Preparing for the Conference with Your Child’s Teacher

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According to the National Education Association, “Research has proven that parental involvement is the most important factor in a student’s success in school.” There are likely many different contributing factors behind this statistic:

          1) By sheer participation alone, involved parents demonstrate the importance of education when leading by example.

          2) Parents who are involved in their child’s education act as an extra academic support system.

          3) Involved parents set high, yet attainable expectations, which reinforce the idea that hard work and determination pay                    off.

          4) Involved parents are likely communicative with the school and their child’s teachers, which ensures that what happens                at school becomes a conversation at home, and vice versa.

That said, the parent-teacher conference may sometimes be viewed as a negative experience—one in which the child is presumably struggling academically or behaviorally. However, this is simply not the norm anymore. Gone are the days when a teacher’s email, phone call, or request for a meeting indicates a problem. Now, it is all about collaboration.

Read on for some tips to prepare for your conference with your child’s teacher.

Prepare student-centered questions in advance. This means that the focus of the meeting will stay on your child and his academic achievement. Ask about his tendency to participate, where he sits in the room, and his attentiveness. Ask if the teacher’s observations are similar from class to class, or if his behavior or focus fluctuates throughout the day. Inquire about certain grades that may have been lower than expected—teachers often file student work for moments precisely like this. Ask to see that work.

Feel free to take notes during the conference. These meetings are only as helpful as the information that you take away from them. Often times, because of the school day schedule, meetings are condensed into 30-40 minutes.  With so much information being shared, it is important to jot down key points from the discussion so that nothing is forgotten.

Let your child know that you are meeting with his teachers that day. You do not want to surprise your child at school, leaving him wondering what caused you to show up randomly. You also do not want your child to worry that this meeting is to discuss his potential problems behind his back. Be open about the need for the conference and how it is beneficial to his academic performance.

Ask for suggestions about how to utilize time at home. Often times, the student at school differs greatly from the child you see at home. Ask teachers to elaborate on strategies that they have used with your child that seemed successful. Perhaps, routines that you are using at home are reinforcing conflicting messages.

Be sure to follow up the conference with any additional questions or concerns. Again, these meetings tend to proceed quickly. If you find yourself with further inquiries, make a note of reaching out for clarification. There is nothing worse than leaving the conference with less answers than before.   

By preparing for your conference, you will likely find that you receive far more information and insights that you can use to support your child’s educational efforts and progress at home.

Problem Solving: At-Home Tips

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You’re a parent. You know that, when it comes to your child, one of your major roles, if not the most important role, is “fixer” or “solver of problems.” Especially in the lower and middle grades, children and teens lean on mom and dad for anything and everything. This is, of course, one of the more comforting aspects of childhood—this notion that someone is always right behind you, or beside you, or perhaps even ahead of you paving the way. The key to problem solving for your child is to demonstrate the process of problem solving so that he can begin to anticipate and solve his own problems.

This transition is meant to be a smooth and steady process. Just as you wouldn’t put your child on a bike for the first time and push her off on her own, you wouldn’t abruptly throw 100 percent of the responsibility to solve a problem on your child either. This is where “problem solving training wheels” come into play. Relinquishing control one step at a time allows your child to get a taste of responsibility, self-advocacy, and independence.

So, how can you bring the training-wheel method into your home? Let’s take a look…

Hand over some (most) of the teacher communication. Of course, the amount of responsibility will depend on your child’s age and comfort level with the teacher. Typically, the start of middle school is a prime opportunity for parents to begin to relax on the micromanaging when it comes to teacher communication. Begin by having children handle email correspondence with the teacher when they encounter a problem or question about the classwork or homework. This not only shows children how to correspond or ask clear questions via email, but it reinforces the idea that this is THEIR education—not anyone else’s. Furthermore, teachers greatly appreciate a student’s inquiry because it demonstrates self-advocacy.

Model proactive practices. This not only teaches your child to plan ahead, but it also helps to prevent those last-minute fires that seem to ignite at the worst possible times. Take the almighty ink cartridge, for instance. Waiting until the morning off to print an assignment is just asking for trouble. Instead, help your child by encouraging him to finish assignments in advance so that empty ink cartridges or jammed printers are no longer a possibility. The same goes for projects, field trips, show and tell, etc.—prepare ahead of time to avoid the stress and struggle of unforeseen complications.

Try to avoid interfering with problems in progress (this is not going to be easy…) Again, it’s human nature for parents to want to shield their children from conflict—we’d rather absorb the pain or fix the problem on their behalf. This, however, is not always in the best interest of the child. By swooping in and alleviating the issues for them, children will not learn to manage on their own. Again, this is not to suggest that you leave your child to her own devices when major problems arise; use your judgment to assess how and when your interference is necessary. As difficult as it may be, a “hands-off” approach when dealing with small, day-to-day issues can greatly improve a child’s self-esteem, independence, sense of responsibility, and problem-solving skills.

Instructional Techniques for LD Students

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Just like any other student, a student with a learning disability benefits greatly from structured, engaging, individualized instruction. And again, all students, no matter what type of learning obstacle may accompany them, have unique ways of accessing and retaining information. But what specific strategies can foster optimum learning opportunities in the classroom? Well, that depends on your students. Below are numerous strategies to best navigate your inclusion classroom and assist every student in the best way possible.

Present information, assignments, readings, etc. in different ways

Students with learning disabilities sometimes require multiple avenues or scaffolds in order to best access the material. This can mean that, while some students benefit from audible instruction—simply listening to directions—others may need to see instructions written out. A best practice, especially with the technology provided in most classrooms these days, is to provide clear and concise directions both orally and visually. This is achieved by printing individual handouts with directions, or leaving instructions on the Smartboard while students work on the task. Posting directions on the board or at students’ desks also reinforces the process of rereading for clarification. If students have the directions at their fingertips, memory or attention issues are circumvented.

Another beneficial way to present information to students with learning disabilities is to carefully and deliberately model the task or activity. For instance, written and spoken lab directions are helpful for many, but actually seeing the process of measuring, pouring, calculating, etc., may be necessary for students with processing disorders or issues pertaining to executive functioning. Writing assignments should also be modeled for students, as sentence structure, organization, and fluidity are not easily accomplished just by discussing. These, and other high-level thinking skills, require some step-by-step handholding for ALL students.

Furthermore, when creating or modeling different examples, it may be helpful for some students with learning disabilities to see a sample in front of them, not just up on the board. This way, as the teacher is modeling the task, students can follow along closely, taking notes and highlighting as they work.  

Allow students to access readings and class materials in different ways. Again, technology can be a major asset for inclusion classrooms. With the use of laptops, headphones, audio files, etc., students are able to read and write with assistance. Much like many accommodations require, students can listen to texts while following along. They are able to highlight or mark texts digitally using google classroom or other interactive technologies. Students can even complete and submit work without ever having to print or keep track of a tangible document. This can be particularly beneficial for a student with executive functioning issues, where organization can be a real struggle.

Modifications for assessments and assignments are also greatly beneficial. For example, conveying the theme of a novel in paragraph form could be extremely intimidating for many students, especially those with a learning disability involving written language. Since a best practice for teaching is to utilize student choice, why not allow students to represent a theme or other difficult concepts by a different method? Some may thrive by creating a collage or other visual representation, while others may compose a poem or comic strip to convey the theme.

A key to exceptional instruction is to provide students with engaging, individualized means of learning. This not only benefits students with learning disabilities—all students flourish when teachers utilize best practices.  

Problem Solving Month: From a Teacher to a Teacher

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If you are an educator, you are no stranger to the days when it feels like you are constantly putting out fires. You also know by now that no amount of organization, preparation, or planning can prepare you for everything that happens in the classroom on a day-to-day basis. While the constant “unknown” or daily surprises leave us feeling stress similar to that of reluctantly participating in an improv class, it is this same “on your toes” mentality that many teachers claim to love. Whether you’re the type of teacher who loves the spontaneity of the classroom or not, you are bound to the reality that problems will arise no matter what. That said, there are countless strategies for the “what if” situations that we all stress over. Seeing as September is Problem-Solving Month, what better topic for exploration?

Problem 1: Unplanned Sick Day
Yes, as a teacher, if you’re coming down with something that’s looking like it’ll wipe you out, you likely begin to plan and find sub coverage as early on as possible. However, even the most intuitive of us sometimes cannot see the stomach bug coming. When this happens, and the early morning hours are turned into a roll-of-the-dice decision, a little bit of proactive planning can ease the stress of calling out last minute. Most schools require emergency sub plans—but creating a full-proof sub “bundle” can turn those problematic impromptu sick days around.

Here are a few recommendations:

  • Keep two to three solid lesson plans in the binder/folder
  • Use lessons/assignments that review or extend overarching skills of the class—nothing too content specific
  • Keep directions clear and concise
  • When in doubt, plan lessons that run longer, rather than shorter
  • Have copies or class sets ready to go and indicate where to find said copies
  • Include up-to-date rosters, fire drill information/protocols, bell schedules, and your teaching/off periods
  • Include copies of your seating charts

Problem 2: Lesson Moves too Quickly and You Are Left with Down Time
We’ve all had those moments where the information or discussions that we’ve planned simply did not elicit enough conversation to fill the expected time. Looking at the clock to find that class is 15-20 minutes from ending can be a major stressor—especially if you are in the process of being observed. When this happens, reach for index cards or post-it notes. Have these items handy at all times so that the transition is seamless. Depending on your content area, ask students to create two truths and a lie about today’s topic. This requires them to look back at their notes/book and creatively identify three important bits of information from the day’s lesson. Have students swap with elbow partners and ask them to identify the lie. If even more time is left, have students share out.

Problem 3: Student Asks a Personal Question that Could Open up a Floodgate of Issues
Children are naturally inquisitive. They often want to know more about their teachers than a teacher is willing to share. Especially during this explosion of social media, sharing too much information will never bode well for an educator. I’ve had students ask questions from, “Do you go to church?” to “Would you vote for Trump?” Sometimes the conversations emerge one-on-one with a student—sometimes in the middle of full instruction. Either way, responding to such inquiries can be rather tricky. It is always best to air on the side of caution when divulging personal information with students. Of course, being dismissive or disingenuous is not recommended either. Instead, tell students that you value their curiosity and admire their attempt to get to know you, but that now is just not the time or place to be discussing such topics.

ADHD for Parents: Looks Can be Deceiving

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The Center for Disease Control reports that over 10 percent of children and teens suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  Even more shocking, many cases go unreported or are misdiagnosed, providing families with improper information and treatment options. With such a prevalence of attention difficulties among America’s youth, it is no wonder that the disorder can easily be misunderstood or misjudged.

For parents, this unknown or variable aspect of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be frustrating. Since every child is unique, children who suffer from ADHD may exhibit drastically different symptoms from one another. What many parents do not know is that ADHD does not have just one cause, or cure, or treatment. Other prevalent myths about ADHD are listed below, as we seek to understand what this disorder is—and what it is not.

  • Myth #1: ADHD mostly affects children at school. This is simply not the case. Children are often diagnosed once they hit school age, typically around age 6-7. While ADHD is most obvious in school because of the attention needs and self-control that is necessary to complete classroom activities, the disorder is not solely confined within the walls of the school. Any activity or conversation, whether academically-related or not, will be difficult for a child with attention issues. This impulsivity, inattentiveness, or lack of focus can happen anywhere—the car, the house, while having a conversation, or even when playing a game or watching a movie.
  • Myth #2: ADHD reflects a lack of care or eagerness on behalf of the child. Again, this is false. In fact, children with ADHD, when made self-aware of their inattentiveness, work even harder to compensate for the lack of focus. Imagine trying to watch a television show while listening to music using headphones. This is similar to how students feel in a classroom when multiple conversations are occurring at once. The multi-sensory distractions become so overwhelming that tuning out is the only reasonable option.
  • Myth #3: Children will outgrow the attention disorder. Unfortunately, this is not the case either. While children and teens, with appropriate behavioral and/or medical interventions, may better manage their symptoms as time passes, the disorder is never truly absolved
  • Myth #4: ADHD is considered a major roadblock when it comes to success in academia and in the work force. NOT TRUE. While the condition is titled a “deficiency,” ADHD has its own unique set of advantages, as well. If children and young adults learn to channel the disorder properly, the hyperactivity can be transformed into hyper-focus. That said, a person with ADHD may be able to focus on a difficult task for hours on end—determined to finish or solve the problem. ADHD also forces children to be self-sufficient and self-aware. Often times, after managing the disorder in school for a while, children learn to self-check and gauge their own level of attentiveness. They also find it easier to pick themselves up after setbacks or missteps. Similarly, people with ADHD are often forced to think or learn a little differently—their success is determined by the ability to streamline information, block out insignificant details, and question their comprehension of the task. Therefore, a person with ADHD will often hone these practices and exhibit ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. ADHD should not be seen as a wholly detrimental learning disorder— in fact, people can use the symptoms to their advantage with practice and patience.

ADHD MONTH: Looks can be deceiving

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Since the classroom environment lends itself to tasks involving focus, attentiveness, attention to detail, cooperative learning, and time management skills, educators are sometimes the first to notice the growing prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the symptoms that accompany the disorder. More and more children are exhibiting attention issues in and out of the classroom—the CDC reports that over 10 percent of children and teens have ADHD. With this significant percentage of cases comes just as many ways for the disorder to manifest itself—and every child is different.

As educators, we pretty much get a daily bird’s eye view of how each student learns, or struggles to learn. Even so, we occasionally (and inadvertently) forget that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can reveal itself in drastically different ways. On a personal note, just last week, I held a student after class to discuss his constant roaming around the classroom. After asking him to be seated several times during instruction, my patience had admittedly dwindled.

He very calmly and candidly explained that, especially during the long block periods, he finds it difficult to focus while seated at his desk for too long. While this particular student did not show up to my class with documentation of an attention disorder, his need to move, at first misunderstood, is no less legitimate.

As demonstrated above, students with ADHD symptoms can be mistaken as disruptive, disinterested, disorganized, etc. It is important to be mindful of the catalysts to those behaviors—i.e., what do these behaviors truly mean?

ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION

When a student’s focus drifts during class or at home, assignments can be left by the wayside, going uncompleted or altogether neglected. Educators need to distinguish the difference between carelessness or disinterest and a student’s tendency to be distracted and drift. An incomplete project or homework assignment does not necessarily signify a lack of attempt. Anything from noise in the classroom to a transition during instruction can deter a student’s focus, making it difficult for him or her to complete the assigned work in the provided block of time. Again, this is not due to laziness or lack of interest.

Group work can also add a layer of difficulty to assignment completion. Students with ADHD can benefit from the conversation and movement that group work provides. However, these components can be just as equally distracting if the group’s conversation shifts off task. The group work can become overwhelming to the point that the student will drift and separate from the group. Again, this is not indicative of the student’s unwillingness to participate.

BEHAVIOR

As in the case of my “wandering student” above, children and teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often find it beneficial to move about the room. This constant need to move is not only distracting to other students, but may also be seen as an avoidance technique. While this may be true in some cases, most often the student is moving because it helps him to focus or expend any excess energy. Frequent breaks, rotation stations, or standing and working from a clipboard are all methods to help alleviate the need to roam. These small bouts of movement also allow the student to focus.

If a student appears to be reading, doodling, or is otherwise “off task,” it may not be an indication that she is intentionally ignoring instruction or avoiding work. These seemingly defiant behaviors are actually a method of channeling a student’s focus—a self-soothing method, if you will. For some students, especially those with ADHD, putting their hands to work is a way of keeping themselves centered and attentive. A stress ball is also helpful for students whose attention is benefited from multitasking.  

As educators, we need to focus our attention not only on what we are teaching, but also to whom we are teaching. By paying careful attention to the learning needs and styles of our students, we can not only help our easily distracted students to learn more effectively, but also improve the overall learning environment for our entire class.  

 

Writing a Paragraph: High School

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Writing is arguably one of the most beneficial skills taught in the academic realm. Since strong writing abilities are valuable in every content area and career down the road, mastery of this skill is essential. As with most undertakings, practice is key to developing a student’s writing—the more a child writes, the better that child will progress as he advances through his education. Once in high school, students are expected to have mastered writing concepts such as organization, mechanics, and varied sentence structure.

At the high school level, the expectations for writing tasks are elevated. It is assumed that students have a proficient grasp on the basics and are now prepared to tackle concepts such as writing for a specific audience and maintaining tone and fluidity. These concepts are touched upon in the middle grades; however, they really become the focus of higher level academic writing when assignments are required to serve a specific purpose.

No matter the content area, secondary level writing assignments involve persuasive, argumentative, and expository writing techniques. From the chemistry lab to the AP government classroom, students will be required to juggle and synthesize many small parts to compose a fluid paper. Some of these writing skills include:

  • Stating a claim
  • Supporting that claim with clear evidence and/or research
  • Providing analysis of the evidence (i.e. how does the research support your claim?)
  • Embedding quotations
  • Paraphrasing or making inferences from direct quotations
  • Drawing the argument to a final conclusion  

Considering the number of key components involved, as well as the high level thinking skills required to accomplish these components, it is no wonder that writing at the high school level can be stressful and strenuous. Here are a few helpful tips from the teacher to avoid future headaches with high school writing.

Utilize the organizer. While graphic organizers are sometimes viewed as elementary tools, high schoolers and college students can greatly benefit from an outline. Of course, these outlines and organizers will not always be provided by the teacher—students will have to do the prewriting legwork. The extra step may deter your high schooler at first, especially those students who prefer to cut corners. However, an outline is a proven strategy to ensure that a large writing assignment is organized, cohesive, and complete. The outline also allows for students to see that they have gathered all of the essential pieces before beginning the writing process. Thus, an outline will save your high schooler time and hassle in the end.

Read examples and samples of similar writing pieces. This is especially helpful when a section of the assignment or essay is more complex, like parenthetical documentation. Viewing samples of how other writers have constructed these components provides students with additional help, almost like a step-by-step guide.

Be sure to proofread. Again, high schoolers who are reluctant writers to begin with will likely shy away from the editing process. However, rereading written work aloud is the only way to ensure that the writing flows, maintains clarity, and adheres to the claim throughout. This fluidity piece is essential for secondary writing assignments.

Use the rubric to assess the writing before submitting. This additional step is yet another strategy that many students choose to disregard. However, “grading” themselves before submitting a paper allows students to look at the writing from another angle. Since the rubric is created by the teacher, and will be used to assess the writing piece, it only makes sense for high schoolers to perform a self-check of the assignment according to the criteria.  
While high schoolers may be loathe to add any more steps to their writing assignment, these strategies will help to focus their efforts and ease them into the writing process. And, best of all, these strategies can help them to enhance their written work!

Writing a Paragraph: Middle School

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Writing is arguably one of the most beneficial skills taught in the academic realm. Since strong writing abilities are valuable in every content area and career down the road, mastery of this skill is essential. As with most undertakings, practice is key to developing a student’s writing—the more a child writes, the better that child will progress as he advances through his education.

For middle school students who have simply scratched the surface of paragraph writing in elementary school, writing takes a rather large leap in the middle grades. The expectation is that students arrive to middle school with a basic grasp of appropriate conventions and sentence structure. However, the concept of writing a thesis statement and supporting that claim with evidence is likely unfamiliar. These terms can be intimidating; however, they are guaranteed to show up in every content, from math and science, to English and history.

Similarly to elementary writing, middle school students need to practice structuring a paragraph concisely and cohesively. While younger students focus on including and organizing each component of the paragraph, middle schoolers begin to synthesize the information and write purposefully. Middle school students should be prompted to pay close attention to the purpose of their paragraph or argument. This is where parents and educators can play an important role. Ask your middle schooler questions like, “Did your paragraph address the question or prompt?” “Did your paragraph have a clear thesis or claim?” “Did you provide evidence or support that clearly connects to and addresses your thesis?”  If these questions prove difficult for your young writer, consider a graphic organizer to help.

Elementary students are not the only writers that benefit from a graphic organizer. Like the cheeseburger method commonly used for K-5 grades, middle schoolers can benefit from an organizer that assists in ensuring that each supporting detail relates directly to the claim. For instance, a commonly used organizer would include the thesis statement, each key detail or piece of evidence in support of the thesis, and a brief analysis of how that support reinforces the claim or thesis.

Many see the graphic organizer as a prewriting strategy, one that must be done prior to constructing the paragraph. However, middle school students can also benefit from using the graphic organizer as a post-writing checklist. This is an opportunity for writers to work backwards and become cognizant editors of their own work. Too often, middle school writers complete a writing task without much revision or editing. Using the graphic organizer as a checklist avoids the issue of missing components in a paragraph. It also forces writers to reread their work, checking for grammatical errors and any issues involving clarity. A tip for parents would be to model the use of a graphic organizer and/or the process of proofreading. Teachers do this on a regular basis, allowing students to follow along as they “think aloud.” As you help your middle schooler with a written paragraph, go through the editing process together verbally. As you read your child’s work, ask questions such as, “Could this sentence be written more concisely?” “Do we have to use this word, or could we find a better replacement?” “Does this sentence make sense here?” “Does the paragraph seem to flow nicely?” These types of questions model the process for young writers—something that they will eventually begin to do on their own.

Writing a Paragraph: Elementary-age

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Writing is arguably one of the most beneficial skills taught in the academic realm. Since strong writing abilities are valuable in every content area and career down the road, mastery of this skill is essential. As with most undertakings, practice is key to developing a student’s writing—the more a child writes, the better that child will progress as he advances through his education.
For elementary-aged students, writing a cohesive, organized paragraph is a relatively new concept, one that can be taxing and frustrating in the beginning. Style, conventions, and technique will evolve with time, but structure and organization should be a writing objective from the start. When it comes to helping young writers compose a paragraph, structuring an organized paragraph is best explained simply—complex writing will come later.
A helpful strategy to prompt organization is to use a visual tool or graphic representation of how a well-organized paragraph should look. Some educators use the cheeseburger method, in which writers structure their paragraphs like a cheeseburger: the top bun is the introduction, the burger patty is the main idea, the toppings provide added detail to the “meat” of the paragraph, and the bottom bun concludes the paragraph. The cheeseburger method allows young writers to see that every part of the cheeseburger or paragraph is essential. It is also a good way to practice peer editing, as students can examine other paragraphs to ensure that their classmates have included enough toppings (detail), a solid patty (main idea), and an obvious top and bottom bun (introduction and conclusion).
Once writers have mastered the concept of the cheeseburger structure, it is time to instruct them on each individual layer. For example, the top bun, or introduction, needs to be enticing enough to get the reader interested—this is called a “hook” or “attention-grabber.” The meat or main idea of the paragraph needs to stand out. Explain to your writer that you would not want to eat a burger that has a flavorless patty; the burger, or main idea, is the star of the sandwich. Therefore, it often requires the most attention. The purpose of toppings is that they add to the deliciousness of the sandwich—toppings, or details, accompany the flavor of the burger and add crunch, sweetness, tang, or texture to the patty. Finally, students must include a conclusion, which draws the paragraph to an end—this is their bottom bun. Without the bottom bun, the burger seems incomplete or unfinished; the reader is left unsatisfied by the abrupt end to the sandwich and the missing concluding component.

Again, the cheeseburger method is aimed at young writers to help with practicing structure and organization. More developed writing techniques will expand over time with practice and further instruction. For now, parents can help elementary-age children by focusing on the basics when it comes to writing a paragraph. For even more of a visual, parents can search cheeseburger paragraph graphic organizers to print from the computer. These organizers help children visually plan and construct a paragraph, ensuring that each section is represented.