LEAven Blog
Finding That ‘Just Right’ Challenge
We are all aware of the story of Goldilocks. She was in search of food and comfort that was ‘just right’ in the bears’ house. As teachers, we search for this for our students, too. If an assignment is too hard, students may give up or not even start. If it is too easy students will rush through or feel babied. This situation can be exacerbated by an educational diagnosis. How do I make my expectations in the classroom ‘just right’ for students who have an IEP, service plan, or 504 plan? Here are some tips for finding ‘just right:’
Be aware of the student’s current capability. Exactly what can he do on his own? In the special ed. business, we like to call this the proximal zone of development (PZD). Ignore what you think students at your level should be able to do. State in the positive what he or she cando. (She can write complete sentences. Hecan use a multiplication chart to divide. She can follow a one-step direction)
Start where he or she lives. Use the student’s PZD to get started. If your class is writing paragraphs and your student can write a complete sentence, then have her write one sentence at a time about the topic. If you are working on long division and your student can use a multiplication chart to divide, have him find where the first division problem is and do just that step.
Determine the next step. What do we want to accomplish next? Try to think in small increments adding one skill at a time. Move forward one step and provide practice.
Scaffolding. On a construction site scaffolding is a safe platform to work from. At school, scaffolding can provide that same safe feeling for students who struggle. Providing supports such as graphic organizers, manipulatives, and other things suggested in the service plan gives that safety. Your paragraph writer can have separate boxes to fill in with questions to answer in complete sentences about her topic. Your divider can have a multiplication chart and graph paper with problems written out so that all the numbers will line up. If a child has success with these safety measures in place, continue using them! Don’t remove the scaffolding until you know that the skill is mastered consistently.
Progress is progress. If a student moves forward in his PZD, even if he still isn’t meeting grade level expectations, that is progress! Celebrate with that child and point out what has been accomplished in a one-on-one conversation.
We won’t always get it ‘just right,’ but we can keep trying until we do and God will bless our efforts.
Great to see Mara’s comments about being able to meet students at a “just right” time and position. I knew Mara when I served at St. Paul, Des Peres, a few years ago.
Glad to see she is continuing to do so well! God bless you, Mara!