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Step 1: Identifying a Struggling or Special Needs Student

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Step 1: Identifying a Struggling or Special Needs Student

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During lessons you might observe this student has been frustrated, shutting down, avoiding work, or being disruptive.

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Ask the student how they are feeling about the assignment. Is it hard for them? Do the understand the directions? Are they just not sure how to begin?

Sometimes the students will answer your questions and find a spark of motivation, other times they might shut down completely.

*I frequently take temperature checks of my kids during assignments and ask if things are "hardy hard or easy peasy"*

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After talking to students, I give them space to see if they can progress on their own in the assignment. If they are still stuck, I might assign a friend to help them with a question and see if they understand from there.

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If I notice the student is still stuck I will go over and help them finish the assignment. After the class I will make a note in my book about what the student was having trouble with.

Were they struggling with reading/sitting still/ understanding spoken directions/ physically holding a pencil/ paying attention.

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If the problem persists after several lessons of me helping the student I will then take my observations and talk it over with our school's dean of students. Our school does not have a special needs director/resource guide so we discuss with each other what the best solution can be.

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The dean of students and I will invite the parents to the school's campus and have a face to face meeting with them. We will explain the situation and determine whether it is necessary to involve a doctor or not.

We involve a doctor if there is a medical diagnosis that is necessary (ADHD, autism, learning disability, etc).

We will not involve a doctor if it is a behavioral issue that may be fixed with a discussion with the parents (student acting out, too tired for class, trouble keeping hands to themselves, etc).

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After the parent discussion, I will monitor the situation. I keep an open line of contact with parents by giving them progress reports weekly.

If the situation is behavioral and is fixed, this will be the last step.

If the situation involves a doctor's diagnosis or continues to persist, I will continue to keep in contact with the parents and take the instruction/advice of the doctors. The school will also be notified that the situation is continuing and my dean of students will check in on me.

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If this is a negative behavioral situation the school will ask the student to leave as the student is not following school rules and this is the last step in the process.

If the student has special needs, I will continue to do the best I can to support that child and follow the doctor's instructions. Unfortunately our school has no advisors/training/resources to help these students so they often just keep going through school and we are told to pass them no matter what.

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Great job Sloane! Thank you for inviting us to collaborate with you.

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Great job Sloane! Thank you for inviting us to collaborate with you.

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Catherine