MS. VITALICH'S HELPFUL HINTS

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Here is the greeting letter I provide my classroom families with. I feel it is important to give my students and their parents a brief background to ensure comfortability.  It is crucial to establish a relationship with your parents in the beginning so they understand your intentions for the school year.  Let them know that you are available to their needs outside of the classroom to ensure you are there for THEM and the CHILD. I would also recommend having the letter available in other languages as some parents may feel more comfortable reading in their preferred language.

Be sure to check in periodically with parents about their child’s work.  Inform them of their child’s good work and/or any necessary improvements.  Keep them in the loop to ensure everyone is doing their best to ensure the children are reaching their full potential. It’s a team effort!

Note: Saving a template of your letter allows for more time to prepare for your school year.

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Universal Design for Learning

Do you recall a time where you were the only kid in the class not understanding the lesson and felt too embarrassed to ask for clarification?  Good news.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides the opportunity for students to participate, progress, and access general curriculum.  UDL gives students the equal opportunity to learn and reach success!  It optimizes teaching based on how we as humans learn--one size does NOT fit all!

As a teacher, how can you implement UDL? More good news.

There are MANY ways!  From the way you set up the classroom, templates you hand out, how you make the lesson relevant to their lives, routines you implement, to the variety of ways you teach the children, you are affecting how the children engage.

Consider how you represent the material.  Can all the children read at the same level?  Are any of the children color-blind?  Do you have students with dyslexia?  

How the students physically attain the information being taught is also important.  Perhaps some of your students need color overlays.  Maybe another needs a template blocker.  Or maybe you have a student with hearing difficulties.  Making it easier for your students to learn makes their engagement levels increase!

Do you remember that teacher that ALWAYS made you read the chapter and take notes, followed by a test? Don’t be that teacher!

Allow the students to learn from different medias (videos, music, reading, lectures, etc.).  Since our classrooms consist of diverse learners, our teaching methods should be diverse also!

Know your learners

Design content based on your students

Figure out how they will learn the content

Provide options for how they will show their understanding

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Standards are the learning goals for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

Curriculum is the detailed plan used to teach students the learning goals embodied in standards (e.g. activities, assessments, lessons, etc.)

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*Assignment Coupons*

I give my students three types of coupons: Late Coupon, No-No Coupon, Redo Coupon.

Late Coupons allow the student to turn in an assignment of their choice in late without penalty.  It is valid throughout the entire school year.  However, just like many coupons, this one is not valid on all assignments.  Such exclusions include projects, papers, and tests.

No-No Coupons allow the student to not do an assignment of their choice with no penalty.  It is valid throughout the entire school year.  Like the Late Coupons, it is excluded from projects, paper, and tests.

Redo Coupons allow the student to redo any assignment of their choice.  It is valid throughout the entire school year on ANY assignment, project, paper, or test.

While I give my students one of each at the beginning of the year, I give them opportunities to earn a coupon of my choice throughout the year.  For example, if a child finishes a project early and turns it in before the due date, I might reward their good time management with a Late Coupon.

Note: I require my students to write their names on the coupon to avoid stealing and/or using another student’s coupon.

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No Opt Out

- A sequence that begins with a student unwilling or unable to answer a question ends with the student giving the right answer as often as possible, even if they only repeat it.

Right is Right

- Set and defend a high standard of correctness in your classroom.

Stretch It

- A sequence of learning does not end with the right answer; reward right answers with follow up questions that extend knowledge and test for reliability.

Format Matters

- It is not just what students say that matters but how they communicate it.  To succeed, students must take their knowledge and express it in the language of opportunity.

Without Apology

- The skill of not apologizing for students is critical not only in the introduction and framing of material but in reacting to students’ response to it.

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Days of Perfect Attendance

As a whole group reward, I give my students a star for every day there is perfect attendance.  Tardies do not count toward attendance.  For every five stars, I give my students Friday Fun.  I allow them time on Fridays to do an activity of their choice.  Activities can include free time on their Chromebooks to play educational games, outside time to play a group game determined by a class vote, etc.

Life happens and it is challenging to have all your students present in class.

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Classroom Rules

Do you ever feel like your students dismiss the class rules you established?

Perhaps trying to come up with 2-3 class rules that are a MUST for you and allow your students to come up with another 2-3 rules.  It allows them to feel a part of the classroom management.

Make sure you go over the class rules and ensure they all understand what is expected of them.  Ensure you cover every corner of the rules.  For example, if “Be respectful” is a rule, make sure your students know that rule ranges from being kind, to no fighting, to listening when someone is speaking, etc.

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Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

Tier 3

Individualized interventions based on assessment, data, and behavioral function

Tier 2

Group systems for at-risk behavior students

Tier 1

School wide and classroom-wide primary mechanism for preventing problem behavior

If accommodation does not work, you hold an IEP to make modifications.

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What Teachers Can Do To Support Students With Trauma

Recognize trauma in the classroom.

Don’t take it personally.

Seek consultation and support.

Connect before correct.

3:1 positive feedback.

Create a sense of calm and safety in the classroom.

Praise publicly and criticize privately.

De-escalation

Discipline teaches

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As teachers, we must ensure the Pygmalion Effect runs through everything we do in the school and our classroom.

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Story of Frequent Positive Contact: Parents

In addition to making sure your parents are aware of what is going on in the classroom, maintain frequent communication with the parents.  For every one negative feedback you should give them four positive feedback.  Parents with troublesome kids like to hear when their child does something good too!

I once had a child in my class that was continuously acting out.  He would speak out of turn, get physical with other kids, say inappropriate things, and so much more!  I was trying everything I could to give him chances to improve his behavior.  I thought as the year would move on, his behavior would improve. I as wrong.  In the beginning-ish of the school year I would send notes home to his parents or have phone conversations with his mother about his behavior.  Her response would be, “He’s not like that at home,” “He’s an only child and is use to attention,” or some other excuse for his actions.  One time when I called, the mom answered with “What did he do now?” That’s when I knew my communication with her was wrong.

She was constantly hearing about all the bad things and was not hearing the good things he does.  While a lot of his actions were inappropriate, he also made good choices.  I knew from that one question that his mom needed to hear about those too.  In his weekly notes I would include instances where he did a good deed for someone or the class.  It could be as small being the only child in the class who volunteered to loan a pencil to another student before a material evaluation test.

She needed to know that I saw the potential in her child too.  While he needed improvement on acting out, he also had a good heart. 

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Support Systems Within the School Community

Counselors

Social Workers/Interns

Mental Health Services

OTTP: Occupational Therapy Training Program

Parent Workshops

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Kids will not learn from people they do not like.

Rita Pierson | TED Talks Education

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ABC’s

What are the ABC’s?

A - Antecedents

- Happen PRIOR TO and TRIGGER a behavior

- Can be activities, people, materials, requests, a lack of something, unclear expectations, or aversive demands

B - Behaviors

- Things people SAY or DO

- Anything that anyone does that can be observed or measured

C - Consequences

- Happen AFTER and determine LIKELIHOOD of RECURRENCE

- Changes that occur immediately after a behavior

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Knowing what type of learner your students are can help you plan out your lessons.  Getting to know your students enables you to help them be most successful in the classroom.  It is critical to understand how your students learn in order to maintain their attention and interest in the material.