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Blog Posts- Interdisciplinary EC Lessons, Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviors & Creating a Positive Classroom Climate

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Blog Posts- Interdisciplinary EC Lessons, Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviors & Creating a Positive Classroom Climate

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Interdisciplinary learning supports children in exploring an essential question or topic in depth and from multiple angles. In early childhood, using themes to explore topics is an effective way to use and enrich curriculums, in order to make the experiences exciting and engaging for students.

One example of a theme is "Our Community". I have chosen this theme because students need to learn what a community is, how communities help us, and what it means to be a good member of a community. Demonstrate understanding of the importance of rules/laws in schools and communities; b) demonstrate knowledge of good citizenship within their school and communities; c) identify and explain symbols, traditions, people, and events that are honored within the United States.Differentiation:
The standard is:
This theme will strengthen each child's understanding about community and their capability to participate and respect others in school.
​
Sample Lesson Plan for Rules & Laws within Communities:
Objective: Students will be able to describe why rules and laws are important and valuable for communities.
1. Opener- Gather background knowledge with two brainstorming bubble charts- laws and rules. Prompt the children to describe or draw various rules and laws that they know.
2. Read "What if Everyone Did That?" by Ellen Javernick. *Everyone get up and do any exercise you want for 1 minute!
3. Discuss -Why do we have laws in our country? Why do we have rules at school?
*Show a video or some images on a powerpoint that depict some laws in other countries.
Ask questions and have children turn and talk to their turn and talk buddies about why rules in other countries are important.
4. You do together- Students will work with table teams to consider a social situation at school and what would happen if everyone did that. They will come up with a rule related to that situation and write and draw about it on a poster. The posters will be displayed around the school.
5. Presentation- Students will present and answer questions about their posters, reflecting upon the value of rules in our school community.
6. Reflection- Reflect as a class about what the purpose of rules are in a community. Ask them to discuss- What makes a community safe and fun to live, work and play in? How can you be a good friend to others in the community?
-Students with ADHD: They will benefit from being able to exercise after the read aloud. I will also provide them with something to chew on and will encourage them to stand and move as they need to during the group work.
-English Language Learners: I will provide them with the names of rules in their native languages, saying it out loud as I am helping children discuss and consider the value of rules.
-Students with low writing skills: Students will be encouraged to draw and talk with their classmates to make the poster.
-Students with higher writing skills: I will challenge these students to write in complete sentences and add more details.

Community Math
Have each child draw which community helper they would most like to be. Then, guide children in graphing how many students picked each job. Give them whiteboards and ask the questions: "How many more people wanted to be ____ than _____? " "Write how many people wanted to be ________".
​Community Art
Invite various community helpers to come or zoom with the class. After students have learned about the many members of the community who help us, have them paint a watercolor depicting a community helper that they appreciate.
Community Outdoor/Physical Activity
Brainstorm as a class ways to make the area outside of the school better. Perhaps they want to plant some flowers, clean up the leaves or paint the fence. Then, have the children help to plan and take responsibility for making their community better.

During the unit "Protecting our Environment," students will examine the influence humans have had on the environment and consider potential solutions. The science standard that inspired this theme is: Students will be able to communicate about and evaluate solutions that manage the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

Differentiation: Sample Lesson Plan: Creating a Solution to the Plastic Problem
Objective: Students will be able to evaluate and communicate about solutions to manage the impact of humans on land, water, and living things.
1. One day read a book about the problem we have with plastic polluting our land and water.
2. On the next day read a second book to give students more background knowledge.
*As a movement break, have students go around the room and find plastic, tallying how many they find on a whiteboard. Ask them to look in their lunchbox as well. Discuss the problem of single use plastic in particular.
3. Then, create a brainstorming bubble about ways to reduce plastic use. Present the students with a few ideas such as creating a bag out of an old t-shirt, making beeswax clothes to be used for food storage, or making paper straws to use. Ask them to share any thoughts or ideas they have that might help everyone reduce plastic use.
4. Have one of the ideas you presented ready for students to do with you. Allow students to stand or use a wobbly stool. Provide instructions in the ELL student's native language.
5. Reflection: After making their bag, straw, or beeswax cloth, discuss what the long-run impact will be of their choice to replace plastic with a reusable material.
6. Sharing: Ask for a few volunteers to make a video sharing about what they made and how it will help the environment. Send the video to the parents and other classrooms at the school.

-Students with ADHD will enjoy the movement break and will also be encouraged to use supports for stimulation such as fidgets, wobbly stools, and standing.
-Students who are English Language Learners will benefit from the instructions for the activity being in their home language. This will reduce frustration and make the steps very clear.
-Students with Autism: Visuals for each step will support students who are not able to follow verbal instructions. I will have a few visuals available for the "ways to reduce plastic use" brainstorm bubble, in case they want to pick of these to add rather than sharing in front of the class.

​
Protecting our Environment Writing- After reading books and watching videos exploring the impact of humans on animals, students will each choose an animal to research more about and write about. Specifically, they will be writing about how the animal is experiencing problems stemming from human activity and how we can support that animal. Each student will have one to two pages with illustrations written over a few days. Then, combine the pages into a class book all about human impact on animals and how to help them. Have a few members of the class present the book to two other classes of children.

Protecting our Environment Math- Students will count how many pieces of trash they create in their snack and lunches, using tallies. Send a note home asking for parents to pack a "trash free" lunch. Then, tally how much trash is created. Compare the two graphs and see how much more trash is created on a normal day. Encourage the students to help their parents pack more trash free lunches.

With theme-based interdisciplinary learning in early childhood, children are able to think about real world concepts and problems from various perspectives. With multiple different opportunities to think about a topic, students have meaningful and memorable learning experiences that may plant the seed for future studies and passions.

Citations

Ammie. (n.d.). What if Everybody Did That? Teachers Pay Teachers. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from Herding Kats in Kindergarten. (n.d.). Community Helpers Roll & Graph Activity . Teachers Pay Teachers. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from Math, B. T. (2014, March 31). 3 Hands On Earth Day Activities that Integrate Math . Beyond Traditional Math. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from PLT. (2019, June 1). How Students Can Help Reduce Single-Use Plastic to Protect the Environment . Project Learning Tree. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/What-if-Everybody-Did-That-624469?st=0158fd0033060a1de2bc1d393ae1a966
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Community-Helpers-Roll-Graph-Activity-294861
King, C. (2021, June 16). Children's Books About Plastic Pollution . Plaine Products. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from https://beyondtraditionalmath.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/3-hands-on-earth-day-activities-that-integrate-math/ https://www.plaineproducts.com/childrens-books-about-plastic-pollution/

Paul, M., & Zunon, E. (2015). One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia . Millbrook Press TM . https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/reduce-single-use-plastic

Kendra is an energetic, creative kindergartner. She is kind to friends but has had problems with following instructions and containing her energy. She runs around frequently, distracting peers. She is easily distracted by things in the environment. She has also been disrespectful to teachers and talks back to them; she tries to argue with them sometimes when she doesn't want to follow instructions. She is an only child and both of her parents work. Her favorite things are dance, pets, and pretend play. She did not attend preschool.

Kendra has struggled with participating in whole group and small groups so she is lagging behind in her early literacy and math skills. Since she fails to do her work, she often misses free choice time (twice a day) because she is making up that work. She does better with writing, even with her limited early literacy skills, and independent work that is more creative. She also does well focusing on lear ning activities on her iPad.

Other students in the class have complained that Kendra is distracting them and are bothered by her not following instructions. Peers have trouble working and reading with her when it is time for partner work because she gets off task or gets up to run around. On the playground, Kendra has a great time with friends and she is kind to everyone.

The first step in addressing Kendra's behavior problem is to answer the question: What is this behavior communicating to us about Kendra's needs and motivations? Through observation and developing a relationship with her and her family, teachers learn that Kendra needs movement and physical stimulation to learn. She also is wondering where boundaries are when it comes to rules. At school, missing choice time has helped her learn the consequences of not doing her work, but it has not changed her behavior. She has low levels of self-regulation and needs practice with following instructions right away and staying on task.

Kendra's goals:

1. Increase participation and collaboration in the class through strengthening her self- regulation. With stronger self-regulation, she will be able to delay the gratification of running around and be able to listen and follow instructions.

2. Recognize and respect boundaries set by teachers.

3. Complete her work and stop missing choice time.

We can address these needs and work towards the goals through a lens of two different behavioral theories: Sociocultural Theory of Learning and Operant Conditioning. According to the pioneer of Sociocultural Theory, Lev Vygotsky, children learn best when in their zone of proximal development. Kendra has unique deficits in regulating her body and following instructions. Rather than hoping that she makes big changes to meet expectations on her own, teachers and parents must provide scaffolds for her to grow these skills and challenge her with support so she can experience growth and success. Here are the scaffolds that will help Kendra grow her self regulation: ​​​
Use visuals with her to support her understanding instructions.

Create and read "social stories" with her about the rules of the classroom, especially covering how we walk and how we follow instructions right away. The teacher can incorporate her favorite things such as pets to make them more fun for her.

Use a first and then chart to help her follow instructions when she needs to wait to do a preferred activity.

Use visual instructions as much as possible for learning activities.

Create opportunities for active and hands-on learning throughout her day.

Stay in close proximity to her and support her in staying on track.

Provide her with a timer and have her start with 5 minutes of work time before a movement break, such as going to fill up her water bottle or doing 20 jumping jacks. One she experiences success, start to increase that time gradually. She can also do a variety of self-regulation builders that are shown in the video above.

Offer other stimulation such as chewing on a straw, gum, and using a wobbly stool to see if these assist her in staying on task.

Integrate games and activities that foster self-regulation into the daily classroom learning, such as red light green light, simon says, and a freeze dance.

Vygotsky also observed that culture and family relationships are major determinants of learning as well. Offer to do a home visit and get to know her hobbies and strengths at home. Before the visit, ask her parents if there are any specific goals or struggles they have at home that you could incorporate into her plan so she is working on the same things at school and home. Bring with you a kit of games and activities that will help her practice self-regulation skills.
While so far this plan provides scaffolds and support for better understanding and growing regulation, it is missing a key element: motivation. The negative reinforcement of missing choice time happens twice a day, and this has not been effective in motivating changes in behavior.

B.F. Skinner's Theory of Operant Conditioning offers us valuable insights into how teachers can motivate Kendra to use walking feet, follow instructions, and complete her work. Skinner believed that people learn best through reinforcement. Teachers can use positive reinforcement with Kendra to help her stay motivated to use walking feet, follow instructions, and stay on task.

One helpful tool is a bubble chart. A bubble chart is a little piece of paper with bubbles that the teacher fills in when she or he catches Kendra staying on task. When the whole chart is full, Kendra can have 2 minutes of game time or iPad time. The teacher will not remove or erase a bubble when Kendra gets up, but will simply prompt Kendra to get back on track by whispering enthusiastically, "when you start working again, I will color in two more bubbles!" The bubble chart works by providing continuous positive reinforcement to Kendra so that she can persist in completing her work.

Another helpful tool is using a class wide positive reinforcement system. The school mascot is a kestrel. Each time students use walking feet to get started right away with following instructions, the teacher uses a dab-a-dot to mark on the kestrel. When the bird is all filled in, they will have a fun party (popsicle, read to therapy dogs, pajama day). The teacher can use positive narration with this tool and describe all of the amazing students, focusing on catching Kendra being good. The teacher can even try preventing Kendra from running around (even if she is already doing so) by walking towards the kestrel and saying, with a smile, "I see a friend who looks like she is getting back to her seat right away". The teacher can ignore minor misbehaviors from Kendra and focus on describing all the moments that she is doing well. Helping the class earn a reward will build Kendra's pride and motivation to continue meeting behavior expectations.

The teacher can take a picture of one of the bubble charts and text or email it to parents each day, with a short note of how Kendra did well today.

What if things are not going well? First, the teacher can set limits and boundaries with Kendra by kneeling down to her level and giving her a reminder "Let's see if you can get back to your seat in 10, 9, 8, 7...." If she fails to comply then the teacher can again kneel down and say "This is sad, I will do something about this later. Try not to worry". Then the teacher can ignore the behavior and sit down with her during recess or after school to talk about the disruption and why she was ignoring instructions. Kendra may need to write friends and teacher apology notes or have another consequence, depending on the nature of the misbehavior. This technique, promoted by the Love & Logic program, allows the teacher to give a consequence without having to come up with a perfect logical consequence in the moment and without getting into a power struggle. Next, always communicate with parents. With a particularly challenging day, the teacher can call parents after school to discuss what happened. Negative reports over email and text can be hard to interpret and there will not be as much two way communication. After three challenging days, the teacher can invite parents to school to have a meeting with Kendra and parents together. They can determine next steps and create a plan for improvement.

This plan for Kendra has a variety of supports and incentives to help her reach her potential. While there are multiple options for building self-regulation and for incentivizing her, it is not essential to do it all at once. The teacher can implement one from each category per week, and add on one each week. Every child has the capability for positive growth. All behavior is meaningful and challenging behaviors such as Kendra's are communicating to us what a child needs to make that positive growth.

Binder, D., & Foxe, L. (2016, October 28). Promoting Social Emotional Competence in the Preschool Classroom [Slides]. Pbis.Org. https://assets-global.website-files.com/5d3725188825e071f1670246/5d704556201995c2e56ec21c_d12_fox_et_al.pdf

LessonPix. (n.d.). LessonPix--Custom Learning Materials: Picture Cards, Classroom Visuals and Games. Lessonpix.Com. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://lessonpix.com/

Love & Logic. (2022, February 4). Immediate Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior? Love and Logic Institute, Inc. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.loveandlogic.com/blogs/our-blog/immediate-consequences-for-inappropriate-behavior#:%7E:text=The%20Love%20and%20Logic%20delayed,with%20a%20logical%2C%20appropriate%20consequence.

Love & Logic. (2019, May 20). Staying focused on what we can control. YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuE-2KAFoyk&t=26s

Mcleod, S. (2019, March 24). The Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding. Simply Psychology. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html

PTS.inc. (2015, January 26). Self-Regulation: 5 Heavy Work Sensory Tips. YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xjsHToCjgM

Western Governors University. (2021, March 23). What Is The Behavioral Learning Theory? Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-behavioral-learning-theory2005.html#:%7E:text=Watson%20and%20Skinner%20believed%20that,is%20a%20popular%20behaviorism%20experiment.​

Here is what a positive classroom environment looks like in early childhood:

Teachers model respectful behavior and show interest in the needs and desires of their students. Teachers show enthusiasm throughout lessons and transitions, use humor, a bright tone of voice, and kind words. Teachers focus on the positive and use positive narration and descriptive praise. Teachers avoid correcting students publicly and meet with students privately to discuss problematic behaviors. Teachers notice and address small behaviors before they become bigger problems. Teachers help students understand what is expected of them and build predictable routines that help students feel more in control of their day.

Students are respectful to teachers and their peers. Students show kindness and empathy towards others and offer to help others whenever they can. Students recognize that not everyone is doing the same activity the same way and they are okay with this. Students have fun and enjoy learning. They talk freely with peers when appropriate and are often laughing during lesson activities and free time. Students also have self control and are able to focus on an assignment and respect the learning needs of others by not talking when necessary. Students are working in table teams and as a whole class to earn fun experiences and privileges.

The classroom is clean and organized at the beginning of each day. During parts of the day, there may be small or big messes as children are working. At the end of each work period, students work together to clean up and organize for the next section of the day. Children know where to find what they need and how to use materials respectfully. The classroom has a variety of places to work and read; children are encouraged to find a working or reading place that helps them focus well.

How do we create this? Consider two viewpoints on creating a positive EC classroom
B. F. Skinner examined how organisms learn from the positive or negative consequences of behaviors. His theory of operant conditioning suggests that people learn best when actions are reinforced. When a person or animal experiences negative consequences after a behavior, that person or animal is less likely to repeat the behavior. When a person or animal experiences a positive result from behavior, the person or animal is more likely to repeat the behavior. There are primary reinforcers, such as praise, food, or something being intrinsically rewarding, and there are secondary reinforcers such as getting paid money or tickets and purchasing a prize.

Skinner's operant c onditioning provides us with an important perspective to consider when thinking about building a positive climate in an early childhood classroom. Most importantly, Skinner's ideas support teachers in being intentional about focusing on the positive to increase the positivity in the classroom. Teachers may use praise or positive narration ("I see two students who followed directions right away") to increase the likelihood that students will repeat that behavior. Considering that behaviors are more likely repeated when reinforced, teachers must also analyze any repetitive negative behaviors to discover what might be reinforcing that behavior. For example, if a child is blurting out and talking over others frequently, teachers can examine what is occurring while the child blurts out and what happens afterwards to see if he or she is receiving any positive reinforcements such as attention from the teacher or others. Then, teachers can craft a plan to frontload attention from teachers early in the day and to avoid giving attention when the child blurts out. Teachers may also benefit from thinking about how to encourage positive behaviors by implementing a variety of positive rewards for such behaviors. For example, the teacher can provide praise, attention, and encouragement. The teacher can also implement a
classwide positive behavior system, such as earning stars on the board that help children earn a class party.

Albert Bandura's social learning theory suggests that most learning takes place through observing, modelin g, and imitating others. Rather than learning being a result of conditioning, Bandura found that children learn through observing others, listening to others explain concepts, and through watching symbolic models (on television or in books). Bandura accepted other psychologists' theories about external reinforcement, but believed that intrinsic reinforcement can also drive learning. According to social learning theory, observation is central to learning but it is not the only necessary component. Attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation are also key require ments for learning. Bandura also uncovered important ideas about the power of self-efficacy and the role it plays in how children approach learning.

Bandura's theory of learning helps us create positive learning environments in early childhood in three ways. First, acknowledging that children learn through observation, teachers can model positive behaviors and also draw attention to positive behaviors in other students in the classroom. Teachers should model respect and kindness to help students understand how to exhibit such traits. Teachers can consider the various observation models (verbal, symbolic, and live) when planning lessons about positive behavior. Second, teachers can help young students learn to exhibit positive behaviors by targeting the four requirements: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Third, teachers can take advantage of the power of self-efficacy through encouraging students and by creating opportunities for children to practice positive behaviors and enjoy the reinforcing feeling of success in a variety of activities.

After examining both approaches, I believe that Albert Bandura's social learning theory provides teachers with the best tools for creating a safe, inviting positive learning environment. Focusing too much on rewards and consequences may help children follow rules but may not support them in growing their positive behaviors and social skills. Teachers can use reinforcements, but spend more energy and time helping children learn and practice positive, respectful behaviors through observation (while targeting attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation). Here are some ideas for applying social learning theory in an early childhood classroom:

Applying Bandura's Ideas: Practical Tips to Build a Positive Classroom

Model respect towards students and take an interest in their lives. Get to know each of them on a personal level and find out who their family members are, who their pets are, what their hobbies are and what they are excited about. Model respect when dealing with misbehaviors as well (do not correct behavior publicly or across the room), and meet with students in private to discuss problems that arise. ​​

Teach respectful behavior through social skill lessons where children can observe and also practice positive behaviors. Throughout these lessons, work on employing the four components required for observational learning:

1. Help them retain what they have learned by allowing them to process the social skill through drawing, writing, or collaborative conversations.

2. Empower students to reproduce what they have learned through teaching a friend or leading part of a lesson.

3. Increase motivation to learn through making the lesson intrinsically rewarding and fun, and sometimes offer extrinsic rewards for extra kind behavior, trying new things or having grit (such as sitting in the teacher's chair or getting a fun pen to use for the day).

4. ​Build their power to sustain attention. Teach them simple steps to pay attention, such as "stop, look, and listen". Help them understand that eye contact is necessary and they must also be listening. You should also target their attention by making the lesson engaging and fun, and by keeping the lesson components short enough for their age (5 minutes for a 5 year old).

​​​​Help students feel more in control of their day by establishing predictable routines and procedures, such as moving from table time to the carpet. Establish each of them by teaching a lesson and target the four areas required for observational learning. Post the daily schedule and the plans for each subject so students know what to expect.

Foster each child's self efficacy through your supportive relationship with them. Give them choices whenever possible to boost their sense of control throughout the day. Uphold high expectations for them and facilitate activities where they will encounter both easy and hard things. Help them notice when they tried hard and persisted despite failures.

Citations:
Albert Bandura Receives of Canada's Highest Civilian Honors. (n.d.). [Photograph]. News.Stanford.Edu/Thedish. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/albert-bandura-641.php
Course Hero Inc. (n.d.). Behavioral and Cognitive Theories. Coursehero.Com. Retrieved June 30, 2022,from https://www.coursehero.com/study-guides/wmopen-lifespandevelopment/behavioral-and-cognitive-theories/
Joseph, G. (n.d.). Social Emotional Teaching Strategies. The Center the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, Vanderbilt University. http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/modules/module2/script.pdf
Kurt, S. (2020, January 6). Social Learning Theory: Albert Bandura . Educational Technology. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://educationaltechnology.net/social-learning-theory-albert-bandura/
Western Governors University. (2022, January 4). A Guide to Social Learning Theory in Education . Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/guide-social-learning-theory-education2005.html#close

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Interdisciplinary learning supports children in exploring an essential question or topic in depth and from multiple angles. In early childhood, using themes to explore topics is an effective way to use and enrich curriculums, in order to make the experiences exciting and engaging for students. One example of a theme is "Our Community".

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Pre-Assessments

Knowing My Students: Starting from the beginning of the year, I will take informal notes about each of my students and organize them in a notebook. By actively listening to students and interacting with them, I will notice learning styles, interests, and motivations. By organizing my notes by student, I will recognize patterns, growth, and opportunities to differentiate for students (Bigelman & Peterson, 2017). I will also be aware of students I need to learn more about, and can plan to spend more time interacting with these students.

Graphic Organizer: For the first day of the retelling unit, I will introduce this graphic organizer. We will practice together to learn the various components. After they learn the tool, I can use this as a pre-assessment for various reading comprehension activities. For example, the organizer below is detecting for retelling skills, starting with the sequence of three events. Another organizer will focus on recognizing the characters and the problem in the story. We will read the passage out loud before the students begin working independently. Students who complete the activity early are invited to demonstrate further storytelling skills by writing about what the story reminds them of on the back of the page.

*The above image has been adapted from Christina DeCarbo's Retelling for Beginning Readers Retelling Pack

Differentiation

After the students complete the graphic organizer, I will collect them and the students have 10 minutes of "drop everything and read" time. During this time, students can move to wherever they like in the room and get comfortable to read any book they choose. I will analyze the pre-assessments and sort the students into flexible ability-based groups.

For a movement break, students will move desks to make tables. I will draw a table arrangement according to how many students are in each group on the board. I will write the names of the students and label each group. I will play a song and the students will be challenged to move the desks into the arrangement on the board without talking, and to find their table. I will then place containers with all materials for the activities on the corresponding table. I will present a quick summary of the re-telling skill, and engage all students in responding to a chant about story retelling. I will say, "when I say go, open your container and read the instructions for your activity" to let them know when to start. I will begin my work with the Bears, helping them pair up for story retelling. Then I will check in with the Falcons to discuss how they will make one big story out of their small stories. Last I will meet with the Mountain Lions for one-on-one conferencing and assisting them in using the tools in their box.

Falcons: 5 students who completed the pre-assessment correctly and demonstrated extensive skills in re-telling on the back of the page

For the Falcons, I will provide an open-ended activity where the students will be challenged to create their own stories. Making the re-telling more personal and creative will increase engagement and interest among these students who already possess retelling skills. They will also develop 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. They will each identify the characters, setting, and three main events, and lastly provide an illustration. When I observe that these students are finished with their individual work, I will spend several minutes the group introducing the extension of their activity.

They will take turns retelling each other their stories and then will combine ideas from all 5 stories together to make a book.

Last, they discuss what people might learn from their story (central message). They can choose to illustrate their group work with a poster, or they can choose to film their book using an iPad.

Bears: 12 students who demonstrated some retelling skills, but need to develop higher order thinking skills

The Bears will engage in a partner reading and retelling activity. They have enough skills to retell basic stories but need to strengthen their working memory. I will start with the Bears and assist them in partnering up and using the retelling slider (Decarbo, 2018). I will help them practice using the slider while we read one short passage and retell it as a group.

Then, I will introduce the activity of Read & Retell (Decarbo, 2018). I will demonstrate how to be the coach and how to be the reader. Then, I will monitor the students as they begin working together and support them as needed. The retelling slider will engage kinesthetic and visual learners, while the buddy reading with roles will increase student engagement. Through this activity, they will develop comprehension skills as well as 21st century skills such as communicating, evaluating, and collaborating.

Mountain Lions: 5 students who are struggling in retelling, 3 of which have language differences and 2 of which demonstrated very limited retelling ability

When the Mountain Lions get started, I will be working with the Bears group. As a result, the Mountain Lions will need to get started independently. They will begin by taking one book and one iPad from the container. They will find the audio file for the book open on the iPad, and will begin following along in the book, using the recording. The recording will help the students who have language differences to understand the text. After they are finished, I will arrive at their group and demonstrate how to use the sticky notes. The sticky notes will be very effective with the students who demonstrated limited abilities on the pre-assessment. These notes will help them to retell each piece of the story, right after they read it. They can use words or pictures to take notes about the three events in the story. After each student is finished with reading the story and creating the sticky notes, I will invite them to use their iPads to re-tell the story on SeeSaw. I will work one-on-one with each of these students who need support recalling and verbalizing the story.

Tracking Student Learning

Quaker Read: This is a whole group activity that we can do at any time. It will provide valuable information about whether students are able to understand the central message or lesson of a given text. I will read a story out loud as students are following along and sitting in a circle with sticky notes. On the sticky note, each student will write down one phrase, word, or draw a picture that reflects the most important part of the book to them. Next, each student will read what they have written on the sticky note, and the students will engage in discussion about what the book means to them personally or reminds them of.

Re-telling on Seesaw: At the "Re-telling Center" I will invite students to write a beginning, middle, and end for various books or events such as their day at the fair. All students will have the option to use the support of a graphic organizer, the slider, and as many drawing or words as they like. They will be encouraged to record and post their story on Seesaw. I will note their progress and provide timely feedback to them. Students will go the the re-telling center at least every other day. I will track their progress on the various aspects of re-telling throughout the Unit using G- suites. Students can choose to publish their Seesaw stories and receive encouraging comments from their parents.
PreAssessmentForDifferentation
Here is my lucid chart that shows my pre-assessment and differentiation strategy:

References

Bigelman, L., Peterson, D. (2017). Video: Using Pre-Assessment to Ease into Reading Differentiation. Retrieved from https://blog.heinemann.com/using-pre-assessment-to-ease-into-reading-differentiation

Decarbo, C. 2018. 3 Ideas to Increase Retelling Skills in Young Readers. Retrieved from https://www.missdecarbo.com/3-ideas-to-increase-retelling-skills-in/

Stockman, A. (2015). 10 Creative Pre-Assessment Ideas You May Not Know. Retrieved from http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2015/04/10-creative-pre-assessment-ideas-you-may-not-know.html

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. Knowing My Students: Starting from the beginning of the year, I will take informal notes about each of my students and organize them in a notebook. By actively listening to students and interacting with them, I will notice learning styles, interests, and motivations.

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Using Assessment Blog: text, images, music, video | Glogster EDU - Interactive multimedia posters

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See the Glog! Using Assessment Blog: text, images, music, video | Glogster EDU - Interactive multimedia posters

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How my educational background enriches my work in the field

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Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty

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Catherine McColloch is a 2012 graduate of Washington and Lee University. She also served as Elrod Fellow and teacher at KIPP Dream Prep in Houston.

My students spend 50 hours a week with me. That may sound like a lot of time to invest in their learning...until you consider that they are, for the entire 168 hours each week, children from low-income families. My students face chaotic living conditions in neighborhoods with high crime rates and in households with insufficient economic resources. Their parents have less access to be involved, as low-income parents are more likely to work multiple jobs, evenings, and suffer from poor physical and mental health.

In the classroom, the students and I work to overcome what makes learning so difficult for them; we battle the mental byproducts of poverty. As a teacher I rely heavily on what I know about these children. I respond to behavior that hinders learning by contemplating the potential causes of the problem. I consider their background and family circumstances first-before I act. The analytical skills and awareness I gained through poverty studies motivate me to teach my students in a manner that addresses their disadvantage.

I knelt beside Natalie, a petite Hispanic girl, as she furiously erased her calculations. Her paper was soggy from tears and it tore as she rubbed with the eraser. Natalie's little hands moved to hide the mess and she whimpered, "I'm not smart enough." She doesn't perceive that her effort will matter and has learned to be helpless.

Derek, a lanky nine-year old boy, is another child who responds emotionally to threats of failure in the classroom. After hearing a boy nearby call him a name, Derek's whole body began to tremble. He popped out of his seat and stomped across the room, clenching his

fists and wildly pumping his arms. In his frenzy, he managed to knock over a lamp that was across the room.

Initially, I feel frustrated with these behaviors. What's stopping me from yelling at the kids or sending them out the door? My education.

I learned to think critically about real world issues during my undergraduate years at Washington and Lee University. Because of rigorous instruction, lively debates, and service experience in economics and poverty-related courses, I now think critically on the job. Rather than reacting to their behaviors, I ask myself: how might poverty be affecting this child?

I suspected Natalie learned to give up when she felt out of control in the past. I imagined her mother working night shifts to afford food, leaving eight-year-old Natalie to care for a sick baby sibling. Chaotic home life induces low perception of control in humans.

In order to raise Natalie's self-efficacy, I tutored her after school. Weeks later, I witnessed the once weak-willed Natalie not only complete a challenging assignment, but also courageously assist a boy next to her who has learning differences.

Recognizing that a comprehensive approach advances the strength of support I can provide students, I addressed Derek's anger problems by calling home. Derek's mother is now a regular face in the classroom. Together, we hold him to high expectations as he learns emotional regulation. I taught him how to adjust his own nervous system through deep breathing exercises. Derek recently has been calm and has raised his scores in both reading and math. For Natalie and Derek, I was able to foster their capability to learn.

Don't get me wrong-my first year of teaching is a struggle. But it's all worth it, because when we uphold high expectations and do "whatever it takes" so that every child can learn, they do learn, and they often excel.

In our nation, children in poverty consistently underachieve, are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to graduate from college, relative to children who are not growing up in poverty. As a teacher of poor, minority children, I guarantee that 100 percent of them desire to achieve, and that their parents both care deeply about and act to support the education of their children. Their devotion exists amidst a crushing lack of educational resources and opportunities.

Investment in providing them a fair chance and a better future for all of us must begin with addressing the burdens they face at birth, in schools and neighborhoods, and as members of society.

My time at W&L equipped me to pursue understanding about issues affecting many others. Thinking critically about social problems is gratifying. It is also critical for the security and prosperity of our nation.

Although I only get 50 hours of their week, 50 is enough to make a significant difference in my students' lives. I currently contribute to the mission at KIPP Houston Public Schools (Knowledge is Power Program), from which 45 percent of students attend and graduate college. That's five times the national average for the children we serve. I am grateful for the Poverty and Human Capability Program, which has made me a more capable and determined teacher.

Works Cited

Carter, Prudence L., Welner, Kevin G. 2013 "Closing the Opportunity Gap:

What American Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance".

Oxford University Press.

Evans et GaryW. Evans, Gary W., C. Gonnella, L.Marcynyszyn, L. Gentile, and N.

Salpekaral. 2004 "The Role of Chaos in Poverty and Children's Socioemotional Adjustment". Psychological Science: Vol. 16, No. 7

Mickelson, R.A. 2005. "The incomplete desegregation of the Charlotte

Mecklenburg and its consequences, 1971-2004. In School

Resegregation: Must the South turn back? Ed. Jaohn Boger & Gary

Orfield, 87-110. Chapel hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Mickelson, R.A. 2012. "School Choice and segregation by race, class

And achievement." In Exploring the school choice universe: Evidence

And recommendations, ed. G. Miron, K.G. Welner, P. Hinchey, &

W. Mathis, 167-192. Charlotte, N.C: Information Age Publishing.
¹ Carter and Welner (2013) ³ Children in low-income and minority families are born into disadvantages such as no access to or worse quality of early childhood education, less resources for learning at home, poor health, and disadvantageous school experiences such as tracking, disengaging instruction centered around test-taking, inadequately prepared teachers, and culturally incompetent curriculum (Mickelson (2005); Mickelson (2012); Carter and Welner (2013)).

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Classroom Capability - Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty

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Catherine McColloch is a 2012 graduate of Washington and Lee University. She also served as Elrod Fellow and teacher at KIPP Dream Prep in Houston. My students spend 50 hours a week with me. That may sound like a lot of time to invest in their learning...until you consider that they are, for the entire ...