Teaching for Exceptionalities Benchmark
Tahra Meshell
Grand Canyon University: SPE 226
December 17, 2015
Teaching for Exceptional Learner
Special teaching methods are not only for those classified with medical impairments, but for the exceptional thinker too. Teaching methods are not only limited to the way that the lesson is given, but how the student understands it as well. Learning to accommodate to a variety of learning styles may also mean learning to accommodate to more than one learning style at a time. This means adjusting the lesson’s presentation, personalizing the main objective, and modifying the way the student is assessed. The best way to adapt to each student’s learning ability is to assess their capabilities and the key points that they are needing to learn within a lesson. In order for that to work effectively, the teacher has to be able to observe the student and evaluate and learn what they are strongest in and where their weaknesses lie. Getting students with disabilities, learning disorders, and even gifts the proper education they need for their development is only achieved by following the thorough process of observing, evaluating, accommodating and assessing the student individually.
The Student
LJ is a fifth grader at Godley Intermediate School, a part of the Godley School District in Godley, Texas, that believes in giving students a solid educational foundation that will lead to a successful future. The teacher described LJ as a very sweet boy who is looking for his place in a new class and new school. He has many learning setbacks including ADHD, depression, extreme social anxiety, and even very limited writing abilities. The teacher informed me that he had had a meltdown earlier in the day and preferred to sit under his desk and cry than to do work. LJ seems to have a hard time trusting anyone besides a select few teachers that have formed a bond and taken the time to get to know him and what he likes. It did not take long to notice that he struggles with a classroom setting and does not have the appropriate social and behavioral skills to be in a large classroom setting for an extended amount of time. He has issues with waiting for his turn, following instructions in sequential order, and focusing on the current task. TJ would have rather played with Legos and blocks instead of sitting with the class of activities. He has a very creative mind with the desire to fold paper into intricate designs and build. Using his hands keeps him calm and is when he provides his best work and focus.
Strengths
The teacher indicated that LJ is a very smart kid that does not have a problem with many subjects unless he needs to put pen to paper. He performs best while working with his hands in all subjects. He has the ability to read and write, identifies all of his letters and has a typical vocabulary for a student of his age. Being such a kinesthetic learner, he tends to be the leader of designing and building models, displays, and other visual aids used in the classroom lessons. His handy-work skill gives him his own role in the class to where he can take control, as well as allows him to feel comfortable and not as anxious with doing what maintains his focus.
Weaknesses
Although LJ has the ability to read and write, he has the penmanship of a kindergarten student. This underprivileged ability has developed into a trigger to his anxiety causing nervousness and meltdowns of frustration. It has caused LJ to completely shut down, refuse to complete any written assignment work, and even crawl under his desk to cry. Beyond the constant frustration of his handwriting, he fights to possess appropriate classroom behavior. His attention deficit disorder causing him to perform some sort of constant movement, whether it be wiggling in his seat to tapping his pencil or shaking his leg. All the movement is causing him to be a distraction to his own focal point as well as others. To aid the loss of focus in his movement the teacher replaced his chair with a medicine ball, resulting in a more focused learning environment and a more comfortable and attentive LJ. At times, LJ seems to lose focus on the task at hand and has to be redirected on a goal or a deal made in return for his work. In exchange for meeting his goal and completing work, he is allotted so much time to build with toys in the class. These methods seem to work the best for him and keep his attention on what the prize is at the end. He gets to control whether he receives a reward or not, which makes it successful.
Lesson Plan
The lesson plan given is one that was rewritten in lesson plan format from the classroom teacher’s print off from the school affiliated teaching software online. This lesson introduces new science vocabulary pertaining to the classification of matter, energy, and forms of each, identifying boiling, melting, and freezing points of water, and identifying the changes that occur within the physical properties of an object. In order to keep LJ’s focus on the lesson, the teacher made him a deal that if he participated and answered with his class for so long that he could have a break and play with Legos for a few minutes on a timer. As well as creating a reward for participation, the student was assigned the duty of constructing the class experiment. By allowing for him to set up the display, LJ was able to listen to the description of the object and what its purpose is as he sees it in his hands, utilizing his kinesthetic learning style.