure the equipment is in the right place for when they were in p.e. This seemed to help some but they eventually became bored and I would have to find some other way to give them some extra attention. I thought that some of my classmates made a good point in the discussion by saying that some students wanted to go to the office because they wanted to get out of class. This is another situation where I believe an alternate form of punishment should be used in order for the students' to realize that their behavior is unacceptable.

After watching Sponge Bob Square Pants, I realized that children who watch this show my believe that the acts they watch in the show are acceptable. There were multiple aggressive verbal and physical acts throughout the show. I believe that the audience who watches this show (younger children) are susceptible to mimicking these acts because they believe they are acceptable. Although there were many negative acts, there were some positive ones. Most of the characters did help each other when a problem raised. They sometimes made the matter worse, but at least they were trying to help the other character. The advertisements also concerned me because they promoted unhealthy foods. I believe that with childhood obesity, we should be very cautious in what we expose the children to. If we constantly show them sugary snacks, then that is what they are going to gravitate to throughout their life. I feel that we need to begin to promote healthier options so the children can begin to eat a healthier diet.