Professional Learning Portfolio

 For my professional learning portfolio I have decided to focus on students with a deaf or hard of hearing exceptionality. The reason for this is twofold:

1. I do not have much experience with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I have worked with less than a handful of kids with this exceptionality and I feel that supporting them in the classroom requires a specific skill set. It is important that teachers are well informed about the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Many of the accommodations are easily implemented in the classroom (i.e. carpeted space, facing the student, repeating when needed), and they can be beneficial for other children as well.

Two Strategies I feel I do well:

Demonstrating Caring

      I would be sincerely upset to find out that I had a student that did not feel I sincerely cared about them. I make it my job to never be ‘too busy’ to listen to one of my students tell me about their weekend, or the birthday party they’re excited to go to etc. Ask questions; most students will be all too happy to answer! I greet each one of my students at the door in the morning. If I’m working with the little ones we do high-fives as well. (Boynton & Boynton, 2005) feel that “students who feel cared for are more likely to want to please you by complying with your wishes and policies.” A caring teacher creates a caring classroom, which in turn creates caring students. Why not have a five minute ‘weekly meeting’ with each student during silent reading time, library time etc. just to chat about how everything is going? Ask if they’re having any challenges in class, with their peers, as well as having a short chat about their hockey practice or an upcoming weekend activity. 

       2. Developing a fun and Accepting Classroom Community

      The teacher and his/her students share a special bond in that they are a microcosmic community. Having a board or several boards that display student work (as it pertains to academic work as well as extra-curricular artwork etc.) is a great way for students to show their skills to their peers. Sometimes students bring their work to me and I encourage them to put it up on the board, or I offer to put it up for them. I like to follow the “no one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something.” motto to help students take pride in their strengths. There can also be pride in improvement, i.e. getting one's average up.

Two Strategies I would Like to try

Stop and Take a Breath (Self-Reflection of Frustration/Burnout)

     Teaching is a demanding, hectic and inevitably stressful career.  I love this fast-paced environment, I thrive in it and feed off it. It’s not until I get home at dinnertime that I realize how exhausted I am! I feel that I don’t take enough time to self-reflect about this. It never really occurred to me that there are things I can do in my everyday classroom that could reduce any stress I many have. In referring to Fig. 1.8, I have found several strategies that I will try to implement in my teaching practice. I especially like the idea of keeping a journal as a reflective strategy, which I can then refer back to. 

      2. Correcting Students in a Constructive Way

     Having ‘a chat’ with students who misbehave or who are in conflict with another student are necessary, although not enjoyable aspects of being a teacher. When I first started teaching especially, I was hesitant to be the disciplinarian out of fear that students would hold a grudge or resent me afterwards. I have since discovered that except for a very small fraction of cases, that this is not the case. (Boynton & Boynton, 2005) suggest that  the reaction of the student to being disciplined is often related to the manner in which you correct them. As a teacher, it’s important you correct the student in a way that he/she is able to reflect on the choices which they have made. They should feel as though you know they can do better, and expect more of them. I found the reading very helpful, especially Fig. 1.3, which breaks down the correcting process. I find the following points to be particularly important:

Review Alternative Actions - (sometimes kids can’t connect the dots. You have to provide positive alternatives to their choices. i.e. “We use our words instead of our hands”)

Communicate an expectation that the student will do better in the future - End things on a positive note. (Yes, they made a mistake but you know they can make better choices in the future)

Correct in a private location - “Public correction can foster feelings of anger, embarrassment, and bitterness.” (Boynton & Boynton, 2005)

I will reflect on these points in my future professional practice, as I feel we, like our students, never really stop learning.

References

      If I had a student who was hard of hearing in my class, the first thing I would do is conference with his or her previous teacher to view strategies that have worked in the past. In general, I would increase the amount of visuals used in my lessons. I would probably write more down as well, so that the student could refer to the board, chart paper etc. at any time. I would have learners work in pairs or trios as opposed to larger groups, where a student who is hard of hearing may get overwhelmed. I would also designate a quiet spot in the classroom where he/she could work productively independently, with  minimal ‘white noise’ or audio distractions. As Exhibit 10.1 (Huchinson, 93) suggests, I would also “check with students to confirm whether they are understanding what is being discussed or presented” before moving on to a new concept. I believe it is also important to let your students know it’s okay to ask questions or request clarification. Another great point that Exhibit 10.1 encourages is to provide materials such as vocabulary, graphic organizers, scripts etc. ahead of time to the student, so that he/she can familiarize themselves with upcoming lessons and concepts.

 Assistive technology “enhances students’ ability to perform and complete tasks with efficiency and independence.”  These can include interactive white boards, text-to-speech software, ipads or tablets, and classroom amplification systems for the hard of hearing. 

The Ontario Student Achievement Division suggests the following pointers to help implement assistive technology with all students in mind:

Give students, teachers and even parents the freedom to explore. Many children and adolescents feel less hindered by technology than some teachers. Providing opportunities to try different assistive technology tools helps break down the perceived barriers that sometimes accompany them.

Provide students with opportunities to use the available assistive technology. Rather than limiting computers with Dragon Naturally Speaking or Kurzweil to those students with special education needs, provide training for the whole class. Students can then use the assistive technology when they feel that it will facilitate the work in which they are engaged. 

Use assistive technology as part of the regular rhythm of the class. When assistive technology becomes part of the classroom’s “DNA,” students and teachers will use it naturally and organically.12 

Don’t be afraid. We have changed the ways we teach mathematics and language (among many curricular areas) because of recommendations from applied research. A supportive school environment, where teachers and other educational specialists collaborate with and mentor each other, will support the implementation and use of assistive technology.13

Evaluate various assistive technology and teachers’ readiness to effectively use it. A good resource to help in this process can be found in the Ontario Ministry of Education document Education for All.14 

5 Strategies to help Foster a Positive Relationship Between Teachers and Educational Assistants 

1. Discuss roles of each team member- ​It is important that each individual is aware of his/her role in the classroom, as it pertains to students with exceptionalities. The teacher should share his/her personal teaching philosophies and strategies that are commonly used in their classroom. “If cooperative learning, activity centres, peer tutoring, and other instructional strategies are used on a regular basis, both teacher and support personnel should be clear on their own and each other’s roles in these strategies” (Alberta Teachers Association, p. 25) 

2. Open communication -​keep one another aware of the student’s successes and challenges, have regular meetings working towards a common goal (the success of your students). Support staff and teachers should be “prepared to have scheduled daily and weekly planning meetings, no matter how brief, to promote orderly running of the classroom.” (Alberta Teachers Association, p. 26) The teacher should write down daily expectations of the educational assistant, so that he/she can operate more proactively and not feel as though they have to wait for instructions from the classroom teacher. Having a planner or a daybook where notes can be recorded and referred back to will be beneficial for all parties. 

3. Share Resources -​This is especially important if an experienced teacher is working with a new/young educational assistant/support staff. The classroom teacher should open his/her gathered resources in order to support the educational assistant in his/her role. 

4. Introduce the assistant to other people in the school district or community​who may be able to provide assistance. When there is a strong team working towards a common goal (the educational success of a student), great things can be accomplished. I think that sometime young professionals have trouble asking for help our of fear that they will seem incompetent, when the truth is that there are tonnes of experienced staff willing to share knowledge and resources.