For this week of class, we have continued working on parts of our unit, and learning so much as usual. We are learning about guiding questions and I find this very interesting, because for one, I did not realize that there are three different types of questions to ask your students. First you have factual questions which are questions that are specific and timely. Next you have contextual questions, which are questions that are not timely or specific. Finally you have provocative questions, which are questions that are meant to stir up debate in your classroom. Now for provocative questions you as the teacher cannot voice your own opinion, that is very crucial to your job. Also, this week we had our Professional Development Plan meetings with Dr. Parker, and seeing all the work that is going to go into those is a little overwhelming, but it most definitely can be accomplished and will help me so much in the future.
For this blog post, I decided to do read an article from the Edutopia research highlights from 2015. The article that was most fascinating to me was then article about students with ADHD, and how to help them wiggle around and concentrate in class, with little to no distraction from the other students. This article really stuck with me, because for me, I suffer from from struggling to focus in class, and always moving around. I always got in trouble in my younger years for wanting to get up out of my seat, or playing with other kids stuff while the teacher was talking. I'm pretty sure I suffer from a little bit of ADHD, but it is not bad enough to anything about. I always have this rock that I keep with me, and whenever I feel like getting up and moving around, I will take that rock and fidget with it. This actually helps me a lot! So, I will talk about some things that I read about in the article that may help children in your class that are like me, not to be a distraction.
In the article they talked about squeeze balls, and how playing with them under their desks can help them to fidget a little and not be a distraction. Another cool fidget tool that was mentioned was silly putty or play dough. I think that this would definitely help me out, and I wish I would have thought of this sooner. My top favorite helper for students with ADHD is using exercise balls as chairs, instead of actual chairs. This not only helps with students with ADHD, but it also just helps the whole class to pay attention. I hope to use this strategy in my classroom someday, but I will have to test and see if it really will not distract other students, even if everyone has one. Some other cool ways to help students with ADHD are with, velcro, gum, doodling, background noise, swivel chairs and standing desks. I am not to sure how well the doodling works, especially during a lesson, because I know that when I doodle in class, I am not paying attention at all. Therefore, this theory will need to be tested a little bit more. I also really like the idea of swivel chairs. I have loved my college experience so far, because in most of my education classes we have swivel chairs, and that is so great for me!
I can tie this article on ADHD to the North Carolina Teaching Standard number two that states "Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment For a Diverse Population of Students", because ADHD is a diverse population in relation to students with learning disorders. Teachers need to establish a respected environment for these students, and help them to push through their learning disorder with the help of the teacher. The teacher should use some of the ideas listed above to help the students with ADHD, because as teachers, we want our students to be the best that we can be!
Amber,
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me start off with an "amen"! I can also identify with having focus and attention issues. I'm sure many other people our age can relate also, for many reasons. I love the tips that you outlined here! Have you considered utilizing any of these ideas in your clinical experiences for this semester? Good time to try them out!
Like you, I did not realize that there were three different types of guiding questions until this week.You have found some excellent information! I really liked how you said that you were able to find a method that worked for you in class. In one of my classes that I had to observe, the teacher actually had this air cushion for her student who had ADHD. The air cushion was made out of the same material as an exercise ball, and it was placed in that student's seat. I think that this method may be more effective than the exercise balls because, like you said, those might cause too big of a distraction. I also like the idea of the squeeze balls as I think those would definitely work, too. You are right! This article can easily tie with NCTCS 2. Teachers do need to establish a respectful environment for all their students and do whatever they can in order to increase the students' learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI commend you for talking about your issues growing up and what helps you cope with it now that you are older. The first year I was a Teacher Assistant, I worked with a second grade student who suffered from ADHD. He did not like to sit down while doing his work and would roam the room. It was often a distraction to the other children in the class. What really helped him was a stretchy band that was woven in between the legs of his chair. He was able to put is feet in between the band and used it to "bounce" his feet off of it. He was still free to move his feet around without getting out of his seat. It worked very well. He also suffered from a sensory disorder which caused him to not like loud noises and he was constantly rubbing things that had texture. Velcro was attached under his desk that he could rub to get his texture "fix" and he also wore headphones to block out noises while taking test and such. I think it is wonderful that schools provide these accommodations to ensure that students are still receiving a quality education and learning experience. Education had come so far and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
ReplyDeleteAmber, good perspective this week. Teachers need to understanding how to help students with ADHD and not just fuss at them for not being able to focus. The setup of your classroom matters to these students! Good ideas here.
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