Reflection: Final Project

I spoke with a teaching assistant (TA or known as a para) in one of the behavioral classrooms at my school. I asked her to read the article and share her thoughts as she went along. She immediately connected the reading to her experience, saying, “I work with a lot of students in these categories.” She also noted, “I find myself really interested in my students who are neurodivergent, as they have a different approach to learning in the classroom.” She provided several examples from her classroom. One student on the autism spectrum makes strong connections between letters and colors. He often uses these associations to complete his work. For example, he has said, “Number eight is green, and green means I am mad.” “Ms. Veronica, you are 29, and that means you like the color yellow and red.” Another student is unable to sit still and complete work unless he is holding a stuffed animal of his choice. This support helps him remain focused. A third student, who has more severe ADHD, benefits from using a timer during tasks. If he does not finish before the timer goes off, he is given a short “brain break.” This routine is used daily and works well for him. While reading, she also reflected on a student who displays symptoms of dyspraxia. “I never knew dyspraxia was a thing. I noticed a student in my classroom having difficulty with things like dropping all of his belongings in the morning. Every morning, without fail, everything is on the ground because he has dropped it. We thought this was behavioral.” After this discussion we did bring up our concerns at his next meeting-sharing this article with her helped us connect some dots! We discussed strategies to support this student, especially since he benefits from routine. One idea was to maintain his morning routine while providing assistance with unpacking his backpack to reduce frustration. One statement she shared stood out to me, “Everybody has strengths, and everybody has things that they’re working on.”This reminded me of a student who had previously struggled in a general education classroom, where he frequently exhibited challenging behaviors such as yelling and refusing to follow directions. After being placed in a specialized classroom, his behavior improved significantly. Although some challenges remain, the one-on-one support he now receives has greatly reduced his outbursts. The second TA I interviewed works in a general education classroom. She described her current class as particularly challenging due to the number of students displaying ADHD-like behaviors. “I find myself redirecting and helping one student, then moving to the one next to her, then the next—and before I know it, the whole table is off task again.” Although she noted that this may sound like a “typical classroom,” she emphasized that this group has been the most difficult she has worked with. Challenges shown in her classroom were difficulty staying on task, frequent need for redirection, loud outbursts, sensory processing issues, and executive functioning difficulties. She identified the biggest issue as a lack of sufficient support to meet all students’ needs. We also discussed the idea of “fixing vs. recognizing” students. I shared a template from my slides that addressed this concept, which she found interesting and useful. Her biggest takeaway was the idea that one size does not fit all. She felt this strongly applied to her classroom. While the teacher already uses differentiated instruction, she noted that the article Shifting the Paradigm further emphasized the importance of strength-based learning. She shared an example of this approach. If a student is struggling with a worksheet, they are given alternative ways to demonstrate understanding, such as explaining their thinking to the teacher or working with a partner. When discussing the article, which focuses on the deficit versus asset model, she felt that her classroom already reflects an asset-based approach. Students are encouraged to build on their strengths—for example, incorporating learning into play for students who thrive in play-based environments. This project helped me learn that it is super helpful to share ideas, concerns, and reflect with coworkers. This may be something that seems like common sense, but sometimes we may get too caught up in our responsibilities and forget to reflect. I find at my job I am constantly moving and doing things so it was really nice just to sit down with two coworkers and just talk. Not only did we teach each other things, but it was nice to laugh and get to know one another at a deeper level. Overall I really enjoyed this class. As I stated in last weeks “moo in” public speaking is not my thing. I would go as far as to say that I very much dislike it. At the start of this class I was very nervous as I am very reserved/shy and I felt as the weeks went on I got more and more comfortable. Presenting my teach out project felt satisfying and that was the first presentation where I felt confident. I think a big help was allowing us to sit and feel comfortable. I also really enjoyed that the project related directly to our jobs. Most of the classes I have taken at RIC thus far for the teaching certification program I have felt a bit out of place. The vast majority of the students are teachers and sometimes the content just does not apply to my scope of practice. This course I felt very much applied to what I do and I plan to use everything I have learned to better myself as a school nurse. One major takeaway for me is taking the time to explore behaviors. I feel I was good at this before this class, but now I can dive deeper. The frequent flyer coming into my office daily is someone I need to pay close attention to, the common response may be to just send the student back to class. After taking in the skills and knowledge I learned in this class, I need to ask myself why. Taking into consideration that a lot of my students carry more on their plates than adults. Something I notice too is how students are approached about absenteeism. As an elementary student, it is not their fault they are not at school everyday. I have heard teachers say “You are never here and that is causing you to fall behind”. Placing the blame on the student. Instead of blaming and shaming, we need to work with that student. Nowadays schools are very hyperfixated on perfect attendance and for many, that is a struggle they cannot control.