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Video Maker | Make Videos and Animations Online | Powtoon

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Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love! No design or tech skills are necessary — it’s free, easy, and awesome!

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ClassDojo helps teachers, parents, and students build amazing classroom communities.

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Learning difficulties | The Salvesen Mindroom Centre - supporting people affected by learning difficulties

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Information on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), autism, asperger syndrome, dyslexia, other learning difficulties from The Salvesen Mindroom Centre.

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Student teaching: an exciting, daunting, overwhelming and thrilling experience. It's the first time you step back into the classroom on the other side of the desk and realize that the view is rather different from here. Student teaching wasn't all that long ago for me, and in the last few years, as I have sat at the back of the classroom and observed other student teachers, I have thought about the experience a lot. These are the eight things I believe all student teachers should know.

ironic, isn 1. We were all student teachers once.
Sadly, you will encounter many teachers who seem to have forgotten this fact. They will be impatient with you. They won't take the time to teach you ( 't it?). They may be dismissive and patronizing. I am sorry about this, and I'm afraid you will just have to push through it, understand that it is not personal and search out the teachers who will take the time to mentor you. But more than that: learn from it. When you have been teaching for twenty years and a student teacher walks into your class, remember what it feels like, be patient and have a little grace for them.

2. All the good teachers cry at least once in their careers.
Ok, maybe not all. But I sure know a good number of incredible teachers who have cried after a class or two - myself included. It is nothing to be ashamed of: it's not weakness; doesn't make you less of a teacher; doesn't mean that you aren't cut out for the classroom. Often it means just the opposite: it shows that you care; it means that you have passion; it indicates that you are learning (which can be a painful experience). Allow yourself to have a good cry sometimes. Eat a pint of ice-cream. Go to the gym. Shrug it off. Learn from the experience and then walk back into the classroom and try again.

3. Try not to be too critical of the teachers you are observing.
When I was a student teacher I thought I knew it all. I believed that every one of the lessons I taught was perfect, original and quite brilliant (yes, that 's every one of the 3 or 4 per week). So when I sat and observed the class teacher hand out old notes, teach an 'average' lesson, or make a mistake or two, I would smile smugly and silently judge him/her. Now I cringe at who I was then. Please don't be me. I now teach thirty lessons a week and know that not every one of them can be dazzling. I also know that it can be intimidating being observed by a bright young student teacher (especially one you know is silently judging you).

4. Think about your appearance.
You want to look good and make an impression. I get that. But don't look too good. If you are teaching primary school, remember to wear practical clothing; something which you won't mind having stains on. If you are teaching high school, wear 'appropriate' clothing. Look professional but be comfortable. Ladies, remember that you will be bending down occasionally so choose your tops (and your skirts) wisely. Gents, never underestimate the power of good shoes and the power they have to indicate authority as you walk commandingly down the corridor.

5. Teachers are territorial and habitual creatures; try not to ruffle feathers.
I guarantee that no-matter which school you are in, there will be certain un-spoken rules of the staffroom. Don't use just any mug. Observe where people sit and find somewhere 'neutral'. Don't monopolize the computers and/or photocopiers. Imagine you are an anthropologist in unfamiliar territory: observe and try to fit in without upsetting the gentle eco-system of your surroundings.

6. Don 't try to be cool, but don't be mean for the sake of it.
Surely you've heard these pieces of 'wisdom': 'You are not their friend.' 'Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen.' 'Be strict from day one.' 'Show 'em who's boss.' - I don't agree. Yes, set boundaries and be firm, and no, you are never going to be 'cool' so don't even try. But unkindness for the sake of asserting power is really not necessary. Especially not with teenagers. They will see right through it. Rather, show them respect and earn theirs. Confidence, authenticity and self-assurance will earn you more respect than a threatening stick, a tight bun and a frown.

7. Be prepared to pay your dues.
You may have to do copious amounts of photocopying. You might have to organize files. More than likely, you will be asked to do certain teachers' recess duties for them. Perhaps you will even be asked to mark piles of assignments. The fact is, these are all part of being a teacher - rather than moan about it - see it as a learning experience. Know that you are actually taking a huge load off an overworked teacher, and trust that really, it only gets better from here. One day you will be grateful for the student teacher who does those jobs for you.

8. Hold on to you ideals.
Hopefully in your training and career, you will come across brilliant, passionate and exciting teachers. But chances are, you will also come across the obdurate, negative and pessimistic. Unfortunately, as teaching can be all-consuming and exhausting, it is easier than you realize to become the latter. Trust me. Right now, at the start of your career you are naïvely idealistic - that is not a bad thing. It is wonderful. Hold on to that passion and optimism, find others who are equally ardent, embrace change and be open to learning. If you manage this, you will safeguard against pessimism and disillusionment, and you will be a more engaging teacher for it.

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Student Teaching Tips: 8 things I Wish I Knew

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Student teaching: an exciting, daunting, overwhelming and thrilling experience. It's the first time you step back into the classroom on the other side of the desk and realize that the view is rather different from here.

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By Heather Sinclair Wood, CNN
Editor's note: Heather Sinclair Wood is a writer-producer for the CNN Newsroom. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge, and a master's degree in education from Mercer University in Georgia.
(CNN) - I'm a newswoman, tried and true. Journalist, news junkie, news hound, call me what you like. So when I decided three years ago to pursue a master's degree in education, family and friends thought I was crazy. Having an advanced degree was something I had always wanted, so I figured why not earn a degree in a profession that I could possibly see myself doing one day? Two years of night classes and a few months as a student teacher seemed easy enough, and then I would have another career option under my belt. I thought of teacher and journalist as practically the same job - just a different audience.

So I embarked on the amazing journey, and a journey it was. But what I didn't realize were the things I learned during my time as a student teacher in a suburban Atlanta middle school were eye-opening, humbling, and little did I know, would truly change my life and my job as a journalist forever. The way I see the world has changed dramatically, and I have a whole new appreciation for the profession that many take for granted.

Here are six lessons I learned when I jumped from one career to the classroom:

No matter how prepared you think you are, you're not prepared
I was raised in the classroom of Mrs. Sinclair; my mother, a career educator, taught me everything I needed to know about life right from the realms of her school. My aunt is a teacher, my cousins and my sister. The love of teaching practically runs through my veins. So when graduate school required me to complete a four-month stint as a student teacher, I thought I was so ready. Years of papers, classroom observations and some of the best professors and peers a student could ask for equipped me for life in the classroom. But in reality, I'm not sure anyone can truly be prepared for what an actual classroom is like. I would have never considered myself a novice, but walking into that seventh-grade classroom in January was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

Befriend the people who (really) matter
After nearly a decade in the news business, my first day at school came with all the nervous feelings any new job would have. Only this time, I actually had the petrifying power to alter a child's life permanently. As I stuck my yellow visitor badge to my freshly ironed blouse, I was greeted with smiling faces and inquisitive looks. I know running through their minds were questions about why the "CNN lady" would want to be a teacher. They would soon find out that my passion for news carried over to my time as a teacher, too. I discovered almost instantly that the lunch ladies, custodians, secretaries, resource officers and librarians are the ones who keep a school running. Unlike CNN, where oftentimes you must look up the corporate ladder for help, schools operate as families in which every member, no matter his or her job status, plays a pivotal role in the operation of the school.

Middle schools can be war zones, as I found out, and you're going to need some people in the trenches with you. Within my first two weeks, there was a broken nose incident, a chocolate pudding explosion and an index-card shortage that had me knocking on doors. I probably talked to the school principal only two or three times while I was there, but the men and women on staff became my heroes.

Always have a contingency plan
A few weeks into my student teaching, as my time as the sole teacher grew imminent, I decided to incorporate some new online tools into my social studies lesson plans. In graduate school, teacher candidates were encouraged to use technology in every way we could. Prezis, Weeblys and Wikis were drilled into our heads, and since computers had been an active part of my own education from an early age, I felt comfortable jumping right in.

But just as I was getting into the core of my material one afternoon, the Internet crashed. As the seconds ticked by and I tried to resurrect the lesson, students began to lose focus, and I felt myself losing them. This became one of my greatest lessons of the experience. No matter how fabulous or indestructible you think your lesson plan is, you should always have a Plan B. The schools of tomorrow are going to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology that fits the lifestyle and social culture of your students. But none of that helps when the technology doesn't work at the exact moment 30 kids are staring at you. You may hear book-free schools are the wave of the future, but in reality, old-fashioned textbooks work just fine in a pinch.

There will never be enough time
Teaching is the most-exhausting job I've ever done. I learned immediately that comfortable shoes are worth their weight in gold. A busy day in the newsroom, for example, is hour after hour of breaking news: I worked a 16-hour day during the 2008 presidential election. Last year, we learned of Whitney Houston's death five minutes before my show started. It's unpredictable and intense.

But in the education world, it's like breaking news happens every day. I arrived at school most days at 7:30 a.m. For the next nine hours, my cooperating teacher - the woman kind enough to let me student teach in her classroom - and I ran from one thing to the next; making copies, returning parent phone calls and e-mails, department meetings, discipline issues, maintaining order in the classroom and hallway, bus duty, assemblies and food fights. That doesn't even include my No. 1 job - actually teaching students the required material for those intimidating high-stakes standardized tests. And don't even think about using the restroom anytime you want. Nope. That too has to be planned, and usually that means holding it.

We think about the unthinkable
We've all had the tedious experience of being part of a fire drill. Growing up in California, I even had the privilege of earthquake drills. But I was in no way prepared the first time the announcement came across my classroom intercom: "We are now in lockdown." A flood of thoughts and emotions ran through my mind. What do we do? Is this real? Is this a drill? Luckily, my cooperating teacher had been through this many times before. The door was locked, the lights turned off and the students gathered in the corner opposite the windows. Twenty-five young faces looked at me for reassurance, and I struggled to give any.

Once, it was drug dogs checking the lockers. Another time, it was a gunman on the loose at a nearby grocery store. A third time was simply a drill. There's something very normal about preparing for an act of Mother Nature, but how do you even begin to prepare for a gunman in your school? This is the new reality in schools, and it still gives me the chills.

It is the most rewarding job you will ever do
In recent months, the world has seen some of the ways educators go above and beyond what they are asked to do. From the brave teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary who died trying to shield their students from a gunman to the Oklahoma teachers who quite literally stared down a tornado, teachers are no longer men and women who stand in front of a chalkboard. They're counselors, mentors, nurses and first responders. So despite the sore feet and uphill battles, it was all worth it.

On my last day of school, three of my students serenaded the class with a song written for me. I cried because I knew I had changed my life and theirs. To every teacher out there, thank you for letting me be a part of your world for a short time. It has inspired me to be a better person in all aspects of my life.
Sinclair Wood's student decorated the classroom to say good-bye.
My mother still comes home each and every day with white chalkboard dust on her clothes. Her passion for what she does is evident, and I can only hope to have that passion in my career at CNN. I'm not sure where the road of life will take me, but if it does steer me toward teaching one day, I'll know I'll be more than a glorified baby sitter with summers off. I'll be one of the lucky ones who see the change in the world I've helped to create.
The opinions expressed are solely those of Heather Sinclair Wood. Follow @CNNschools on Twitter

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6 lessons I learned as a student teacher

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By Heather Sinclair Wood, CNN Editor's note: Heather Sinclair Wood is a writer-producer for the CNN Newsroom. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge, and a master's degree in education from Mercer University in Georgia.

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Educational standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school.

Since 2010, a number of states across the nation have adopted the same standards for English and math. These standards are called the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having the same standards helps all students get a good education, even if they change schools or move to a different state. Teachers, parents, and education experts designed the standards to prepare students for success in college and the workplace.

The California Department of Education helps schools make sure that all students are meeting the standards. Below you will find information about the standards and the CCSS-related activities taking place in California.

California Common Core State Standards

Current Standards

Search the California Content Standards
This application contains the 12 California content standards. The application is designed so educators can quickly find, search, and sort relevant standards across disciplines to aid in instructional planning and assessment. This is a web view of our available mobile application, which we encourage you to download. You can find more information about the mobile application on the CA Standards Mobile Application web page.

Resources

Common Core Search
Common Core Search is a collection of resources to support implementation of the CCSS. Resources organized by audience are available in the tab sections below.

Parent/Guardian Overview Brochures (Jan-2016)
These brochures explain the CCSS to pa​rents/guardians, providing insights into what students will learn and highlighting progression through the grade levels.

English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA):

Mathematics:

Achieve the Core
Free, high-quality resources compiled by Student Achievement Partners, writers of the CCSS, for educators implementing the CCSS, including professional learning modules, handouts, presentations, sample lessons, lesson videos, and much more.
Instructional Practice Guide
This guide includes coaching and lesson planning tools to help teachers and those who support teachers to make the key shifts in instructional practice required by the CCSS.

Achieve the Core
Free, high-quality resources compiled by Student Achievement Partners, writers of the CCSS, for educators implementing the CCSS, including professional learning modules, handouts, presentations, sample lessons, lesson videos, and much more.

Instructional Leadership and the CCSS Module
This is a 1.5 hour module designed to guide the school-level instructional leader in beginning the work of understanding and implementing the CCSS.

Instructional Practice Guide
This guide includes coaching and lesson planning tools to help teachers and those who support teachers to make the key shifts in instructional practice required by the CCSS.

PACE/CCSESA Regional Leadership Sessions on CCSS Implementation
Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) sponsored regional leadership sessions to highlight a variety of strategies, tools, and resources, including local examples and strategic advice on key issues, to support the successful implementation of the CCSS. On this Web site you can find videos of session presentations and related tools and resources.

Achieve Publications
Achieve publishes national and state reports as well as policy briefs, surveys, and white papers that focus on preparing all students for college and careers. All of these publications are available to the public for free in PDF format.

Parent/Guardian Overview Brochures (Jan-2016)
These brochures explain the CCSS to pa​rents/guardians, providing insights into what students will learn and highlighting progression through the grade levels.

English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA):

Mathematics:

K-8 California's Common Core Standards Parent Handbook
This handbook, created by the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA) in consultation with the California State Parent Teacher Association (PTA), gives parents an introduction to California's CCSS and a summary of what students are expected to learn as they advance from kindergarten through grade eight. This document has been translated into 17 languages. The handbook and translations may be found on theCCSESA Common Core Standards Communication Tools Web page under the General Overview Materials section.

California PTA Common Core Web Page
The California State PTA has made available many resources for parents to learn more about the CCSS and support their child's achievement of the standards. Resources include informational fliers, frequently asked questions, grade level parents' guides, links to additional resources, and articles of interest. The fliers and parents' guides are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
National PTA Assessment Resources
The National PTA has released a fact sheet on assessments to provide parents with information about what he assessments should do and what they are trying to accomplish. It has also made available videos about the assessments and test scores.

Council of Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps
The Council of Great City Schools has developed parent roadmaps for understanding the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics CCSS in kindergarten through eighth grade. For each grade and subject, the roadmaps explain to parents what children will be learning and how parents can support learning outside of the classroom.

Questions: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | cfird@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881

Last Reviewed: Wednesday, July 19, 2023

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Information and resources about the new academic content standards for English language arts and mathematics adopted by the State Board of Education on August 2, 2010.

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Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How can this strategy be applied to all subject areas?

2. Why are both "catching" and "releasing" important?

3. How does Ms. Noonan strike a balance between direct teaching and student exploration?

School Details

Think College Now School
2825 International Boulevard
Oakland CA 94601

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts Math Social Studies / 5 / Teacher

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Catch and Release: Encourage Independence

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Fifth grade teacher Madeline Noonan explains how she uses the "Catch and Release" program to balance direct teaching and student work time. Madeline gives her class an assignment to work on in table groups. After students work independently, Madeline brings the class back together to share what she has noticed and clarify concepts.

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Pay less for domain names. Bulk pricing and private domain name registration options. Transfer domain names risk-free.

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We found 33 items

Get yourself, your classroom, and your paperwork organized, and see how good you'll feel! Use our checklists and tips to make sure you're ready for back to school. You'll find resources to help you organize weekly lesson plans, grades, and assignments. Reduce stress, increase productivity, and maximize efficiency with our time management tips. Printable charts and forms make planning and organizing easy! You'll also find ideas for creating classroom centers and advice for new teachers.

Organizing Tips for Back to School

Back to school is an exciting time for students and teachers, but sometimes getting settled can be a bit overwhelming. Use the resources in this section to get yourself organized and frustration-free!

Back to School resources

Feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to get it done? Use the tools in this section to help make this year your absolute best. From sample organization tips, professional development enrichment activities, or just general advise from other professionals in your field, the possibilities are endless!

Classroom Arrangement

The physical set up is one of the most important components of your teaching. For one, it is to keep you organized and your classroom environment conducive; for another, students need the best possible environment to thrive in. Use the tips outlined in this section to personalize your classroom.

Organizing Classroom Centers

Classroom centers are great engaging spaces for students to pursue higher level inquiry skills and their interests. Use the resources in this section to build comprehensive centers that will be loved by your students throughout the school year.

Organizing Lesson Plans

Lesson plans don't have to be as frustrating and time consuming as they are made out to be sometimes. Use these tips and strategies from different professional teachers to improve your lesson planning skills and organization.

Organizing Paperwork

Paperwork is probably the least exciting aspect of teaching, but it is vitally important, so learning to organize it is an essential skill to have as a teacher. Use these tips and strategies to help find ways to make this aspect of your teaching a smooth one!

Time Management Tips

Time in the classroom is an important but sometimes fleeting entity. We are always looking for a little bit more time while we are teaching and to complete all the tasks we need to for the day. Use these grade leveled tips to help make your day more time efficient with your students.

Charts & Forms

Use these printable resoruces for various components of your classroom and teacher responsibilites such as a home checklist, gradebooks, and much more!

Additional Resources

As teachers, we can never have enough resources on hand. Be sure to look through this section to see if there is anything here that you may need for a rainy day!

Browse Latest Resources

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ADVERTISEMENT | REMOVE ADS We found 33 items Get yourself, your classroom, and your paperwork organized, and see how good you'll feel! Use our checklists and tips to make sure you're ready for back to school. You'll find resources to help you organize weekly lesson plans, grades, and assignments.

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Do your students struggle with that time in the morning when you are taking attendance, listening to students' stories, and getting them ready for the day? If so, this 10 slide Power Point is just the thing for you!

We have created this resource so each day of the week there is a relevant task the students have to do. Here are the daily choices: Monday Memories (journal writing), Trivia Tuesday, Wednesday's Words (famous quotes), Thinking Thursday (logic puzzles), and Fact Friday (math fact practice). The great thing about this resource is that there is room to add on once you collect trivia, quotes, and logic puzzles. You could add a slide right to the Power Point that you could use for the following year!

We have found that our students look forward to these each morning and love the routine that so many students need to start their morning! Click here to find this amazing resource for FREE now!

Classroom photo credit here.

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Morning Routine Activities: Getting Your Students Energized for Learning - Wise Guys

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Do your students struggle with that time in the morning when you are taking attendance, listening to students' stories, and getting them ready for the day? If so, this 10 slide Power Point is just the thing for you! We have created this resource so each day of the week there is a relevant task the students have to do.

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About this Strategy Guide

This strategy guide explains Socratic seminars and offers practical methods for applying the approach in your classroom to help students investigate multiple perspectives in a text.

Research Basis

Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates' belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate. Socratic seminars acknowledge the highly social nature of learning and align with the work of John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Friere.

Elfie Israel succinctly defines Socratic seminars and implies their rich benefits for students:

The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion, based on a text, in which the leader asks open-ended questions. Within the context of the discussion, students listen closely to the comments of others, thinking critically for themselves, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of others. They learn to work cooperatively and to question intelligently and civilly. (89)

Israel, Elfie. "Examining Multiple Perspectives in Literature." In Inquiry and the Literary Text: Constructing Discussions n the English Classroom. James Holden and John S. Schmit, eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2002.

Strategy in Practice

Choosing a text: Socratic seminars work best with authentic texts that invite authentic inquiry-an ambiguous and appealing short story, a pair of contrasting primary documents in social studies, or an article on a controversial approach to an ongoing scientific problem.

Preparing the students: While students should read carefully and prepare well for every class session, it is usually best to tell students ahead of time when they will be expected to participate in a Socratic seminar. Because seminars ask students to keep focusing back on the text, you may distribute sticky notes for students to use to annotate the text as they read.

Preparing the questions: Though students may eventually be given responsibility for running the entire session, the teacher usually fills the role of discussion leader as students learn about seminars and questioning. Generate as many open-ended questions as possible, aiming for questions whose value lies in their exploration, not their answer. Elfie Israel recommends starting and ending with questions that relate more directly to students' lives so the entire conversation is rooted in the context of their real experiences.

Establishing student expectations: Because student inquiry and thinking are central to the philosophy of Socratic seminars, it is an authentic move to include students integrally in the establishment of norms for the seminar. Begin by asking students to differentiate between behaviors that characterize debate (persuasion, prepared rebuttals, clear sides) and those that characterize discussion (inquiry, responses that grow from the thoughts of others, communal spirit). Ask students to hold themselves accountable for the norms they agree upon.

Establishing your role: Though you may assume leadership through determining which open-ended questions students will explore (at first), the teacher should not see him or herself as a significant participant in the pursuit of those questions. You may find it useful to limit your intrusions to helpful reminders about procedures (e.g. "Maybe this is a good time to turn our attention back the text?" "Do we feel ready to explore a different aspect of the text?"). Resist the urge to correct or redirect, relying instead on other students to respectfully challenge their peers' interpretations or offer alternative views.

Assessing effectiveness: Socratic seminars require assessment that respects the central nature of student-centered inquiry to their success. The most global measure of success is reflection, both on the part of the teacher and students, on the degree to which text-centered student talk dominated the time and work of the session. Reflective writing asking students to describe their participation and set their own goals for future seminars can be effective as well. Understand that, like the seminars themselves, the process of gaining capacity for inquiring into text is more important than "getting it right" at any particular point.

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About this Strategy Guide This strategy guide explains Socratic seminars and offers practical methods for applying the approach in your classroom to help students investigate multiple perspectives in a text. Research Basis Socratic seminars are named for their embodiment of Socrates' belief in the power of asking questions, prize inquiry over information and discussion over debate.

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Editor's Note: Oakland Unified School District's ongoing partnership with Teaching Channel has involved producing videos, building capacity on Teaching Channel Teams, and creating interactive video for #TchVideoLounge.
Recently, the Oakland Unified School District partnered with Teaching Channel to launch a three-part video series on Engaging ELLs in Academic Conversations. We were at the beginning stages of using classroom discussion as a district-wide strategy to more explicitly integrate language development into content area instruction.

A little over a year later, our learning continues! Oakland teachers are still hard at work, exploring the ways they can best support both language development and content understanding through whole-group and peer discussions. We know from research that language learners need regular opportunities to rehearse new language and apply it in authentic contexts. We also know that teachers need to be intentional about engaging all students, especially our ELLs, so that no one can hide and everyone can experience success. And anyone who has spent time in the classroom knows fostering authentic conversation among ELLs is no easy task.

In this new series, we visit or revisit Oakland elementary and high school teachers taking on the challenge of integrating language instruction for their ELLs in content instruction. You'll see them trying new strategies, fine tuning old ones, and reflecting on student learning to hone their craft.

Using Number Talks to Develop Mathematical Thinking

At the elementary level, we have two teachers using Number Talks - a strategy used in math classrooms across the district - to help students orally share and justify the strategies and reasoning they use to mentally solve a math problem.

In Dot Talks: Building Fluency with Numbers, Julia Gelormino uses carefully planned, open-ended questioning to support her first grade language learners to articulate and expand on their thinking. Open-ended questions can be scary because they often lead to unpredictable results, especially in a first grade classroom. While it's true that the lesson may get messy when students go off script, these moments can be wonderful opportunities for learning. We see Julia use her students' responses to adjust her instruction in the moment towards articulated learning needs. Her video reminds us that open-ended questions are important for language production, but also represent a way to pull out student thinking to inform instruction.

In Engaging in Productive Struggle: Number Talks, Monique LaCour shows how she uses sentence frames in her second grade class to empower her ELLs as active learners and mathematical thinkers. By unpacking and rehearsing sentence frames before a Number Talk, Monique gives ELLs at all proficiency levels an opportunity to show off their mathematical thinking. Notice how she leverages students as resources for each other as they collaboratively and productively struggle in problem solving. This is a great skill for learning and for life!

Enhancing Reading Workshop

We often hear that instruction for ELLs is just "good instruction." While it's true that solid core instruction will support our language learners, there are teacher moves that can make all the difference for ELL success. In Reading Workshop in Kindergarten, we see kindergarten teacher Emma Coufal enhance Reader's Workshop with strategies to meet the language needs of her students. One of the many ways she does this is through paired conversations and partner work. Students have frequent, structured opportunities to discuss ideas in pairs, ensuring that at least half of all students are engaged in talk at a time. Emma also provides both independent and partner reading time for students. Partner reading with intentional, heterogeneous grouping provides both the social interaction and modeling of language that is great for all kids, but essential for ELLs. Additionally, during independent reading time, Emma confers with students as a way to gather data and differentiate instruction. See more of how to support ELLs in this guiding document.

Encouraging Equitable Participation of ELLs in Class Discussions

Our ELLs, particularly those at emerging levels of English proficiency, are often reluctant to share. Next, we'll see how two teachers in two very different classrooms set high expectations while creating a safe space for students to share.

Watch Evidence-Based Academic Discussion: Getting Started to discover fourth grade teacher Sarah Horowitz using a myriad of strategies to ensure equitable participation in a content-based conversation. She leads her students in a whole-class discussion in which they're sharing and exploring claims on an environmental issue they're researching. Through probing questions, students push each other to provide supporting evidence and clarify their ideas. In Listening & Speaking: Formative Assessment, Sarah explains how she uses the discussion as an opportunity to collect assessment data on their speaking and listening skills to inform her next instructional moves.

Patricia Segura teaches ninth grade immigrant students in their first months - sometimes even their first weeks - of schooling in the U.S. Many are students with interrupted formal education, have suffered significant trauma, and have gaps in their numeracy and literacy skills. In Supporting Language & Content Learning in Math, Patricia creates space for them to use their home language to make sense of the mathematics, while also supporting and encouraging them to communicate their ideas in English. She uses a protocol called a Participation Quiz to provide just-in-time feedback to students on their engagement in group work and mathematics discussion.

Preparing Students for Socratic Seminar

We saw Johanna Paraiso in last year's series as she facilitated a Socratic Seminar in her 12th grade English class. Many viewers have asked us how she gets students ready for such high levels of independence and quality discussions. In Scaffolding for Socratic Seminar, we see what Jo does in the beginning of the school year to build students' skills, language, and confidence. Her use of controversial topics provides students a compelling reason to communicate and justify their thinking. In the accompanying video, Using Technology to Boost Confidence, Jo demonstrates how she uses technology to provide differentiated supports to students and bring communication to a whole new level.

By creating a safe and productive space where our ELLs are invited into the intellectual process of constructing meaning through language, these teachers are empowering students as thinkers, communicators, and independent learners. Where are you in the journey of supporting ELLs in content instruction? I welcome your comments on what you're seeing and also the ideas and strategies that are working for you.
Nicole Knight is the Executive Director of the English Language Learner and Multilingual Achievement Office at Oakland Unified School District. She has served Oakland students as a teacher, teacher leader, and instructional leader at the site and district level. A National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language, Nicole has expertise in language and literacy development of English Language Learners, curriculum development, and professional development for teachers and principals. She is also the mother of two bicultural and bilingual children, both students at a dual-language Oakland public school.

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Content Conversations: Strategies for ELLs

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Editor's Note: Oakland Unified School District's ongoing partnership with Teaching Channel has involved producing videos, building capacity on Teaching Channel Teams, and creating interactive video for #TchVideoLounge. Recently, the Oakland Unified School District partnered with Teaching Channel to launch a three-part video series on Engaging ELLs in Academic Conversations.

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By: Eileen Hammar and Anne Malatchi

Sharpening the saw
"This is the habit of renewal...It circles and embodies all the other habits. It is the habit of continuous improvement...that lifts you to new levels of understanding and living each of the habits."

Celebrations of success are one of the keys to effective IEP teams. These celebrations recognize the achievements we have made. They also energize us to keep on this collaborative journey with a student toward of life of his or her choosing.

Take time to snack!

Share stories -- funny and serious

Offer words of appreciation

Acknowledge gifts and talents of all team members

Renew commitment to the journey

Note: *Quotes and seven basic concepts are directly from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

Eileen Hammar and Anne Malatchi (2004)

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Seven Habits of Highly Effective IEP Teams

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LD OnLine is the leading website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.

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10 Common Challenges and Best Practices for Teaching Students With ADHD

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10 Common Challenges and Best Practices for Teaching Students With ADHD

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Jennifer Capps, a first-grade teacher in South Carolina, says she'll never forget the moment she realized children with attention disorders need clear, one-step instructions. "During my first year of teaching, I gave the directions, 'Use a marker to write your spelling words,'" she recalls. "Well, one of my kids used a black permanent marker that he snagged from my table. And...he wrote them on the carpet under his desk!"

Chances are, you've had a similar trial-by-fire moment in learning to work with students diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. The reality is, no matter how many books you read in school or how many professional development sessions you attend, you learn how to reach kids with attention deficits only through practice - by collaborating with support staff and families, and by tweaking lesson plans and rearranging seating charts dozens of times.

The good news is, your experience gradually makes you an expert. Dr. Ann Abramowitz, a clinical psychologist who does school-based interventions for students with attention disorders, says some teachers understand almost instinctually what attention-challenged kids need. But even the most experienced ones, she says, "are often happy to have another set of eyes, another point of view, a chance to discuss tweaks they can make to their practice to insure all children get the most of their school day."And who wouldn't be happy for a helping hand? That's why we've gathered a host of experts and veteran teachers to discuss common challenges and best practices for your students with ADD and ADHD.

Read on to discover what the latest research says, as well as how other teachers have handled those writing-on-the-carpet moments.

Finding Your Place

Between you, a child's parents, the school counselor, and outside professionals, there can easily be half a dozen adults involved in the care and teaching of a child with attention issues. That adds up to some strong opinions about how the child will spend her day in your classroom. When Anna's mother tells you to simply redirect Anna when she acts out, and your principal demands she be delivered straight to his office, while the counselor recommends placing a sticky note on Anna's desk as a reminder to focus and pay attention, what do you do?

Contrarily, you might find yourself in a position where it seems like you're the only person worried about a child's constant fidgeting. Your counseling staff is inundated with "more serious" problems, and the parents brush off any suggestion that the child might have an issue. Mary Rose, a long-time Florida teacher who is now retired, has run across "parents who keep telling the child to 'just try harder' or to 'study more' or to 'read more books,'" rather than confronting the issue at hand. "Those admonitions are not helpful for a child that needs real strategies for dealing with his disability," says Rose. "I think some parents are embarrassed for the child to have the ADHD label, so they pretend that it isn't a problem."

The conversation gets even trickier when it comes to medication. While you might feel a child would benefit from one of the drugs commonly prescribed for attention disorders, such as Ritalin, Concerta, or Strattera, many parents and professionals take a passionate stance against it. And recent results from a long-term study, released last spring, found that when it comes to outcomes for kids with ADD and ADHD, medication has its limits. After three years, kids who received intervention did about as well as kids on medication.

Ultimately, the decision to medicate is not yours to make. But there are classroom practices that, when done in concert with families and health professionals, have proven effective with children struggling with attention disorders.

Don't Jump to Conclusions

Kids can be inattentive for a lot of reasons - and shots of energy or bouts of dreaminess don't necessarily indicate that kids have ADD or ADHD. The American Medical Association says between three to five percent of the population has a diagnosable attention disorder. But in a study by Eastern Illinois University, teachers labeled nearly 25 percent of kids as having attention problems - five times more than commonly thought prevalent in the population. If you think a child may have a disorder, document, document, document, says Jennifer Capps, a first-grade teacher at Hunter Street Elementary in York, South Carolina. Bring anecdotal records to any meeting with parents or support professionals. But remember, she warns, "you are not the doctor. Teachers often place themselves in a corner by saying, 'I think your child has ADHD.'"

If a child with persistent attention issues hasn't been diagnosed with a disorder, think about other possibilities. "The most common reason kids tune out is that the work is too hard for them," says Dr. Thomas Power, director for the Center for Management of ADHD at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, so leveled skill testing may be in order.

Build a Support Team

When it comes to working with families of children with ADD and ADHD, experienced teachers all agree: Communication is key. "I talk with parents daily, giving them the ups and downs of the day," says Elizabeth Kennedy, who teaches at New York City's Claremont Prep School. "We are on the same page so the child does not get confused between school and home expectations." Rose agrees that communication fosters consistency, adding, "It is helpful to ask parents what worked for them last year at school, as well as what works for them at home." If the prospect of daily conferences threatens to double your workload, other teachers have had success touching base only one or two times a week - the most important factor is consistency, kindness, and clarity.

Stay on Top of the Social

Kennedy says that in her seven years of teaching, the biggest challenge of working with kids with ADD and ADHD has been managing the social issues that come with attention disorders. "I had a boy who would run his body into walls, for example," she says. "So some of my kids would be scared or laughing at him." Many children with attention problems - especially girls - fail to understand the social codes that govern the playground or the cafeteria. In certain cases, group discussion can work wonders - Kennedy had the child who ran into walls explain why he was sometimes so out of control, and from then on, his classmates actively helped to calm him. Kennedy also swears by role-playing various situations that can happen in the classroom. "It helps to build community," she says.

But a more private, direct approach is often needed to help children with ADD survive socially. Talk with the child about social expectations and help him or her work on skills - such as approaching another child on the playground - one by one.

Rethink the Seating Chart

You probably know that the classroom environment has a great deal to do with kids' attention, and different setups work for different situations. In Capps's first-grade classroom, children most often sit on a rug while Capps teaches. She puts students with attention problems near the front, but also to the outside of the rows. "That way, if they move, they don't bother others," Capps says. "They can stretch or sit on their knees without drawing attention." If your students primarily work at desks, seat children with attention disorders next to those with laser-sharp attention. During writing workshop or silent reading, you may need to provide a completely private area for a child with ADD or ADHD. Dorit Sasson, a teacher at Colfax Elementary School in Pittsburgh, occasionally places a student at a corner desk with a folder divider so that the child can work without distraction.

Keep It Simple

When planning lessons or giving instructions, be as clear as possible and go step by step. Even the most basic routines, such as arriving at school, should be broken down. "We give them steps," explains Capps. "First, put your folder in the basket. Then, put your book bag in your cubby. Next, begin your morning work." More complicated assignments should also be separated into manageable goals - a good skill for all kids to develop, whether or not they have attention issues. To make sure children are with you, ask them to restate your instructions in their own words. "I try to give every child the job of explaining what is expected," says Rose, "but for the more confusing lessons, I often call on the ADHD child to make sure they can tell me what is to be done."

Know How to Refocus

Every teacher loses touch with her students in the middle of a lesson once in a while. The trick is knowing how to get children back on track. Some teachers swear by moving around the classroom to be in closer physical proximity with their dreamers and fidgeters. Touching a child's desk may also snap them out of la-la land. Rose asks her students with ADD and ADHD to deliver a secret signal, such as putting their hands on their heads, when they feel lost or confused. "Most kids love to have this kind of secret communication with me," she says. For more teachers' "secret weapons," see the sidebar.

Don't Take Away Downtime

Currently, 29 percent of first graders get 20 minutes of recess a day or less - far too little, according to experts who study human development. And to make matters worse, some teachers reduce these precious minutes as punishment for kids who don't follow the rules. Taking away recess "is a questionable practice for any kind of student but especially for kids with ADD or ADHD," says Power, of Children's Hospital's ADHD center. If you don't give them adequate time to blow off steam, they will stop trying. "I try not to plan a lesson immediately after recess, either," adds Capps. "Students need a hands-on but calming-down activity before hitting the books again."

Favor Rewards Over Punishment

Students with ADD and ADHD already take a lot of hits - they are told "no" day in and day out and are forced to ignore basic impulses - and may develop a negative image of school early on. Teachers and researchers have found that positive reinforcement works wonders in curbing negative behavior. Some teachers use charts where kids can keep track of their daily routines and larger goals. Others use incentives like stickers or lunch with the teacher. "When I show my compassion to them," says Kennedy, "they in turn show their best behavior."

Play to Kids' Strengths

In Mindful Education for ADHD Students,experts Victoria Proulx-Schirduan and C. Branton Shearer, remind us of the many strengths that are part of the profile of a child with an attention disorder, including keen spatial intelligence, creativity, and "naturalist intelligence," or understanding of the outside world. All too often, these strengths are drowned out by the more traditional demands of the school environment: speaking softly and sitting still. A child with ADD, however, may not only thrive working in your school garden but lead other children in caring for it. Teachers agree it takes time to uncover the strengths of all students, not just those with attention disorders. Remember, says Capps, "All children are teachable and loveable. Even the one hanging from the coat hooks singing Bon Jovi at the top of her lungs."

Strategies Used by Teachers

Buddies
"A buddy can help a child make sure she has the right materials or cleans up at the right time. I make sure to choose someone who is soft spoken and not bossy." -Jennifer Capps

Classroom Jobs
"My ADD/ADHD students always have a special job so they don't have free time to get off track." -Elizabeth Kennedy

Extra Credit
"Two words that can be music to a struggling student's ears. And the credit can be 10 more minutes on the playground, 10 more points on an assignment, a skip homework pass, or a brag slip to go home to the parents." -Mary Rose

Highlighters
"I use one to discreetly mark the paper of a student with ADD to let them know they don't have to do all of the problems." -Mary Rose

High-Interest Reading
"If students exhibit spatial intelligence, they may benefit from...comic books, graphic novels, and picture books." -Proulx-Schirduan, Shearer, and Case

Rubber Balls
"I give one to students to squeeze during lessons to control impulsive behaviors and outbursts." -Dorit Sasson

Stickers
"I use them as rewards for completing instructions. Once students have a certain amount, they get a prize." -Dorit Sasson

Stretching
"I monitor the most severe students to see when they are building up pressure that needs to be released. Then the whole class will do some stretching or deep breathing exercises. It is good for everyone to take a break." -Mary Rose

Tap Time
"If everyone listens or cleans up, I give them 'tap time' right after the lesson. They get to make a beat with pencils or feet. Once tap time is over...no more noise." -Jennifer Capps

Three-Ring Binders
"I use them with colored labels to help kids stay organized and keep papers off the bottom of the book bag." -Jennifer Capps

Timers
"Students with ADHD may perform better for shorter periods of time." -Proulx-Schirduan, Shearer, and Case

Velcro
"Put a strip on the underside of students' desks. They run their fingers on it rather than tapping feet." -Jennifer Capps

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10 Common Challenges and Best Practices for Teaching Students With ADHD | Scholastic

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Jennifer Capps, a first-grade teacher in South Carolina, says she'll never forget the moment she realized children with attention disorders need clear, one-step instructions. "During my first year of teaching, I gave the directions, 'Use a marker to write your spelling words,'" she recalls.

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Resources >> Browse Articles >> Special Education & Learning Disabilities

"Give fewer choices. If a child is asked to pick a color, say red, only give him two to three choices to pick from. The more choices, the more confused an autistic child will become."

Pat Hensley

I am currently teaching a practicum where my students (who are actually teachers getting their master's degree in special education) are teaching students with special needs. Some of these teachers are encountering students with autism for the first time and have felt some anxiety about this so they asked for some ideas and strategies to help them in the classroom. These are some of the suggestions that I have given them that I have used in the classroom successfully.

1. Use Task Analysis -very specific, tasks in sequential order.

2. Always keep your language simple and concrete. Get your point across in as few words as possible. Typically, it's far more effective to say "Pens down, close your journal and line up to go outside" than "It looks so nice outside. Let's do our science lesson now. As soon as you've finished your writing, close your books and line up at the door. We're going to study plants outdoors today".

3. Teach specific social rules/skills, such as turn-taking and social distance.

4. Give fewer choices. If a child is asked to pick a color, say red, only give him two to three choices to pick from. The more choices, the more confused an autistic child will become.

5. If you ask a question or give an instruction and are greeted with a blank stare, reword your sentence. Asking a student what you just said helps clarify that you've been understood.

6. Avoid using sarcasm. If a student accidentally knocks all your papers on the floor and you say "Great!" you will be taken literally and this action might be repeated on a regular basis.

7. Avoid using idioms. "Put your thinking caps on", "Open your ears" and "Zipper your lips" will leave a student completely mystified and wondering how to do that.

8. Give very clear choices and try not to leave choices open ended. You're bound to get a better result by asking "Do you want to read or draw?" than by asking "What do you want to do now?"

9. Repeat instructions and checking understanding. Using short sentences to ensure clarity of instructions.

10. Providing a very clear structure and a set daily routine including time for play).

11. Teaching what "finished" means and helping the student to identify when something has finished and something different has started. Take a photo of what you want the finished product to look like and show the student. If you want the room cleaned up, take a picture of how you want it to look some time when it is clean. The students can use this for a reference.

12. Providing warning of any impending change of routine, or switch of activity.

13. Addressing the pupil individually at all times (for example, the pupil may not realize that an instruction given to the whole class also includes him/her. Calling the pupil's name and saying "I need you to listen to this as this is something for you to do" can sometimes work; other times the pupil will need to be addressed individually).

14. Using various means of presentation - visual, physical guidance, peer modeling, etc.

15. Recognizing that some change in manner or behavior may reflect anxiety (which may be triggered by a [minor] change to routine).

16. Not taking apparently rude or aggressive behavior personally; and recognizing that the target for the pupil's anger may be unrelated to the source of that anger.

17. Avoid overstimulation. Minimizing/removal of distracters, or providing access to an individual work area or booth, when a task involving concentration is set. Colorful wall displays can be distracting for some pupils, others may find noise very difficult to cope with.

18. Seeking to link work to the pupil's particular interests.

19. Exploring word-processing, and computer-based learning for literacy.

20. Protecting the pupil from teasing at free times, and providing peers with some awareness of his/her particular needs.

21. Allowing the pupil to avoid certain activities (such as sports and games) which s/he may not understand or like; and supporting the pupil in open-ended and group tasks.

22. Allowing some access to obsessive behavior as a reward for positive efforts.

Need more tips?
Check out our resources for special education now.

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22 tips teaching students autism spectrum disorders special education & learning disabilities benefits articles

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22 Tips for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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I am currently teaching a practicum where my students (who are actually teachers getting their master's degree in special education) are teaching students with special needs. Some of these teachers are encountering students with autism for the first time and have felt some anxiety about this so they asked for some ideas and strategies to help them in the classroom.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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English Language Learners (ELLs) face the double challenge of learning academic content as well as the language in which it is presented. Teachers have traditionally treated language learning as a process of imparting words and structures or rules to students, separate from the process of teaching content knowledge. This approach has left ELLs especially unprepared to work with the complex texts and the academic types of language that are required to engage in content area practices, such as solving word problems in Mathematics, or deconstructing an author's reasoning and evidence in English Language Arts. ELLs need to be given frequent, extended opportunities to speak about content material and work through complex texts in English with small groups of classmates.

The new, widely-adopted Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards also call for all students, including ELLs, to master an array of academic language practices that are critical to achievement in content areas. Examples of these academic language practices include: argument from evidence, analysis of complex texts, and developing and using models. At Stanford's Understanding Language, we have found that ELLs benefit from instructional approaches that treat language and content in an integrated way that is designed to help them build the language skills that they need to succeed in content classrooms, college and careers.

Working closely with Denver Public Schools teachers Ms. Emily Park-Friend (Bruce Randolph School) and Ms. Katie Langlois (Morey Middle School), we're glad we can show through this video series ways that these 7th grade ELA teachers prepare their learners by activating prior knowledge, scaffolding meaning making with complex texts, and developing ELLs' discipline and academic language practices in ELA classrooms.

The set of six video clipsbegin with this short overview by Understanding Language ELA work group members George Bunch (University of California, Santa Cruz) and Aída Walqui (WestEd). This overview video discusses the key shifts found in the Common Core for ELLs and the opportunities for ELLs to grow their disciplinary knowledge and English language skills in heterogeneous classrooms. Through the classroom videos, we see several key strategies for encouraging English Language Development:

Scaffolding Understanding

The classroom video series highlight how ELA teachers can take account of the language demands that ELLs face in content classrooms andhelp ELLs meet these demands with increasing autonomyover time. As discussed in this video, this means providing ELLs with strategic types of scaffolding, such as graphic organizers, visual aids, peer help, or home language help, and removing these supports as students' skills develop. This way, ELLs can be given the opportunity and the necessary support to meet rigorous academic standards.

Purposeful Grouping

Also, as this videoexplains, ELLs learn best when they are in heterogeneous classrooms. ELLs need to be given ample opportunities to have extended interaction (such as doing 'jigsaw'-type activities) with peers of varying English proficiency levels, who can provide ELLs with a range of models for how to use English words or structures appropriately, as well as abundant, personalized feedback on ELLs' own developing English use. It is best for ELLs if, within their classrooms, teachers sometimes group students heterogeneously according to English proficiency, and sometimes homogeneously, depending on the purpose of the task at hand.

Background Knowledge

Another teaching technique (demonstrated here) that is beneficial for ELLs, is to provide them with relevant background knowledge about a topic to be discussed in class, or activate their existing knowledge of a topic. Besides increasing student interest, this allows students to focus more fully on the instructional goals, rather than being overwhelmed with too much new information at once. It also allows ELLs to bridge new knowledge to old knowledge, increasing understanding, and it helps some ELLs fill in contextual information (such as American political history or cultural details) that they may not have due to coming from different cultural backgrounds.

Extended Discussion

Though teachers have generally attempted to teach ELLs difficult vocabulary before having them read texts, ELLs learn new vocabulary best through extended discussionwith their classmates afterreading or betweenmultiple readings, as this video explains.

Valuing Linguistic Differences

Schools and teachers can help ELLs greatly by learning about ELLs' home cultures and languages, treating cultural and linguistic differences as resources rather than obstacles, and reaching out to students' homes and communities to build learning opportunities together.

Here are more resources for teachers and administrators who are seeking to better support ELLs:

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English Language Learners (ELLs) face the double challenge of learning academic content as well as the language in which it is presented. Teachers have traditionally treated language learning as a process of imparting words and structures or rules to students, separate from the process of teaching content knowledge.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

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12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

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Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

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Teachers and parents recognize the power of motivation in enhancing learning outcomes and helping students to achieve their best at school. A motivated student might do his or her homework without being asked to, go above and beyond the requirements of assignments and participate in classroom discussions without being prompted. More importantly, he or she may be more able to view a poor exam result as a learning opportunity instead of as an academic failure. So what motivates students to learn and how can we encourage them?

Students may be motivated by their interest in a topic, their prior success in a specific subject, a desire to please parents or teachers or simply by their own drive to succeed. However, motivation works best when children also have a healthy self-image, are confident in their abilities and know how to take a step-by-step approach to problem solving.

There are two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsically motivated individuals learn because of a desire that comes from within. Extrinsic motivation is when an outside force is involved in encouraging students to learn. Whereas adults are more autonomous and can make decisions about what they want to study, children are often forced to learn whatever is in the school curriculum. This can mean they are not always intrinsically motivated to master a specific subject and may rely on extrinsic motivation, including rewards or negative consequences based on performance. However, there are ways to help foster more intrinsic motivation in kids. See below for a list of ideas for teachers and learn more in our posts on the importance of motivation and motivating kids to read.

Feeling overwhelmed at school is a common sentiment among students that can cause them to lose motivation, no matter how passionate they are about a topic. While adults tend to be good at seeing the big picture and breaking a task down into logical steps, this skill may not be as intuitive for younger learners.

Teachers can help by doing some of the work for students and structuring assignments in a step-by-step manner. Revisiting yesterday's task, introducing today's lesson and briefly mentioning tomorrow's, helps kids develop strong planning skills and be more self-efficacious in their learning. It's also a good way to motivate students to focus on one thing at a time, so they don't feel overwhelmed.

To the extent that it is possible, allow students some say in what and how they learn. When you are in control of your learning you are more invested in the outcome. Many teachers have a set school curriculum they must cover, but there is usually a way to customize lesson content by providing examples and/or anecdotes that both reinforce learning and are of particular interest to students.

It can also be useful to introduce children to a variety of learning styles as they may discover they are more successful taking a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic approach. This is particularly true for students who struggle with specific learning difficulties.

Success fosters motivation to learn so the more accommodating teachers can be, the better. To learn more, see our tips for teachers on helping students with dyslexia and dyspraxia in the classroom.
3.Praise effort over result
Whether or not a learner is particularly successful in a task, remind them that trying their hardest is what counts and praise their efforts. This helps individuals build healthy self-esteem so students maintain a positive view of themselves, regardless of the marks they earn at school.

Children with healthy self-esteem are often more confident in the classroom and more willing to take on new challenges. They may find it easier to embrace their successes and see their failures as performance issues which are separate from their self-worth. Learn more about helping students build self-confidence in this post.

In addition, when teachers concentrate on honing a student's approach to problem solving and developing their skills vs. completing a particular task successfully, they help students see the big picture and take a more healthy approach to learning. Education is a lifelong pursuit and it's easier to remain motivated to learn when you understand this.
4.Focus attention through engagement
Some children have trouble paying attention at school. This may be due to a learning difficulty such as ADHD or events at home that are causing emotional distress and/or distraction. Telling a student to pay attention is often the least effective way to engage them in the task at hand.

Instead, try free writing assignments or group activities that ask learners to brainstorm personal connections to the material before they begin a lesson. This will make it easier for them to engage with the content and form lasting memories. You may also ask students to get up from their desks and move around the room or perform some physical task to engage both their minds and bodies in the upcoming lesson.

A multi-sensory approach, such as the one taken by the Touch-type Read and Spell Course, is another great way to do this. It involves seeing, hearing and typing, adding a tactile element to literacy skills development as students use muscle memory in the hands to help with mastering skills such as spelling.
5.Review progress and set realistic goals
Defining learning milestones based on what an individual has already achieved sets them up for success and helps to ensure motivation to learn remains strong. It can also make a huge difference in attitude and expectations when teachers, parents and learners sit down together to review past work, chart student progress and set goals for the future.

Having kids keep a journal or folder where they store all of their work makes it easier to do this. It's also useful to set regular check-in sessions and ask learners how they feel about the progress they are making. In this way they are involved in the decision-making from the beginning.

Remember, no two students will be exactly alike in their approach to learning. If a student is falling behind his or her peers or failing to make adequate progress, it might be useful to bring in a private tutor who can work one-on-one with the individual and provide the direct support that is needed. Learn more about how to choose a tutor in this post.

In self-directed learning students take an active vs. passive role in managing their time and assessing their own progress. This encourages intrinsic motivation, as there is no outside pressure to perform or meet deadlines. Students set the pace and decide how much material to cover in each session. A self-directed approach set within the general guidelines of a structured course can be extremely motivating, particularly for students with learning difficulties who often benefit from over-learning. That's because it gives individuals the chance to repeat lessons as many times as is needed without the stigma of taking longer than their peers.

While it is not always possible to follow a self-direct approach in a classroom context, it may be easier to achieve outside of regular school hours. Some districts offer access to self-directed courses, including touch-typing programs like TTRS. Learn more in our post on touch-typing for schools.

If a student has had a negative experience with school in the past, it can be harder for teachers to motivate them. Some educators find it useful to introduce a new platform for learning, one that teaches an independent skill but still supports reading, writing and spelling abilities.

The TTRS program has been successfully used for students who struggle with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADD and ADHD. The step-by-step approach and positive feedback built into the course ensure success and help learners build motivation. It's also a useful tool for improving self-esteem and self-confidence at school. For more information about Touch-type Read and Spell for home or school use just get in touch with our team or sign up for a free trial.
Do you have any tips to share on motivating students to learn? Join the discussion in the comments!

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Teachers and parents recognize the power of motivation in enhancing learning outcomes and helping students to achieve their best at school. A motivated student might do his or her homework without being asked to, go above and beyond the requirements of assignments and participate in classroom discussions without being prompted.

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Six Ways To Motivate Students To Learn | MindShift | KQED News

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Scientific research has shown us ways to get the learning juices flowing. Here are six ways to motivate students to learn.

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One of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to motivate your students. It is also one of the most important. Students who are not motivated will not learn effectively. They won't retain information, they won't participate and some of them may even become disruptive. A student may be unmotivated for a variety of reasons: They may feel that they have no interest in the subject, find the teacher's methods un-engaging or be distracted by external forces. It may even come to light that a student who appeared unmotivated actually has difficulty learning and is need of special attention.

While motivating students can be a difficult task, the rewards are more than worth it. Motivated students are more excited to learn and participate. Simply put: Teaching a class full of motivated students is enjoyable for teacher and student alike. Some students are self-motivated, with a natural love of learning. But even with the students who do not have this natural drive, a great teacher can make learning fun and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Here are five effective ways to get your students excited about learning:

1. Encourage Students

Students look to teachers for approval and positive reinforcement, and are more likely to be enthusiastic about learning if they feel their work is recognized and valued. You should encourage open communication and free thinking with your students to make them feel important. Be enthusiastic. Praise your students often. Recognize them for their contributions. If your classroom is a friendly place where students feel heard and respected, they will be more eager to learn. A "good job" or "nice work" can go a long way.

2. Get Them Involved

One way to encourage students and teach them responsibility is to get them involved in the classroom. Make participating fun by giving each student a job to do. Give students the responsibility of tidying up or decorating the classroom. Assign a student to erase the blackboard or pass out materials. If you are going over a reading in class, ask students to take turns reading sections out loud. Make students work in groups and assign each a task or role. Giving students a sense of ownership allows them to feel accomplished and encourages active participation in class.

3. Offer Incentives

Setting expectations and making reasonable demands encourages students to participate, but sometimes students need an extra push in the right direction. Offering students small incentives makes learning fun and motivates students to push themselves. Incentives can range from small to large giving a special privilege to an exemplary student, to a class pizza party if the average test score rises. Rewards give students a sense of accomplishment and encourage them to work with a goal in mind.

4. Get Creative

Avoid monotony by changing around the structure of your class. Teach through games and discussions instead of lectures, encourage students to debate and enrich the subject matter with visual aids, like colorful charts, diagrams and videos. You can even show a movie that effectively illustrates a topic or theme. Your physical classroom should never be boring: use posters, models, student projects and seasonal themes to decorate your classroom, and create a warm, stimulating environment.

5. Draw Connections to Real Life

"When will I ever need this?" This question, too often heard in the classroom, indicates that a student is not engaged. If a student does not believe that what they're learning is important, they won't want to learn, so it's important to demonstrate how the subject relates to them. If you're teaching algebra, take some time to research how it is utilized practically for example, in engineering and share your findings with your students. Really amaze them by telling them that they may use it in their career. Showing them that a subject is used everyday by "real" people gives it new importance. They may never be excited about algebra but if they see how it applies to them, they may be motivated to learn attentively.

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One of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to motivate your students. It is also one of the most important. Students who are not motivated will not learn effectively. They won't retain information, they won't participate and some of them may even become disruptive.

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RSA ANIMATE: How To Help Every Child Fulfil Their Potential

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How Language Transformed Humanity W/ Mark Pagel

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How Language Transformed Humanity W/ Mark Pagel

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Mark Pagel: How language transformed humanity

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Biologist Mark Pagel shares an intriguing theory about why humans evolved our complex system of language. He suggests that language is a piece of "social technology" that allowed early human tribes to access a powerful new tool: cooperation.

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Changing the Education Paradigms W/ Sir Ken Robinson

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Changing the Education Paradigms W/ Sir Ken Robinson

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Sir Ken Robinson: Changing education paradigms

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In this talk from RSA Animate, Sir Ken Robinson lays out the link between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools' dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD. An important, timely talk for parents and teachers.

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The History of Reading and the Literate Life: Seth Lerer at TEDxUCSD

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Professor Seth Lerer is Dean of Arts and Humanities and Distinguished Professor of Literature at the University of California at San Diego. He had previously held the Avalon Foundation Professorship in Humanities at Stanford University. Lerer specializes in historical analyses of the English language, in addition to critical analyses of the works of several authors, including in particular Geoffrey Chaucer.

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Movie about the man with no limbs

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www.thebutterflycircus.com
At the height of the Great Depression, the showman of a renowned circus discovers a man without limbs being exploited at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. 

Directed by:  Joshua Weigel;  Written by:  Joshua Weigel & Rebekah Weigel; Produced by:  Joshua Weigel, Rebekah Weigel & Angie Alvarez; Starring: Eduardo Verastegui (Bella, Chasing Papi), Nick Vujicic (Life Without Limbs) & Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy)

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Adoption and usage

Simple, effective, and surprisingly easy to use

With nearly 30 million users in 80% of US schools, the numbers speak for themselves: students, families, and educators love using Remind.

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Remind | Communication Platform for Education

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Remind is a communication platform that reaches students and families where they are and supports learning wherever it happens. Millions of educators, students, and parents use Remind to connect with the people and resources that help them teach and learn.

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Are you looking for tips on managing kids' behavior as a student teacher? You might be wondering what it's like to be a student teacher, or how you're supposed to dealing with management issues during student teaching since it's not technically "your" classroom. On this page, you can read about what I learned about classroom management from my experiences as a student teacher and from having my own classroom. You'll also read about establishing authority in the classroom as a student teacher and figuring out your own unique teaching style.

My student teaching experience: the good, the bad, and the ugly

During my first student teaching placement, my school was in a high-poverty neighborhood. The teacher was not only exceptional but also extremely calm and even-tempered. The kids were used to responding to quiet requests from her and followed the classroom routines as second nature, so when I showed up in January, the hard part was already done for me. I learned so much from that wonderful kindergarten teacher, and she shaped my teaching practices in tremendous ways. It was a fantastic experience that made me so excited to get my own classroom.

My other student teaching experience was in a very affluent school. It was a third grade placement and I thought it would be a piece of cake compared to corralling needy kindergartners in my previous school. I was so wrong! The mentor teacher was a second career teacher with only a few years experience, and her personality was so mild-mannered that the kids ran completely over top of her. It was so bad that I asked my college supervisor for a new student teaching placement. She agreed that the placement was not ideal and offered to let me finish my student teaching at a different school. However, I had a change of heart and opted to stay and take on the challenge. I immediately took the initiative to implement a simple behavioral system with group points. My mentor teacher was fine with that and was thrilled with the behavioral improvements in the kids. Things got better, but I still cried almost everyday on the way home. It was such a shame because the students were actually very sweet: they just needed some boundaries which the teacher wasn't able to provide and I was too intimidated to try since it wasn't my own classroom.

Lessons learned from student teaching

I don't share this with you to scare you, but just to let you know that even a bad student teaching situation won't last forever, and if anything, you'll learn what NOT to do! You can survive whatever you're handed during those few weeks of student teaching which seem to last forever but are actually just a drop in the bucket compared to the long teaching career you have ahead of you.

Brainstorm solutions to the problems you encounter even if you can't implement them so you have a full arsenal of strategies when you get your first classroom. Talk with other student teachers about how they're dealing with similar situations, and see what's working in other classrooms. Some of my best learning came late at night in the dorms, chatting with other STs about what had happened during the day.

Looking back, I actually wouldn't change my student teaching placements for the world. The first experience taught me what a real classroom community could look like and gave me something to aspire to. The second experience fueled my passion for classroom management, inspired me to research everything I could about it, and made me far more equipped to handle the crazy situations that arose when I had my own classroom. Just like the rest of your college experience, some aspects of student teaching will be very helpful and enjoyable, and others...won't.

The challenges of managing student behavior when the classroom isn't yours

I can say that I was MUCH quieter and more reserved during my student teaching. A lot of that was my age-I was 20 then, and I've done a lot of growing up and have become more confident in myself as people usually do with age. I also got more 'withitness' as I've been in the classroom. There just is no substitute for experience! I am sure that you'll look back a few years from now and marvel and how much you've grown as a teacher.

Some of what I learned was trial by fire, too. When you're a student teacher, I think you have to accept that you will not be able to practice classroom management as much as you probably need to. It's very normal for you to be more subdued when you're a lab student or student teacher because you feel like you're in someone else's territory.

Of course, that's why most new teachers go into shock when they get their first classroom and suddenly have to handle so many things by themselves all at once! But don't worry about that. I think you'll find that a natural tough instinct will start to kick in once you have your own classroom. Don't base your confidence in classroom management on your student teaching because it's really not a direct comparison. Many student teachers spend most of their time trying to please the cooperating teacher and/or college supervisor and don't have the opportunity to really think about how they would prefer to run the classroom if it were theirs.

Addressing student misbehavior as a student teacher

It can be tricky trying to implement someone else's behavior management plan, especially when you're still in the early stages of a student teaching placement. Instead of relying on rules and consequences to manage student behavior, I'd recommend focusing on the energy you project. Wear professional clothing that feels like "you" (even if it takes a while to figure out how that works!), carry yourself with confidence, and speak with authority. Make eye contact with the kids and try to give off a vibe that says "I am comfortable here, and I like being here" even if you're still nervous.

When the kids do something they shouldn't, say their name softly, look them dead in the eye, and shake your head. If that doesn't work, follow up by saying, "I don't like that. You need to ___" or "I need you to ___" or "Please ___ so we can continue with this activity." They'll get the message that you'repaying attention and holding them to certain expectations without making a big deal of it.

Establishing authority in the classroom as a student teacher

I also think it's an excellent idea to talk directly to the classroom teacher about management issues. You could say, "I'm looking for some ways that I can convey to the kids that I am an adult in charge just like their regular teachers. Do you have some suggestions for me? Would it be okay if I __? How would you prefer that I handle it when ___ happens?" Opening up an honest dialogue will probably make you both feel more comfortable about sharing a classroom, and if nothing else, you'll have a better idea of what the teacher expects from you.

You might notice that whenever the kids have a question or need something, they tend to go to the classroom teacher first instead of you. I think that's pretty normal, so don't feel bad about it! When I got my own classroom and was a mentor to student teachers, the exact same thing happened in reverse-the kids always came to me instead of asking the ST for help. It can be helpful to have a quick discussion with the class about what sorts of things they can come to you with. You could say, "I notice that most of you like to ask your teacher when you have a question. That's fine! But we want you to know that you can ask me for help with your work, too. You can also ask me if you need to go to the bathroom, or sharpen your pencil. If I'm not sure what to do, I'll check with your teacher." Remember that you're not the only one feeling awkward-it's just as awkward for the kids to suddenly have two teachers and not be sure about who they should go to with which problems!

Advice on successfully sharing a classroom with your mentor teacher

Though having a student teacher is often very rewarding for the cooperating teacher, it's also a lot of extra work. It can also be very uncomfortable when the student teacher has a different management style or personality type, especially if the classroom teacher is used to being a "one man/woman show" not having other adults in the room frequently. Some teachers are not even asked if they would like student teachers and are just assigned them, so mentoring might not even be something they're currently interested in taking on.

That said, most mentor teachers will be happy to have you in their room and you'll be able to learn a lot from them. I think it's good to be direct about what you need from your mentor but phrase things kindly. For example, if your mentor teacher isn't giving you enough feedback on your lessons, ask a specific question such as, "I feel like the kids got confused when I ___. How would you teach that skill? Do you thinkI could have done something different at that point in the lesson?" If you feel uncertain about how you're doing in a certain area or are worried about overstepping your bounds, you could say, "Earlier today, ___ happened. I'm not sure I handled it the way you would have liked me to. Do you think I should __? What would you do in that situation?"

Figuring out your teaching style and dealing with differences in teaching styles

It's really important to be yourself when you're teaching (or more accurately, your professional self, or your teaching self.) There is no one right way to teach or to reach all students, so if your style is very different from your mentor teacher's style, that's okay! You should not pressure yourself to emulate your mentor teacher exactly or to adapt methodologies that don't feel right to you when there are perfectly fine alternatives that fit more with your own style. Don't take your differences personally or interpret feedback as criticism just because you have a different way of doing things.

Of course, it does take awhile to figure out who exactly you are as a teacher, and your style will evolve over time. There will be some things you do now that will make you look back and cringe in five years! That happens to ALL of as teachers. It's perfectly okay-you're learning and growing as a teacher, and each step of the way is an important one.

Student teaching will allow you to observe different teachers in different teaching scenarios: you can take the bits and pieces that resonate with you and leave the rest. Build upon who you already are as a person and your own teaching philosophy, and add tips and tricks you pick up along the way. My current teaching style is a reflection of dozens (maybe hundreds) of teachers who have influenced me all along the way.

You are just at the start of your teaching journey. This is a really exciting time! I hope that you enter into the experience ready to learn and make lots of mistakes. Don't let yourshortcomings get you down! Each day you re-enter the classroom, you're better equipped to handle its challenges. Stay focused on your passion for teaching and helping children. You can do this!
A new blog post is up with tips and tricks from other educators on having a great student teaching experience!
Please share your experiences, questions, and advice in the comments!

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Classroom management tips for student teachers

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Are you looking for tips on managing kids' behavior as a student teacher? You might be wondering what it's like to be a student teacher, or how you're supposed to dealing with management issues during student teaching since it's not technically "your" classroom. On this page, you can read about what I learned about classroom ...

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In some former life, I must have done something heroic, like help catalyze women's suffrage or invent pizza. I know this because I've had two student teachers so far, and they've both been the most wonderful, most helpful, most EVERYTHING amazing student teachers ever. I would love to take credit for any part of their success, but I know I had nothing to do with it. If anything, all I contributed to was signing forms late and giving them stories to go home and tell their families. ("Today my supervising teacher walked around for an entire class period with a piece of melted chocolate on her neck. She kept asking why it smelled like cookies. I didn't have the heart to tell her.").

Anyway, I decided to put together a list of characteristics and qualities that I've noticed in my student teachers: things that have made their time in my classroom beneficial to them and to me. Whether you're about to be a student teacher yourself, or are about to be a mentor teacher and want to share this list with your newbie, here is a list of characteristics of things I have noticed my most amazing student teachers have in abundance.

1. They take opportunities to be helpful instead of waiting to be told what to do.

Don't get me wrong: There's nothing impolite or unhelpful about asking, "What would you like me to do now?" but there is something incredible about realizing my student teacher has anticipated and met a need without me even addressing it. Sometimes when I zone out or get bogged down with one of my 2,045,778 emails, I'll look up and my student teacher will be doing something I didn't ask her to do but is totally wonderful, like straightening the bookshelves or supply closet, cleaning off desks, or organizing the mountain of papers threatening to take over my back table.

2. They say goodbye to their comfort zones.

Student teaching is scary, y'all. It's like meeting your future spouse and their 120 children for the first time ... on the day of your wedding. We all have limits on what we are and aren't comfortable with (and it's important that both the student teacher and mentor teacher share and understand these), but amazing student teachers know that there is no better time to fail or make a fool of yourself than now, in a controlled environment with support from the mentor teacher.

3. They share ideas.

Student teaching is not (or at least should not) be a one-way street where the supervising teacher simply tells the student teacher what to do the whole semester. Personally, I'm so grateful for my student teachers' fresh lesson-plan ideas and new ways of doing things, and I know my students are too.

4. They are direct but kind.

One of my favorite things about my amazing student teachers has been that they respect me enough to let me know about their needs and suggestions directly and in a kind way. Just before break, my student teacher said some version of, "I would really like to know more about your planning process-can you show me more of that next semester?" I loved that she let me know this directly instead of going the rest of the year wishing things were different, or worse, going into next year not knowing how to plan a unit because her mentor teacher would go into a silent, scary Planning Trance at her computer.

5. They embrace the grunt work.

I think I've made it clear that I'm not a supporter of the king-servant ideology regarding the student teaching experience. But that being said, I think it would be a disservice to the student teacher to let them think that teaching is purely lesson plans and classroom management. My student teachers have been absolutely amazing about helping me make copies, grade, move furniture and do other odd jobs when asked-and with smiles on their faces! (I have no idea who they learned that from. I walk down the hall on Monday mornings singing loudly in a minor key.)

6. They welcome feedback-positive and critical.

Everyone loves positive feedback-that's easy. But what's trickier is accepting and welcoming critical feedback. Good student teachers interpret critical feedback as opportunities for growth, not reasons to slash the tires of their mentor teacher.

7. They are flexible.

I remember being frustrated as a student teacher when my mentor teacher would tell me I had a certain amount of time to teach a lesson or unit and then suddenly change the amount of time at the last minute. Now, with a few years under my belt, I know that's just the nature of the beast. It's rare for any teacher to always have more than a few days' notice about field trips, schedule changes, assemblies and other things that affect lesson/unit planning. Both of my student teachers have been so flexible with last-minute changes, which is not only a relief to me, but is good practice for the unpredictable world of teaching in which they are making their first steps.

As you can see, I've had some pretty outstanding student teachers to be able to create this list. Sometimes I think they could even be superhuman.

I'll check their stomachs for belly buttons next time I see them.
What do you think makes amazing student teachers?
Join our Facebook group WeAreTeachers-First Years! to connect with other new teachers, and learn more about how you can navigate your classroom and life.

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7 Habits of Amazing Student Teachers - WeAreTeachers

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In some former life, I must have done something heroic, like help catalyze women's suffrage or invent pizza. I know this because I've had two student teachers so far, and they've both been the most wonderful, most helpful, most EVERYTHING amazing student teachers ever.

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The CAFE Literacy System gives a structure for ongoing assessment to monitor each student's progress and a plan to help shift instruction so that each student is successful. It provides a common language to talk about reading development and proficiency. Students feel ownership and accountability over their learning.

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You'll find articles, law and regulations, and tips about how to get quality services in your child's IEP on this page. You'll also learn how to use tactics and strategies to negotiate with the school. This page includes IEP cases, recommended books, and free publications about IEPs.

IEP FAQs

Questions and Answers On Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Evaluations, and Reevaluations from US Department of Education, IDEA 2004 Reauthorization Resources. The responses presented in this document generally are informal guidance representing the interpretation of the Department of the applicable statutory or regulatory requirements in the context of the specific facts presented and are not legally binding.

IDEA: What You Need to Know About IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems - IDEA 2004 and the special education regulations include specific requirements for IEPs of children whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others -- including training teachers to use positive behavioral interventions and strategies.

Children with Hearing Loss Need an Educational Audiologist on their Education Team. Educational audiology is a related service under IDEA. If your child has a hearing loss and is on an IEP, they should have access to an Educational Audiologist. To make sure this service happens, write educational audiology into your child's IEP.

Emergency Evacuation Planning for Children with Disabilities by Lori Scott RN, BSN, MS. Preplanning is imperative for medical or emergency situations at school. Emergency evacuation planning should include a comprehensive written plan individualized to meet your child's needs. Add it to the IEP or 504 Plan.

How Did IEPs Change Under IDEA 2004? New requirements for special education teachers, IEPs, and scientifically based instruction for children with disabilities.

Present Levels: The Foundation of the IEP. Until the Present Levels in your child's IEP are up to date, you will never be able to get the program, placement, or education your child needs. Indiana Advocate Pat Howey explains why parent input is so important during the IEP Team's assessment of your child's present levels of performance.

School Says, "No Advanced Classes for Kids with IEPs"? Children with IEPs receive protection from discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504). Does your child qualifies for advanced classes and the school will not enroll her because she has an IEP? That sounds like discrimination.

Must Services in the IEP be Provided by a Special Ed Teacher? The IDEA and federal special ed regs do not require that the services listed in the IEP must be provided by a special ed teacher.

Can School Attorneys Legally Attend IEP Meetings? Jeff Martin, parent of a child with a disability and law student at William & Mary, researched the question and provides some answers.

Can Parents Demand a Member of the IEP Team be Excluded? You can demand, but if you do, you set yourself up for a big fall - and you are likely to be labeled as unstable. Parents need to request the services their children need and attempt to keep things unemotional and businesslike.

How Can I Get My Child's IEP Revised? Can parents ask that the IEP be revised? Answers to questions about when and why to revise IEPs.

Is There a Limit to the Number of Goals in the IEP? Answers to questions about IEP goals and who is responsible for long-term planning.

Can a Child be Punished for Not Meeting IEP Goals? If the teacher fails to meet the instructional objective, it makes no sense to punish the child. It is the teacher's failure. She has not taught your child what he needs to be able to do in order the reach the goal.

Can an IEP Meeting be Postponed? The IEP Team can convene, and agree to re-convene after receiving the new testing results. There is no limit to the number of IEP meetings that may be needed to create an IEP that meets your child's needs.

Help! I Need Some Support at the IEP Meeting. Are you anxious about attending your IEP meeting? Would you like someone to attend with you who can help you get quality services for your child. Don't know where to start? In the beginning, this process seems overwhelming to most parents, so you are not alone.

Can More Than One Disability Be Listed in an IEP? Answer - of course. More than one disability can be documented in your child's IEP.

Should Your Child's IEP Include Extended Year Services (ESY)? Some children with disabilities require special education and related services longer than the usual school year in order to receive FAPE. Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education and/or related services provided beyond the usual school year.

Does a Child Need an IEP AND a 504 Plan? There is nothing in the law that says a child with a disability should have an IEP for some needs and a 504 plan for others. It's confusing, it's more work, and it's unnecessary.

Is There a 10 Day Timeline for IEP Meetings? IDEA, the federal law and implementing regulations do not include a timeline for an IEP meeting when parents request a meeting to review or revise their child's IEP.

When Do I Get a Copy of the IEP? You should get a copy of your child's IEP right away. There is no reason for any delay. Write a short polite letter to request a copy.

Is Your Child Making Progress in Special Ed? Is your child making acceptable progress in special ed? Is your child on track to meet the measurable annual goals in the IEP?

Parents are Not Members of the IEP Team...Say What!? Parents are and always have been members of their child's IEP team. If parents aren't involved in developing the IEP as members of the team, how would they give consent?

How Can I Correct Errors in the Record? If the school has minutes, notes, or other documentation from IEP meetings, these notes and minutes are part of your child's record and are available to you.

Tapes are "Best Evidence" in Litigation. Should we use transcripts of the meetings or use the tapes as evidence in the hearing?

What Should Be the Effective Dates on IEPs? "Effective date" means just what it says. If you write an IEP and put the "effective date" as the date of the meeting, then the IEP goes into effect on that date. If you are writing an IEP for the next academic year, the dates on the IEP should indicate that.

Can I Write on the IEP? There is no legal or commonsense reason why a parent or any other IEP team member cannot write on a child's IEP.

Does an IEP Make a Child Ineligible for Sports? Prohibiting a student from participating in a sport because he has a disability and an IEP is discrimination, and a violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Can We Write Our Parapro's Name in the IEP? You need to be careful about how you approach this issue. Much depends on your relations with other school personnel and the policies or customs in your school or school district.

Should Poor Organizational Skills be Accommodated in the IEP? Some students with disabilities need accommodations or modifications to their educational program. Even with consistent teaching of strategies, his areas of weakness will probably never be strengths. It's time for the school to identify and focus on his strengths, and help him find ways to compensate with the problem areas.

Is Your PLOP a Flop? The PLOP is known now as the PLAAFP, Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance that provide baseline information about your child's knowledge and skills. Present levels are the starting point for setting IEP goals and measuring progress toward these goals.

More articles on IEPs.

IEP Pop-Ups & Checklists

Resolving IEP Disputes. Click on the pop-up box to learn strategies to resolve disagreements, steps to take if you disagree with the school, and o ptions you have if unable to resolve disputes.

Developing Your Child's IEP. Click on the pop-up box to learn about IDEA requirements, see answers to your questions, find federal law or regulations that support these answers, and a list of additional resources.

Special Factors in IEPs. Find what special factors need to be considered by the IEP team, how the IEP must address these factors, and learn what the federal law and regulations require.

IEP Checklist: Is Your Child's IEP Individualized? What Does it Take? When you answer the questions on this IEP Checklist, you will know if your child's IEP is individualized, as the law requires.

Special Education Advocacy by Pete & Pam Wright "IDEA"

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition (FETA-2) by Pam and Pete Wright is available from Harbor House Law Press. Take a sneak preview of the book - download the Introduction, Chapter 1: Getting Started, and skim the other chapters of the book.

We built the From Emotions to Advocacy site at FetaWeb.com to supplent this book. You will find articles, checklists, resources, and sample letters at the The FetaWeb site. If you have From Emotions to Advocacy (FETA), go to FetaWeb.com to get your FETA Owner's Manual.

OSEP Dear Colleague Letter - Speech-language Pathologists at IEP Meetings. OSEP addresses concerns about speech-language services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), clarifying requirements of the IDEA related to the provision of services for children with disabilities, including children with ASD [including infants and toddlers in Part C with IFSPs]. Clarification of OSEP's concern that SLPs and other appropriate professionals may not be included in evaluation and eligibility determinations.

What You Need to Know About IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems - IDEA 2004 and the special education regulations include specific requirements for IEPs of children whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others -- including training teachers to use positive behavioral interventions and strategies .

Changing Schools and IEPs - 1 week, 1 month, 90 Days? When a child transfers schools, when must the new school provide services in the IEP? Find out what IDEA 2004 says about providing comparable services for children who transfer.

What You Need to Know About IEPs & IEP Meetings -
How did IEPs change under IDEA 2004? What does the law say about developing, reviewing and revising IEPs? Who may be excused from IEP meetings, when, how? When can the child's IEP be changed without an IEP meeting? What services must be provided when a child transfers to a district in the same state? A different state? What are "multi-year IEPs"?
Learn about IEP team members and IEP team attendance, when team members may be excused from a meeting, and what parents and the school district must do before a team member may be excused. Changing the Dynamics of IEP Meetings: Online Draft IEP Forms. Online IEPs have introduced a shift in perspective. As skills increase, it may get better. But we are in the 'guinea pig' phase now. I dislike what is happened with the team dynamics.

Can the IEP Team Prepare a "Draft IEP?" IDEA 2004 discourages the use of "draft IEPs" because they send a message that parental concerns and parental participation are not valued. Since some IEP teams will continue to use draft IEPs, Pat Howey describes the pros and cons and how you can turn a lemon (draft IEP) into lemonade.

What You Need to Know About IEP Team Members & IEP Team Attendance
IEPs, Highly Qualified Teachers & Research Based Instruction - Learn about new language in IDEA 2004 that is designed to ensure that children with disabilities are taught by
10 Tips: How to Use IDEA to Improve Your Child's Special Education Program - Parent attorney
Your Child's IEP & Progress in the General Curriculum - Your child's IEP should be based on information from current evaluations (present levels of educational performance) and your state's curriculum and standards. Wayne Steedman explains how IDEA 2004 creates a higher standard for a free, appropriate public education and how parents can use IDEA to obtain a better IEP for their children. Learn how to ensure how to that the IEP goals are comprehensive, specific -- and measurable. Wayne advises you about pitfalls to avoid and provides advice about how you can resolve disputes without resorting to a due process hearing - and what you should do if you cannot resolve your dispute.

Game Plan: Write SMART IEPs - From teachers to parents, it seems like everyone is confused about how to write good IEP goals and objectives. This Wrightslaw Game Plan about SMART IEPS will help you get started. highly qualified teachers and receive research based instruction. This article includes new requirements for personnel training, IEPs, and scientifically based instruction.

. This comprehensive article describes IEPs and the IEP process, including:Identifying and Meeting a Child's Language Needs. Special Factors in the IEP. If your child does not speak or understand English well, the IEP team needs to ensure that your child's language needs are identified and met.

Your Child's IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents

. Frustrated with one-size fits all IEPs that are not tailored to the child's unique needs? Feeling intimidated at IEP meetings? Dr. Barbara Bateman will teach you how to write IEPs that are educationally useful and legally correct. This article includes extensive discussion of transition and transition plans. IEPs for Success by Dr. Barbara Bateman

Accommodations and Modifications. Some children with disabilities need accommodations and modifications to their special education program. This 4 page printer-friendly article defines accommodations and modifications that may be included in the IEP; gives examples for books, curriculum, instruction, assignments, and behavior.

How Can I Write SMART IEP Goals for Behavior Problems? The process is the same for any goal - academic or behavioral. You need to clearly define the target behavior.

8 Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker by Jennifer Bollero, Esq. Mother of child with autism explains that parents need to learn the rules and strategies, to reduce the risks when you negotiate for your child. "Your child's IEP should never be a gamble. Know what your goals are and work them. Many roads lead to the same place. Many different cards can win the game."

Support for School Personnel and Parent Training: Often Overlooked Keys to Success by Attorney Susan Bardet. To help children learn and succeed, IEP teams can use the tools provided by IDEA, including support for school personnel and training for parents.

To Promote or Retain. If you have a child with a disability, you may face a tough decision. Many schools offer two "solutions" to children's learning problems: retention and referral to special education - and do not offer the third "R" - remediation. Facts about Retention.

Use the Commentary as a Tool. Learn how to use the Commentary to answer questions about IEPs, IEP meetings, IEP teams, when the IEP should be revised, the parental role, transition, and other topics. Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney. To write IEP goals and objectives that are tailored to the child's unique needs, you need to learn how to interpret educational and psychological test results. (NOTE: To ensure that you get the graphics in this article, you may want to print the article from the screen, rather than download it.)

Legal Requirements for Transition Components of the IEP. Dr. Barbara Bateman, co-author of Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives, teaches you about transition, IEPs, self-advocacy for students, confidentiality, and more.

Can a Child with an IEP Fail? The IEP does not guarantee that your child won't fail, although it is unusual for a child with an IEP to fail.

IEP Tactics & Strategies

Tactics & Strategies: IEP Goals and Objectives . How can you get good goals and objectives in your child's IEP? What can you do if the school wants to use subjective "teacher observations," not objective testing in the IEP? How can parents avoid "methodology disputes?" Pete and Pam Wright teach you to use tactics and strategies in IEPs.

Tips & Tricks for Getting Effective IEPs. Nothing is foolproof and nothing is perfect. But these tricks and tips worked well for Parent Advocate Sharon Lutz and helped her get good programs that met her children's needs.

Tactics & Strategies: How to Use a Parent IEP Attachment. Confused at IEP meetings? Do you find that your questions are not answered? In this article by advocate Judy Bonnell, you learn how to use a simple form to track your requests, the school's response, issues that were resolved and issues that are still on the table.

Tactics & Strategies: Sample Parent Agenda - A.J.'s parents sent this parent agenda. We thought it was such a good example that we decided to include it in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy (see page 267). Tactics & Strategies: How to Use Follow-Up Letters to Get Answers to Your Questions. Advice from parent advocate Pat Howey about how to get the IEP team to answer your questions, avoid power struggles, deal with IEP meeting frustrations, and use your power wisely.

Tactics & Strategies: IEP Meetings (Or Playing 20 Questions with the Devil). Frustrated at IEP meetings? Meeting with an IEP team that will not answer your questions? Parent attorney Sonja Kerr teaches an approach for dealing with the IEP meeting quagmire. If you are preparing for an IEP meeting, read Sonja Kerr's advice.

School Attorney at IEP Meeting - Parents Walk Out. When parents walk out of a meeting and refuse to participate, some courts have held that against them. By walking out, they waived their right to participate.

How Can an IEP Team Work Together if the Key Players Won't "Play"? Have you ever attended an IEP meeting that began well, but suddenly turned to complete chaos!

I'm a Teacher and I Know IEPs Aren't Being Followed. What Do I Do? Is the administration is aware that IEPs are not being followed, and if they do know, why they haven't put a stop to it?

When Teachers Won't Provide Accommodations in the IEP? If regular education teachers are not implementing the accommodations in your child's IEP, you need to document this. A good strategy is to write short polite letters to people in authority. Begin by writing a polite letter to the principal. Describe the problem and ask for his help.

Make a Video for the IEP Meeting. "Introducing ... He's a child, not a Label". Tiffany Moody wrote this article to tell you about how she created a video about her son and the impact the video had on the IEP meeting.

Can School Attorneys Legally Attend IEP Meetings? Jeff Martin, parent of a child with a disability and law student in the PELE Clinic. Jeff found information that supported his position that, in general, parent and school attorneys should not attend IEP meetings. Read IEP Law and Regulations more discussion...

Most parents and teachers get information about the law from training sessions, articles, advice on list serves, and informal discussions with others. Your knowledge can rise no higher than your source! You must read the law - this is the only way to understand legal rights, responsibilities, and issues. Download
IDEA 2004: Section 1414 - Evaluations, Reevaluations and IEPs
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004: Overview, Explanation and Comparison of IDEA 2004 & IDEA 97 by Peter W. D. Wright, Esq. describes the substantive changes to the five key statutes of IDEA 2004 by section and subsection. Text added to IDEA 2004 is in IDEA 2004: Overview, Explanation & Comparison (56 pages) italics. Text deleted from IDEA 97 has been struck through. Overview, Explanation and Comparison of IDEA 2004 and IDEA 97

Special Education Cases Board of Ed. of Hendrick Hudson Central School Dist. v. Rowley 458 U.S. 176 (1982) - First decision in a special education case by the U. S. Supreme Court; defined "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) and discusses IEPs.Shannon Carter v. Florence County School District IV. Tuition reimbursement case that was appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court. Decision focuses on an appropriate program and IEP for Shannon, a child with dyslexia.

Burlington Sch. Committee v. Mass. Bd. of Ed., 471 U. S. 359 (1985). Decision clarifies procedural safeguards, parent role in educational decision-making; tuition reimbursement for private placement; child's placement during dispute about FAPE.

Amanda C. v. Clark County Sch. Dist. and Nevada Dept. of Ed , U. S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit issues strong decision for child with autism. Court cites research about ABA/Lovaas treatment; describes purposes of the IDEA; IEPs and procedural safeguards.

Evans v. Rhinebeck New York tuition reimbursement case; judge discusses components of an appropriate IEP for a child with dyslexia; vague subjective IEP goals and objectives.

T. H. v. Palatine Decision focuses on an appropriate program for a young child with autism; includes excellent discussion of vague subjective IEP goals and objectives. (in pdf)

Kanawha v. Michael M. Court analyzes"appropriate" in the context of Rowley; discussed educational benefit; provided guidelines to determine if an IEP is appropriate.Kanawha v. Michael M. is one of Pete's favorite cases "not because it has great precedence, but because it does an excellent job of describing difficulties in the legal definition of 'appropriate' and how to use 'appropriate 'in developing an IEP."

Good Books about IEPs

The heart of the law is the child's written Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives by Barbara Bateman and Cynthia Herr. Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives teaches educators and parents how to write IEPs that are legally correct and educationally useful.

IEP and Inclusion Tips by Anne Treimanis and Kathleen Whitbread - Learn how to prepare for IEP meetings, create legally correct and educationally sound IEPs, ensure access to the general curriculum, track educational progress, and form effective parent-school partnerships. Features more than 100 tips to help parents, teachers and administrators share goals and develop healthy working relationships.

How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up? by Diane Twachtman-Cullen. Step-by-step guide to writing IEPs; includes sample goal & objective templates for areas of functioning typically neglected in IEPs. Includes recommendations for teaching strategies, educational programming formats & useful resources.
The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child. This useful book by attorney Lawrence Siegel is filled with organization and planning tips, sample letters and forms; information about IEPs. More info Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition

Preparing Instructional Objectives teaches you to identify, select, and write educational objectives. You learn how to describe the performances you expect to achieve, identify the conditions under which you expect the performance to occur, and set criteria for acceptable performance.

Measuring Educational Results by Robert Mager. How do you know if a child is learning and making progress? You measure the results of instruction to determine if objectives and benchmarks have been achieved. This easy-to-read book gives you tools to measure instructional results. Learn more about Measuring Instructional Results.

For more good books about IEPs and special ed advocacy, visit the Advocate's Bookstore.

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 978-1-892320-16-2, 456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound) by Peter Wright and Pamela Wright, published in 2007, is available in two formats: a print book and a print & e-book combo. The book includes:

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition is available in two versions: as a print book and as a print book & e-book combo.
Print book (456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound, $29.95 plus shipping) Order
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition is designed to meet the needs of parents, teachers, advocates, attorneys, related services providers, school psychologists, administrators, college professors, hearing officers, and employees of district and state departments of education.

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind [OUT OF PRINT]

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind.(ISBN: 1-892320-12-6) by Peter W. D. Wright, Pamela Darr Wright and Suzanne Whitney Heath is published by Harbor House Law Press and includes the No Child Left Behind CD-ROM.
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition Order

E-book and Print Book Combo (456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound, $44.95 plus shipping) When you order the Special Education Law E-book and Print Book Combo, you'll receive a link to the E-book (3.8 mgs) immediately. The text in the Special Education Law E-book is identical to the print version. The E-book has bookmarks, page thumbnails, hyperlinks to hundreds of references, and is designed to help you find information on specific topics quickly and easily (Value: $15.00) .
Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree

Jeffers v. School Board is based on the true story of a young child with autism. With different evidence and witnesses, this could easily be a case about a child with a different disability or a different legal issue. (DVD, 2 hours, $19.95) l l Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree - Stephen Jeffers v. School Board . Takes you through a special education due process hearing, from initial preparations to testimony by the final witness.
Internet Orders Mail, Phone & Fax Orders Exam Copies l Discounts

Free Pubs & Resources

Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities. (in html) Developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Assessing Special Education Students.

The Accommodations Manual presents a five-step process for individualized educational program teams, 504 plan committees, general and special education teachers, administrators, and district-level assessment staff to use in the selection, administration, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of instructional and assessment accommodations by students with disabilities. The guidance in the manual pertains to students with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments and the instruction they receive.

Learn how to write IEPs that improve teaching, learning, and educational results. Article includes contents of the IEP; IEP team members; writing the IEP; placement decisions; implementing the IEP; revising and revising the IEP; resolving disagreements about the IEP; sample IEP form, information and resources, the federal regulations for IEPs, and guidance about IEPs. A Guide to the Individualized Education Program published by the U. S. Department of Education. Download PDF

Designing Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Plans from ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to prepare students with disabilities for employment and independent living. Transition planning that involves students and their families leads to post-school success and independence. Article describes how to design quality IEP transition plans. Download

Questions and Answers On Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Evaluations, and Reevaluations from US Department of Education, Building the Legacy of IDEA 2004. The responses presented in this document generally are informal guidance representing the interpretation of the Department of the applicable statutory or regulatory requirements in the context of the specific facts presented and are not legally binding.

Developing Your Child's IEP. Learn about IDEA 2004 and the steps to writing an IEP from the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR).
Introduction
A. The IEP Process
B. The IEP Document
C. Deciding Your Child's Placement
D. Participating in the IEP Process<
Endnotes

More Topics

Last Revised: 10/18/21

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) - Articles, Law, Regulations, Cases, Frequently Asked Questions about Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) from Wrightslaw

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You'll find articles, law and regulations, and tips about how to get quality services in your child's IEP on this page. You'll also learn how to use tactics and strategies to negotiate with the school. This page includes IEP cases, recommended books, and free publications about IEPs.

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Use this discussion strategy to help students practice being contributors and listeners in a group conversation.

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The jigsaw technique is a cooperative learning approach that reduces racial conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience.

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Do your students struggle with that time in the morning when you are taking attendance, listening to students' stories, and getting them ready for the day? If so, this 10 slide Power Point is just the thing for you!

We have created this resource so each day of the week there is a relevant task the students have to do. Here are the daily choices: Monday Memories (journal writing), Trivia Tuesday, Wednesday's Words (famous quotes), Thinking Thursday (logic puzzles), and Fact Friday (math fact practice). The great thing about this resource is that there is room to add on once you collect trivia, quotes, and logic puzzles. You could add a slide right to the Power Point that you could use for the following year!

We have found that our students look forward to these each morning and love the routine that so many students need to start their morning! Click here to find this amazing resource for FREE now!

Classroom photo credit here.

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Morning Routine Activities: Getting Your Students Energized for Learning - Wise Guys

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Do your students struggle with that time in the morning when you are taking attendance, listening to students' stories, and getting them ready for the day? If so, this 10 slide Power Point is just the thing for you! We have created this resource so each day of the week there is a relevant task the students have to do.

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Adaptations for each CELDT level:

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Quick Reference Handbook for Adapting Lessons for English Learners

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Recognizing that the number of language diverse learners has increased in schools and that researchers predict this trend to continue for at least the next two decades (Thomas and Collier, 2002), classroom teachers are looking for ways to improve instruction so English learners benefit, while aligning their instruction to the state and local academic content standards.

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ELD - Assessments

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Curriculum Frameworks - English Language Arts (CA Dept of Education)

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Guidelines for implementing the content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education that are developed by the Instructional Quality Commission.