How this teacher manages assessments

How does this teacher manage assessments?

The teacher that I observed managed assessments by taking each student out of the classroom, either individually or in a group, and would administer the tests that needed to be completed at the time. The school administration was in charge of administering some of the tests, like the Sage Test, and the teacher was there to offer support to the staff and to the students.

 I asked the teacher how he knew which test he needed to give to which students and he told me that they had inservice meetings at the district level where they would explain how to administer the assessments and when they needed to be given. The teacher also said that some of the testing revolved around each student's IEP meeting since this was a special education classroom. He would give the tests and have the results ready to relay in the IEP meeting.

While the teacher was administering the assessments that needed to be done, his staff was ready to take over in his absence. I saw how important it was to have smart, reliable para educators working with the teacher and the students so that the classroom can run in an efficient manner. The para educators even administered some of the assessments if the tests needed to have more than one person and setting to see if the student was consistent in their answers. It definitely appeared to be a challenge to get everything done. This teacher seemed to have a good system in place.

Blog Entry 3

Modifications for learners who are exceptional

Some of the modifications that the teacher I worked with provided for his exceptional students are getting the student's attention while talking to them, using a laser pointer and a pointer with a long arm and a hand on the end of it to allow the children to focus on what he was teaching. He was very good at being very animated to keep student's attention, and using several different modalities to keep students interested in the subjects that he was teaching.

The teacher that I worked with for my field work experience was very good at teaching to each member of his class in ways that benefitted each student. He has a class with third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade special needs children. He taught his students with worksheets, computer math games, shared reading techniques, and smart board applications. He knew each student and their learning and emotional needs and could address all areas of the student's education as they arose. He also trained his staff with patience and an understanding for the children.

I'm inspired by this teacher and I hope that I will be able to be a good teacher like he is. It's difficult to know each student well enough to help them in a way that they can trust and rely on you. I know that when it's done well, a student can blossom and learn because they feel understood. My desire is to be the kind of teacher that understands and cares about each of my students and that I can teach each one of them in the ways that they learn best.

Blog Entry 2

An opportunity I had working with a small group

In the special needs class that I attended, I had the opportunity to work with a group of 4 students on their math worksheets. I also recorded each students work on their IEP goal sheets in their individual folders. One student was in sixth grade, two students were in fifth grade, and one was in fourth grade. Each of these students had very different intellectual abilities. The sixth grader was very advanced in his abilities and he did worksheets that consisted of multiplying and dividing fractions, multiplying decimals, and multiplying four by four digit multiplication. He did his work independently and didn't make any mistakes.

One of the fifth grade students worked fairly independently, but I had to choose the worksheets that he worked on and he needed some instruction before getting started. He did worksheets that consisted of identifying fractions on number lines, and three by three digit addition and subtraction. He also didn't make any mistakes on his worksheets.

The other fifth grade student was worked on two by two digit addition and subtraction touch math worksheets. He needed consistent direction to work at all. He could do the math problems if I pointed to the dots on the pages, but he sat contently until I helped him with his work. He lacked the confidence to work on his own, but he was a very mild mannered, soft spoken, and adorable child.

The fourth grade student that I worked with demanded constant attention. His worksheets consisted of adding fractions and two by two digit multiplication. He seemed to lack confidence in his abilities and seemed to want reassurance that he was doing the problems correctly. He made several mistakes and resisted making corrections to the problems. He also talked constantly. It was a very eventful hour in this classroom.