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Managing Special Groups (Stroble)

This document discusses strategies for managing different student groups in the classroom. It addresses students with special needs, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), those living in poverty, and those with limited English proficiency. For each group, it provides specific techniques teachers can use to meet their needs such as providing structure, checking for understanding, assigning peer buddies, and communicating clearly. The overarching goal is for teachers to help all students in their classroom succeed regardless of their individual challenges.

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203 views2 pages

Managing Special Groups (Stroble)

This document discusses strategies for managing different student groups in the classroom. It addresses students with special needs, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), those living in poverty, and those with limited English proficiency. For each group, it provides specific techniques teachers can use to meet their needs such as providing structure, checking for understanding, assigning peer buddies, and communicating clearly. The overarching goal is for teachers to help all students in their classroom succeed regardless of their individual challenges.

Uploaded by

api-241285823
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Managing special groups

Students who are identified as special education students are by law provided instruction
in the least restrictive environment. As a result, more and more students with special
needs are being served in the regular classroom with some outside help from specialized
teachers. Meeting the needs of these students presents special challenges to teachers with
a classroom full of other students.

Some strategies for particular special needs students are:


1. Feedback and praise help students learn appropriate behavior, and they help sustain
effort.
2. Participation should be encouraged.
3. Predictability is provided by reasonable expectations for behavior that consistently
applied along with procedures and routines.
4. Class activities should be scheduled and paced to encourage engagement.

Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-Behavioral


characteristics of students with ADHD include distractibility, short attention span,
impulsiveness, an inability to organize, and a high level of movement. These symptoms
vary in degree as well as combination.

Ways that I will manage ADHD students while also increasing their success are:
1. A positive and low-keyed, relaxed approach with much predictability and structure is
almost imperative.
2. Early in the year, ask other adults who know these students what works best for them.
3. Be sure you have the students attention when giving oral instructions.
4. Make directions clear and brief.
5. When instructions involve a series of steps, provide them in written as well as oral form.
6. Observe these students as they begin working on any new assignment; be willing to go
over directions again individually.
7. Remind the students that accuracy is more important than speed; encourage checking
over work before handing it in.
8. Allow students to use a finger or card as a marker for reading to avoid skipping words or
lines.

Students Living in Extreme Poverty-Some schools have increasing numbers of students


who live in significant poverty, and this requires adjustments and understanding on the
part of school staff. A key to success for these students is a strong, trusting relationship
with a teacher in an environment in which they feel safe, not threatened or stressed.

Ways I can manage working with students from impoverished backgrounds are:
1. Have extra supplies and materials on hand for these students to use when they dont have
them.

2. Teach procedures step by step.


3. Help them bracket their anxieties, to put off worrying about something until a specific
later time.
4. Assign a peer buddy and encourage them to discuss problems and solutions together.
5. These students often need a guide to the underlying assumptions for behavioral
expectations. Use a three-step approach: (1) point out what they are supposed to do; (2)
give meaning (reasons); and (3) provide a strategy (how to do it).
6. Encourage positive self-talk that will enhance their feelings of self-control.
7. Teach goal setting; have them write down a concrete plan for class today, and at the end
of class, see what goals have been met.
8. Allow them to help another student with something they do well.
9. When you meet with a parent of the student, your ability to demonstrate your enjoyment
of and caring for her or his child will go a long way toward establishing a cooperative
and mutually supportive working relationship.

Students with Limited English Proficiency-English is not the first language of many
students in our schools. Some of these students have acquired sufficient English language
skills to perform successfully in English-only classes; other students do not have
sufficient skills in speaking, understanding, reading, or writing English, and they need
additional assistance to participate successfully in school activities.

Ways I can manage to communicate with students whose English is limited are:
1. Find out from the bilingual or ESL teacher the extent of the students understanding of
English so that your expectations will be fair and realistic.
2. Learn what the students prefer to be called, and be sure to pronounce their names
correctly.
3. If their English skills are extremely limited, you will have more success if you learn some
key words in their native language.
4. Use your creativity when communicating, speaking naturally and grammatically but not
too fast.
5. Reinforce key points with visual aids and demonstration when possible and restate in
clear and concise words.
6. Remember that a long receptive period is normal for students with limited proficiency in
English.
7. Keep in mind that even students who appear fairly proficient in day-to day English may
not be able to pick up the nuances of the language easily and thus may misunderstand
directions, complex assignments, or difficult content.
8. If you have several of these students in your classes, ask your administrator to help find
and allow you attend a workshop, perhaps given through your local Education Service
Center, that focuses on techniques to use with limited English speakers.
9. If you have tried everything and find that the student is not benefiting from instruction
because of the language barrier, consult with the school counselor or administrator about
making a referral to a specialized program appropriate to meet the needs of the student.

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