To me this quote reminds me that every child has the ability to learn but we have to remember that it might not be the way you want them to or the time that you want them to. There are other times that might be more beneficial or other days that could accommodate the learning better. Also, giving students choices helps them decide what can work best for that day and that time. I feel as long as they are engaged in something meaningful to class, that is what is important. pinterest.com
Articles
Angry Kids: Dealing with Explosive Behaviors - One part of this article that I liked was the reminder to stay calm in the face of a meltdown. When students are struggling to contain their anger it is best for you the teacher to not blow up at the student and further enrage them. The reminder to stay calm helps me to remember that a calm teacher can diffuse a situation and an angry teacher will exacerbate the situation. The student needs you to model the calm behavior.
When it Comes to Volatile Kids, Pick Your Battles - The one part of this article that stuck out to me is the part entitled “Fair Doesn’t Mean Equal”. It’s best to remember that changing rules or criteria is to benefit that particular child and it is not favoritism. We don’t need to have a one size fits all. Some students are mentally ready for all the challenges of being in the classroom that day, and some are not. We don’t necessarily know all the background information on that child or what happened at home last night. I feel like modifying certain things for different students helps to make that connection and they see that you recognize their individual needs.
Videos
Changing Educational Paradigms - What I like about this Tedtalk video is how it talks about education being set up like a factory with bells, grouping students only by age and having segregated subjects. What would best benefit students are the choice of working in small groups, large groups, or by themselves and being grouped by ability in a certain subject and not being grouped by age alone. They should also have the choice of what time of day works best for them to learn. This reflects my quote in that each student is not meant to learn the same way as the others.
Reaching All High School Students: A Multi-tiered System of Support - While this video goes a little more into a structured school day, I like that it meets the individual needs of the students, works to build off of relationships that certain students have with certain teachers and gives students the opportunity to schedule visits with teachers to receive more one on one support around times that work for them. They really use a team approach to support learning.
