January, 2012

1/2/2012  Student of Concern Meeting

I am grateful that we are collaborating at our weekly grade level meetings.  Attending with us is a special education teacher, school counselor, reading support teacher, and speech teacher.  The special education teacher suggested taking a student with behaviors to the next step.  I am glad that she has been at each meeting this student’s name has come up.  She sees a need for a behavioral referral.  As I was completing the form, I realized that some of her behaviors are probably happening because the reading material is too difficult for her.  Reflection pulls the curtains back from the window so I can see clearer.

1/2/2012 Update on Collaboration and Reflection

After our Students of Concern meeting today I went walking with our speech pathologist.  We processed a student we shared, and she helped me brainstorm ideas to help the student succeed in homework.   I was able to call the parent and share these ideas.  My call was received positively, and I got to experience the positive effects of collaboration.  It benefited me and my student, and it encouraged me to make home contact. 

Walking with the speech pathologist also helped me learn more about data collection. She keeps data every day with every student, and talking to her was very helpful.   I hadn’t been able to come up with a great way to keep track of student behaviors.   My Response to Intervention (RtI) folder is in the back of the room, and I use it at Team Time for academics, but during the rest of my day, I am nearer to my desk in the front of the room.  A supervisor had suggested to write behaviors down in the same RtI folder.  But it is not convenient.   Keeping track at my desk has not worked well.  At the end of the day I find some notes in my notebook, on a scrap of paper, or I cannot find my form that I started at an earlier date.  Through our talk, I developed a form on the computer that is easy to update from a form I have on my desk.  Since I have two students to monitor behaviors for, one has a blue tag (boy) and the other has a pink tag (girl).  Each form has room for a week.  I handwrite on these at the time of the incident, and then update at the end of the week on my computer.  When I completed a problem solving referral over the weekend, I was able to attach the computer form without having to worry about sloppy handwriting or incomplete thoughts.  I am hopeful that this new procedure will continue to be easy, effective, and efficient for me. 

1/10/2012 Participation in the Classroom

I am working on being fair when calling on students in the classroom.  I believe that participation increases opportunities to learn.  Lately I have been using name sticks so everyone gets a chance to be called upon.  It is holding me and my students accountable.  I am also having the students turn and talk and interact more during class discussions.  This also increases participation and learning.   I think having a Best Practices Go-To Sheet will be a good thing!