The Caring and Concerned Classroom

Fostering a classroom environment that is caring and concerned for the well-being of the students is very important. A classroom that fosters mutual respect between the students and the teacher minimizes bad behavior and positively effects academic performance. By being concerned for the well-being of all students and creating a culture in which bullying is treated as a community problem to be solved by all involved, the students behavior and academic performance with improve.

Beginning with the issue of bullying. Teachers now are more aware of the gravity of bullying and cyberbullying. In order to combat bullying, teasing, or harassment without using authority and punitive measures, schools rely on a variety of techniques. One such technique that I thought was very effective from the reading was to monitor at risk students with daily check-ins from a staff member. This creates a connection of trust and relationship between the teacher and the student. Other strategies include taking immediate action, teach the students to be allies against bullying, and integrated anti-bullying learning activities into the curriculum. By creating steps to combat bullying, the teacher will ensure a more cohesive classroom community in which the emotional well-being of all the students will be protected and safe-guarded.

Teaching in an environment where I am the minority in all ways has given me a sense of the real need for understanding and empathy inside of the classroom. My students are all native Arabic speakers, Arabs (95% Saudi), Muslims, and part of the same extended family and tribal groups. They have a very different cultural, linguistic, and religious background from me. To them, Religion permeates and dominates their lives. The very society that they come from has only recently curtailed the power of the religious police and still mandates the closing of all businesses for prayer. My students believe differently in all manner of issues and behaviors from me, yet together we have been able to find common ground through mutual respect and empathy.

One way that I've shown the students that their concerns and priorities are important to me is by learning about their religion. I am at best an agnostic with atheistic tendencies and I've never been religious. Teaching boys whose whole identity, nationality,  culture, and language is predicated upon the tenets of Islam made me decide to learn more about the religion itself. I reasoned, that if I knew more about their religion I would be able to understand their priorities and values better. Through discussing religion and asking informed questions, I've shown the students that I take their priorities and faith seriously and respectfully.

Another step I've taken is familiarizing myself with the families, parents, cousins, and uncles of the students. By knowing their families I am able to show the students that they are not simple some nearly anonymous figure in my class. Rather, I am taking the time to learn about them and their families while simultaneously strengthening the home school connection.





Sources:
References:
Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Schibsted, E. (2009, May 13). Bookmark How to Develop Positive Classroom Management Evantheia Schibsted. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/classroom-management-relationships-strategies-tips

Building Relationships: Share Passion with Students. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teacher-student-relationship

McClure, L. (2016, October 10). Bringing Restorative Practices to Your School. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/bringing-restorative-practices-to-your-school-laura-mcclure

Stansberry Brusnahan, L., & Neilsen Gatti, S. (n.d.). Impact Newsletter: Where Does Social-Emotional Well-Being Fit into the School Curriculum? Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/241/5.html 

Change Attitudes Toward Bullying: Be An Ally. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2016,

from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/be-an-ally

Manna, R. (n.d.). What Can I Do About Bullies? | Scholastic.com. Retrieved October 27, 2016,

from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-can-i-do-about-bullies

Language Learners and Stages of Language Acquisition

Next unit, I will be teaching a unit on literature and creative writing in fourth grade. We will be reading poetry, learning about poetic forms, performing poetry and writing our own poems.

This class has a variety of levels of acquisition.

Student 1:

Stage II: Early Production

This student is a new immigrant and new to the class and school. He has some English. The student is beginning to speak in short phrases. He asks regularly, "I write?" or "I do?" And points to writing prompts, or the daily bulletin projected on the screen in the morning. He can copy words and sentences but he cannot produce much writing or comprehend what he's copying. 

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Ask yes/no questions.
• Allow the student to give one or two word answers.
• Allow the student the chance to participate in whole class conversations.
• Use pictures to support student learning.

Student 2:

Stage III Speech Emergence

This student is a native Arabic speaker and is still learning English. He is newer to the school than some of the children. He is also of a more middle class background and is raised directly by his parents. He doesn't have a nanny or a driver and thus at home the language is solely Arabic. He is speaking in short phrases now and can complete some writing work with teacher support. He is also now checking out simple reading books from the library.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Read shorter modified texts
• Complete graphic organizers with word banks.
• Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs.
• Match vocabulary words to definitions.
• Study flashcards with content area vocabulary.
• Write in dialogue journals.
• Compose brief stories based on personal experience.
• Understand teacher explanations and two-step directions.
• Write and illustrate riddles.

Student 3:

Stage IV Intermediate fluency

This student is a Native Arabic speaker with behavioral problems and a learning disability that have delayed his progress in language acquisition somewhat. However, in the last year he's made substantial progress and is now beginning to use complex sentences in his writing and speaking. He readily shares his opinions with class. He also is now using questions to make his learning clear.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Focus on making inferences in writing and reading
• Work on developing student grammar
• Move student's away from translating from their native language towards composing in second

Student 4:

Stage V: Advanced fluency

This student is writing at grade level and reading chapter books independently. He is able to read, write, and express himself without much difficulty. He still needs some support in English and humanities.

Some of the strategies for working with this student (Haynes):

• Provide extra support in writing and reading skills

Works Cited

Haynes, J. (n.d.). Stages of Second Language Acquisition Pre ... Retrieved October 21, 2016, from https://www.vsra.org/HANDOUTS2010/ELL 1/02 HAYNES L2 ACQUISITION.pdf

IEP Referral Process Interviews

I interviewed the school counselor and one teacher who had referred students to special education. At our school special education is a need as we have a large amount of learning disabled students. The school has a referral program place and a Special Education learning support teacher.

During my interview with the boys counselor he talked about how the referral process involved taking into account concerns of teachers or parents. Once the concern has been identified the teacher must complete a referral form. Once the child is referred, the learning support specialist is responsible for the child's progress, but works closely with the counselor, principal and vice principal. The students are then given additional support classes, usually taken from non essential subject times (mostly French language). The counselor mentioned that during this process that parents are involved up until the point of referral, but that they are also often involved in providing additional tutors and shadow teachers.

The teacher that I interviewed described the ways in which struggling students are identified through behavior issues, social/developmental delays, low performance in class, low test scores, the inability to focus, and the inability to follow either written or verbal instruction. The teacher also discussed things to do before referring a student such as observations, differentiated assignments, using individual instruction, and checking for social problems that could be interfering with the student's learning.

The process that the counselor described reminded me of a less involved version of the student Welfare Team used in the Finnish model of education. The student Welfare Team is a committee comprised of Principals, Teachers, and Psychologists that meet regularly to discuss and identify student issues that could pose problems for teaching and learning. At our school there is a similar committee that meets once the student has been referred. However, in the Finnish system the meetings are regular and focused on identifying problems as the emerge, rather than waiting until a child has already been struggling and referred. The preventative nature of the Finnish model is unique. What's more, the Finnish model also makes an intentional shift towards focusing on the general wellness of the students, not merely learning and learning difficulties.

While our school is lacking in the impressive technology of schools like the School of One, it does incorporate individual instruction, varied presentation, involving parents in the referral process, and differentiating instruction. The technological tools of the School of One are incredibly impressive in their functionality. The use of an algorithmic assessment tool to guide student learning of skills is truly impressive. I think implementing it would a fascinating and valuable experience.

Common Core Standards

Common Core Standards

The National Education Association in its article, 5 facts: Making Sense of the Common Core, details the ways in which the Common will mark a beneficial change in American education. Before this investigation, I only knew that Common Core was an attempt by the American educational system to re-do the educational standards and begin to effect meaningful change. However I must confess, my knowledge besides that was rather limited. In this five facts article Cindy Long breaks the Common Core down into five essential facts, but we could just as soon call them tenant. The five facts according to Long are (Long 2016):

1. They Will Deepen Problem-Solving Skills and Critical Thinking
2. They Promote Greater Opportunity for All Kids
3. They Bring Back Flexibility and Creativity
4. They Call for Collaborative Decisions
5. Implementation is the Key to Success

The fact that Common Core standards are attempting to address the same issues others have called the challenges of the 21st century learn seems by promoting problem solving, flexibility, and creativity seems entirely positive. Furthermore, moving away from previous policies emphasis on testing and teaching to the test also seems like a step in the right direction (C. The standards seems to be setting a system that is opening up the possibility for teaching and learning, rather than limiting them or constraining them to merely meeting the standards of testing. This renewed emphasis on standards, teaching and learning, and real skills that have applications in careers, education and life is an improvement to the educational system in the US.

This initial article also differentiates Common from previous acts such as NCLB, which emphasized testing and produced an educational model in which teachers and schools were teaching to the test.  

The added emphasis of creating a standard that promotes equity while allowing for collaboration (with teachers, parents, students, and communities) shows that this is a flexible framework aimed at real reform in the educational systems in the US.

The CCSO site refers to the Common Core Standards as (CCSO 2016) "Common Core [as an] ambitious reform ...  [with] transformational potential to significantly improve student outcomes and equity for all students."

The Core Standards site outlines the Common Core standards as follows:

1. Research and evidence based
2. Clear, understandable, and consistent
3. Aligned with college and career expectations
4. Based on rigorous content and the application of knowledge through higher-order thinking skills
5. Built upon the strengths and lessons of current state standards
6. Informed by other top-performing countries to prepare all students for success in our global economy and society

Each of these six points further contributes to the CCSO's statement that these standards are not just educational benchmarks, but truly a reform aimed at making students competitive in an increasingly changing and global world. The emphasis on research and accessibility with real world applications fits in with the greater concept of the 21st century learning.

Further examination shows that this is not just empty rhetoric, but the standards are in fact a detailed and dynamic framework that integrate multiple subjects into previously isolated ones. For example according to the Core Standards English Language Arts standards site (English Language Arts Standards 2016):

The Common Core asks students to read stories and literature, as well as more complex texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas such as science and social studies. Students will be challenged and asked questions that push them to refer back to what they’ve read. This stresses critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are required for success in college, career, and life.

The common core is creating a standard which is flexible, allows for the integration of subjects, and "stresses" the development of critical-thinking, problem solving, and analysis as integral parts of Language arts. This shows that the standards are in fact dynamic and focused on creating reform that is truly ambitious. There is also space for the students to reflect and inquire within this framework. The site further outlines how the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening have been developed as "anchor standards" in the core subject of English Language Arts as well as supplemental literacy standards in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. The designers of the Common Core have a parallel in Vygotsky who noted that (Vygotsky 1978) "that language is the main tool that promotes thinking, develops reasoning, and supports cultural activities like reading and writing."

In an article about project learning on the American Federation of Teachers, Nell K. Duke writes:

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, one of the anchor standards for reading calls for students to “integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words,” as students are likely to do in projects.

As a teacher, who teaches both language arts and visual arts, this is actually exciting to read. Not only are these standards well suited to project learning as Nell points, but they also incorporate a variety of learning styles and intelligences. Rather than isolating the skill set into a narrow subject, language arts becomes a malleable set of skills with far reaching applications, able to be translated into a variety of forms and uses.

Works Cited

Long, C. (n.d.). 5 Facts: Making Common Sense of the Common Core. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/56587.htm

CCSO (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Publications/Teaching_to_the_Core_Integrating_Implementation_of_Common_Core_and_Teacher_Effectiveness_Policies.html

English Language Arts Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in Society:  The development of higher psychological processes.  Cambridge, MA.:  Harvard University Press.

Duke, N. K. (n.d.). Project-Based Instruction. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.aft.org/ae/fall2016/duke