(Thanks to Michael Essenburg, Christian Academy in Japan, for sharing this post and to Wordle.net for the image.)
You know that when you meet your students’ learning needs, they do better. Since you want your students to do better on connecting what they study and Biblical principles, you decide to meet specific learning needs.
Question: What 3 learning needs will you meet?
Here are sample student learning needs:
- Understanding the importance of connecting what they study and Biblical principles.
- Knowing what it looks like to connect what they study and Biblical principles.
- Understanding how you (or their other teachers) teach from a Biblical perspective.
- Understanding the vocabulary.
- Experiencing engaging instructional strategies.
- Having time to think through the answers for themselves.
- Having time to reflect.
- Connecting their lives, Biblical principles, and what they study.
- Practicing connecting Biblical principles and what they study.
Here’s what one high school teacher is doing:
I’m passionate about my students loving God with their minds. I really want them to develop a Christ-centered worldview. One way I help them do this is by helping them apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. This year I’ve been working to meet 3 of my students’ learning needs:
(#5) Experiencing engaging instructional strategies: When my students are engaged, they learn better. A key instructional strategy I’m using is asking questions. Just this past week, I asked my students “What’s the difference between infatuation and love?” They became quickly engaged, and their discussion resulted in them talking about the biblical concept of love.
(#6) Time to think through the answers for themselves: When kids have time to think, they are more likely to make connections. Since I want my students to connect learning and faith, I’ve been providing time for my students to think. For example, in my “Who Am I?” unit, I gave my students time to think about who they are spiritually, culturally, and personally.
(#8) Connecting their lives, Biblical principles, and what they study: My students do a better job of understanding and applying a biblical perspective when I incorporate their life experience. For example, my students all know that what the Nazis did to the Jews was horrible and that it violated the biblical teaching of respecting others as God’s image bearers. But then they leave class and gossip.
To help my students really get the implications of respecting others, I asked them to do a 2-part journal entry: (1) to list examples of respect and contempt for human dignity from a holocaust memoir and (2) to list examples of respect and contempt for human dignity that they see at school. Then I had them discuss their entries in small groups. It worked!
nurturingfaith.wordpress.com 
As usual I find the articles in nurturingfaith to be interesting and stimulating. Thank you for your input Michael. This summer I am teaching a rather unique course at Trinity Christian College – working with certified teachers to obtain an endorsement in special education. One thing that the latest (2004) edition of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) promotes is for teachers to be involved in transition planning for students with special needs at age 14. As part of an IEP (individual education plan) teachers, parents and the students themselves are encouraged to think and plan for post-graduation life. Although this is not designed to have students look at the development of their faith lives – it is significant, I think, that families are encouraged to take a look at the “whole” child and consider things such as social interaction, employment possibilities, extracurricular involvement, support services and even basic transportation issues.
I’m planning to have my teacher/students respond to this article by suggesting their own top three “learning needs” for students with special needs – plus suggest ways to incorporate these into their classrooms.
Thanks again for stimulating the conversation.
Pete
Peter, I’m glad you found my blog entry on meeting students’ needs helpful. I’ll be interested to see what your students identify as “their own top 3 ‘learning needs’ for students with special needs.” —Michael
In any classroom, students vary in their academic abilities, learning styles, personalities, interests, background knowledge and experiences, and levels of motivation for learning. Because of these differences, we use different teaching styles to keep our children engaged.
Top three learning needs for students with special needs.
1. Accommodations to enable students with special needs to have optimum success. Some ways to Incorporate this into the classroom:
· Ensure classroom access and observe seating needs
· Face the class when you are speaking
· Listen attentively when a student with a speech disability is speaking
· Select material with all children in mind. Use materials that students can see, hear or touch to maximize learning.
· Before beginning a lesson, make sure students understand the vocabulary necessary for better understanding.
2. Differentiated Instruction because it maximizes learning for ALL students. Some ways to incorporate this into the classroom:
· Flexible Grouping
· Peer Teaching
· Learning Centers
· Independent Study
· Literature Circles
· Graphic Organizers
· Tiered Projects
· Ongoing Assessment
3. Proactive Classroom Management
· Establish Clear Rules and Procedures
· Be Consistant
· Ask students for feedback
· Assign Classroom Jobs
· Rewards
· Work the Crowd
· Conduct Class Meetings
Three learning needs that I would want my special education students to meet would be to answer these three questions:
Who are they?
First: Develop their inner child-work by working on self-esteem, expressing their emotions, developing their character each and everyday through reading , journal writing and conversation. We will be building a positive self image.
What kind of learning environment do they need?
Second: Develop the curriculum for their specific needs by modifying, adapting and developing engaging lessons. Tailor to their needs and keep them excited to learn. Figuring out what they need.
Where are they going?
Third: Reflect on themselves and set goals. Then find out how they will achieve their goals. Having time to think things through. Planning their life by using a plan book.
Where are they going?
The three things that I think I need to meet for my students would be:
1) To give them real life experiences while learning, which involves living in the world, out and about.
2) To be given choices and let them know their thoughts are worth something.
3) Understand we all learn differently, but it never hurt to try a different way.
The 3 learning needs I would like to incorporate into my classroom are:
1. Character education- As a teacher it is not only your responisibility to teach curriculum, but to also help your students be better individuals. I feel that as a teacher in a special education classroom, teaching students about equality and respect is a important.
2. Connecting their classroom material to current events and real life situations- This learning need is important for all classrooms not just special education rooms. Grasping concepts of many things can be difficult for students when they are not given something to relate what they are doing with. Whether you are learning to count money, caluclate interest rates, or trig functions, if that situation is related to something familiar to you it will be grasped much easier.
3. Teaching them to be advocates for themself- Many students with special needs are often over looked simply because people do not know how to help or that the students need help. Whether they plan on continuing their education or entering the work force, they will need to learn to advocate for themselves.
The three learning needs I want to meet for my students are:
1. I want my students to feel successful in my class. I want them to know that they possess abilities that allow them to accomplish anything they want. They may have to find a different method to achieve their goals, but with persistence will come success.
2. I want my students to be able to walk out of my classroom and use what they have learned in their community. Not only the mathematical knowledge but the ability to work with others and be a part of something bigger. To respect others and to be respected.
3. The final need I hope to address in my classroom is the fact that education does not end in the classroom or at the school, they need to be life long learners. As life long learners I hope that they know they are always welcome to be a part of my life. I will always be around to help them.
While I am not a Christian, I believe the ideals of the teachings can be very powerful for students. My top three learning needs to meet are:
1- Developing true self-esteem. One of my teacher friends says that you don’t get self esteem from a pat on the back, but from accomplishing what you thought you couldn’t do. As such, as a teacher I will need to scaffold assignments to foster achievement and a spirit of risk taking and success.
2- Understanding how to think. Many resources are available to students, and life is about tapping those resources to solve the problems and challenges of life. Not all resources are academic in nature. Some are found in the church, the community, in family and friends. Helping students learn how to analyze a problem and decide which resources they need to use is a huge part of education.
3- Self advocacy. As high school students continue, there are less advocates for their needs, so it is crucial to develop them as self advocates. This must be accomplished without self-pity- it’s not a cry for help, it’s a demand for the assistance they need- much like knowing how to manage your medication for a physical illness.
The three learning needs I want to meet for my students are:
1. That the students need to keep trying and they will learn to succeed. (I don’t want to hear I can’t!)
2. I would like my students to understand that through every situation there will be a lesson to learn.
3. The last need that I hope to address is that students have to work together as a team to accomplish a goal and this is not just true within the school walls, but in the real world.
This was hard to narrow down to three learning needs because I work with students with special needs in the second largest school system in the U.S. and there are many things that these children need for learning.
1. Hope: I want my students to have learned from me that no matter who you are and the problems you face that there is always solutions. Hopefully, I will have taught them enough skills to be able to apply them when needed in these areas. 2. Life Skills: Children with learning difficulties need to learn to care for themselves in healthy and productive ways. I want my students to have learned the necessary tools in my classroom to use them toward a productive life after their schooling is completed. 3. To be life long learners by providing my students a classroom environment that is interactive and interesting to them which in turn will inspire them to continue down the learning pathway.
I personally really enjoyed reading this article because I think that it is very important for needs to be set for children. I know that all children are different and I think it is important for teachers to set different goals in their classroom. If I had to choose three of my own goals they would be that teachers help children believe in themselves, children are taught how to take care of themselves, and that their education would be engaging. The reason why I chose these three is becuase I feel that teachers should teach so that children have faith in themselves and believe that they can do anything. I feel that children being taught how to take care of themselves is very important because children need to know that at some point they will have to be able to take care of themselves. An education that is engaging is very important because most children are hands on learnings and I feel that when children interact with others is when they learn the best.
1) I will acknowledge that every student has a unique, individual way of learning. Because class periods are only so long, I cannot accomadate everyone’s learning styles each day. But I will try my best to at least use 2 different learning styes depending on my students.
2)My students will have time to reflect. Too many times we expect students to answer right away, and there are some that can, but others need time to think and try to understand what they are learning.
3)My students will be comfortable in my classroom. It will be a place where each student can feel free to express themselves in an appropriate fashion. I will want them to be comfortable with me as well as their peers.
I feel that these three learning strategies apply for mostly secondary education students. But with some readjusting, we can also make them apply for Elementary Education and Special Education.
I think that this a very interesting point. I agree with the statement that students need to feel engaged to learn. They also need to think that the information that is being learned is important to them. I think many times students feel that the information being presented is pointless and then the interest is gone. As teachers we need to show that our topics we teach are relevant in the world we live in. If teachers can make students believe this then they will want to learn.
I also agree that students should have time to ponder about ideas. Personally I remember sitting in class thinking about a topic and the class was past that topic and on to another one. Not giving adequate time produces students who fall behind and cannot catch up. Also letting students think things out and discuss ideas is a great way to hear what the students believe and ultimately leads to a better understanding of the topic.
The reason why these are not accomplished is the lack of time. Time is needed to let students think. Time is needed to help a student one on one. Time is needed to help a student come to the conclusion that the topic discussed is relevant. This problem is not one that can really be fixed, however time can be managed better to accommodate the needs of our students.
As students enter the world of education they get frightened by the amount of things they have to catch onto. However, we as educators can make this experience fun and exciting as well as educational. To begin with, we can plan out learning needs for every student in our classroom. For example, some students struggle with self-esteem and motivation while others with the curriculum itself.
1. Set classrooms goals as well as individual ones for each student. Setting these goals will give students a reason to continue as well as motivate them to do better.
2. Provide curriculum in different formats. In other words, teach your subject by using more then one teaching strategy or method. Some students may do better depending on the activity at hand. Also, allowing students to choose their own method or their favorite activity once in awhile can help them want to be there.
3. Group work / Class organization. Allow students to work together as working together teaches students to communicate, to work well with others and to behave. Also, set rules and work along with your classroom. This will keep you involved and give you a chance to see each student’s development.
These are only 3 of the many ways educators can meet students’ needs. Every student is different therefore each student faces a different struggle. However, it is our job to help these students overcome their struggles in order to improve their education and learning experience.
1. Encouragement/Accomplishment: I want my classroom to have a positive atmosphere. A place where students can come to learn and feel successful. There will be times when students don’t always meet a goal, but it’s important for me to make sure they still feel a sense of accomplishment, that even though they didn’t make it this time, there’s always a next time.
2. Connections: For myself, it’s always a better learning experience if the topics we discuss are relatable. I hope in my classroom I can make lessons and teach in a way that students can connect to for better understanding. The more students feel engaged the more students learn, whether they realize it or not. If they can connect to a topic, or relate something to a moment in their life, the more successful the lesson is learned.
3. Offering Strategies: Some students are visual learners, some work best in groups, some are better working with equations, etc. Not everyone learns best from just one teaching strategy. I plan to offer options in my classroom, for students to find a way that they learn best. The more variety the better.
It was great reading the article and all the comments that followed. I have much pondering to do on how I plan to maintain a Christian classroom. I’ve just transferred into a new school, and the way God’s teachings are integrated into classroom lessons is wonderful. This is the first school where I’ve felt so comfortable being open about religion and my beliefs. I’ve done my own soul-searching for a number of years now and have finally made peace with my God, so at this point in my life I have much to learn about how to conduct a classroom in a way I choose.
Of the list at the top, I could say the three most important points are:
6. Having time to think through the answers for themselves.
7. Having time to reflect.
8. Connecting their lives, Biblical principles, and what they study.
I do feel that it is absolutely critical to let students think things through for themselves. By doing this, they are allowed to come to their own conclusions (which is important) – they also get a sense of accomplishment. Also, time to reflect on daily, worldly, and religious issues, as well as personal ones, will greatly prepare them to think for themselves as they grow up.
In terms of making biblical references in the classroom, I have much to learn, but I feel it is very important. As I mentioned, my new school has done a wonderful job of merging Christianity and education, and I feel I am greatly benefiting from all I am being taught.
1. As a teacher, I want to be a Christ-like example for my students. If I am a good example for them, then they in turn will hopefully show what they have observed to others, as it continues to spread to all.
2. I want my classroom to be filled with positive attitudes and encouragement. I hope that my classroom can be a place where a student is able to feel safe and feel a part of a community where no one puts them down for any type of mistake they make.
3. I want to show my students that they can do anything they set their minds to. I hope that my students will be able to prove to others that they can do anything, even if some are doubtful.
After reading this article and the comments that followed, I had to think to myself “what are the top three learning needs that I would like to meet for children in my classroom one day?” Although there are many needs that must be met for each student, I want (1) to cater to the differnt learning styles of each child; (2) focus on the importance of carrying out what is taught in the classroom in daily living; (3) have students develop respect for others and themselves.
Each and every child learns in a differnent way. Some students learn by listening, others by visual means. As a Physical Education teacher, I would like to use various methods to teach students different skills involved in the PE curriculum. Every student should have a chance to learn and comprehend what is being taught.
Secondly, I want students take what they learn from class and use the information in their daily lives. It’s great to learn things, but it’s even greater when the student can use the information outside of the classroom.
Finally, I think it is very important for students learn the concept of respect. They first need to develop a sense of self-respect and then learn to respect others. The classroom atmosphere will be a lot more comfortable if students learn respect.
The way I would help my future students meet their goals would be by….
1.) Experiencing engaging instructional strategies- Thinking outside the
box of educational standards. By thinking outside the box this would bring your students and yourself closer together and learning about whom they are as people. By learning who the students are the students will be willing to learn. Also they will have the power in their own hands to think outside the box of their own education and how far they want to take it.
2.) Having time to reflect.- Giving the students time to reflect on the subject you are teaching them how to understand the choices they have made. For example, if the student has gotten a not so great grade on a test you give the student time to reflect on the test. Then ask the student what they could have done to get a better grade on the test. Also giving the student more one on one time with you to reflect the grade. Also to make sure the student is on track with everyone else in the classroom.
3.)Having time to think through the answers for themselves- By having the students work for themselves this pushes them to become better. Although this may not work with all students this makes the student work harder for their grades. For the students by finding the answer gives them the proudest of wow I can do this. And this will make the student work harder for the highest in the class. Yet, there will be time where the student cannot find the answer and you will have to help them. And that is fine to do, but can’t be done all the time for the students. They need the chance to grow and learn on their own.
I personally feel that the idea of setting goals for yourself in the classroom is a wonderful practice. However, I do not know if setting a goal that is geared towards religion would be something I would use. As I said before though, I enjoy the theme of setting goals. I see this as an aid for teachers to guide themselves through their classes and a stimulant for what and how to teach. Although, setting three goals seems a bit tricky but if I had to choose I would say maintaining a positive environment in the classroom, getting students to understand the work instead of memorizing a series of steps, and getting to know the needs and wants of every student.
Reading this article has made me ponder on how can I incorporate and how will I manage a Christian Classroom. I think that in order to incorporate Christianity into my special ed class I would do the following:
1. I want to show or I want my students to be able to see that they can be who they are. I want them to understand that Christ loves them just as they are. It doesn’t matter what others think of them, or what they are and are not capable are; it’s not important. What is important is that they put all that they are into what they do. I want to help my students seek out what they love to do or what they are good at and use them in that way.
2. I want all of my students to be encouraging and respectful of each other. The environment of the classroom is important.
3. I will incorporate different aspects of curriculum and strategies to help my students learn better. If they are better at doing hands on examples rather than reading things off, I will do my best to help incorporate that into the lesson for the day.
4. I want my students to have time to reflect upon their work and all their achievements.
5. I will try to incorporate biblical teachings into my lessons as best as I could also. They could reflect upon it and make decisions by themselves.
The 3 learning needs I would like to incorporate into my classroom are:
1. I would have the students set their own personal goals as well as follow and complete the goals I have set for them in my class room. This would help them move forward to a finish line so to speak, and give them something to shoot for to say interested in the lessons
2. Self respect and confidence would be the second one, because if they do not respect their own self and take pride in what they are doing now in life, then how are they going to be successful down the road?
3. Lastly would be having the student take time to reflect. This is a good one because after they have completed a task I feel it would be great for the student take some time to reflect on their accomplishment and encourage them to keep up the good work.
I can see my top three learning needs to is help the students be able to communicate in a way that is no different than other students, to keep students on track without correcting or watching over them, and finally being able to have the students being able to connect with other students on an emotional level.
Be able to communicate.
Often times with special needs students there is a lack of communication with students. Sometimes being able to communicate is hindered by a speech problem, or other psychological problem. A great goal would be to be able to communicate efficiently with these students to hold a true meaningful conversation. The use of speech therapy and hard work can help.
Keeping students on track
It is every teachers dream to have all students on track without reminding them. Now with special Ed this task gets even harder. My goal is to have my special needs students knowing what they have to do and lead by example for these other students.
Connecting on emotional level
Each and every disability is different and the emotional levels are also different. Some students get more excited and others so it depends on the student. It would be very nice to be able to have these students be able to show true feeling of happiness and sorry, that is intrinsic.
The three learning needs that I would like to meet in my classroom are:
1) Having time to think through the answers for themselves: I want my students to be able to do group work, but I also want my students to be able to think for themselves, so I know that they really understand the material. If they can do it on their own, I know that they know what they are doing without too much of my help.
2) Connecting their lives, Biblical principles, and they study: I don’t want the learning that takes place in my classroom to be seperate from Biblical principles. I want my students to understand that God needs to be a part of every part of their lives. Their school work should be done to the best of their abilities because it is for the glory of God.
3)Practicing connecting Biblical principles and what they study: I want my students to be able to apply their knowledge of Biblical principles, and also their knowledge of their academics, to their daily living. I want my students to be able to live educated Christian lives.
All students need accommodations to learn well, not just special education students. However, I feel that these are especially necessary in a classroom with students who have disabilities. In my future classroom, I hope to focus on these three learning needs:
4. Vocabulary is important because students need it to know what is going on in class. Many special education students have a hard time learning words, so I will need to work especially hard to be sure students are overcoming this struggle.
5. Students need to be interested, or they will not retain very much in school. I will make sure I try to use lesson themes that the students like, so they will learn what is needed and remember it.
6. This is especially important to me, because I have seen times where teachers have not allowed a student to think of an answer. Many times, when these students do not think fast enough, the teacher gives them options or tries to tell them the answer. If this happens, students lose self-confidence and the ability to think critically.
I agree with Jackie; setting goals may be a bit tricky but its always good to set standards and goals. Sometimes when you don’t meet them it may feel like a let down but when you do achieve your goals, its one of the best feelings. However, the three learning needs that I would like to incorporate into my classroom are:
1. Giving the students time to think through answers- this way, the students will be able
to reflect on their answers.
2. Treat each student with respect and as an individual.- don’t assume all your students are the same.
3. Classroom lessons need to be kinaesthetic, auditory, visual and intellectual and the lesson plan should reflect this.- cater to different learning styles.
I would like to begin by saying that I really enjoyed reading this article. I thought the information from this article was really interesting and opened my eyes up to different ways of goal setting in a classroom. The three learning needs in my classroom I would like to meet would be:
1. Understanding the vocabulary, I believe that there a lot of students who read words they do not understand and do not take the time to look them up and understand what the word means.
2. Students need to be interested in the subject. It is very easy for a student to get of task when they are interested in a subject or topic. Can you imagine if they are not interested at all?
3. Giving students time to think through the answers. I am huge person on group work activity and letting students help one another on things but I would also like each student to understand things on their own and reflect on what they just have learned and even share to that information back to me.
As someone who is preparing to be an educator, I believe that it is important to understand the role of a teacher as more than just someone who stands at the front of the classroom and pours facts into the brains of students. That being said I appreciate very much how this article recognized that there are many facets to an effective educational philosophy. Of course there are many important goals to strive for, but the three that I consider the most important are:
1. Understanding the importance of connecting what they study and Biblical principles.
-This goal and the one that follows seem very similar, but I consider this to be the most important since “understanding” is superior to mere”knowing” something. It is not just important, but vital, that students see AND understand that what we learn has eternal significance because all has been created and sustained by God–and we have been supplies by our Creator with the ability to seek and attain knowledge about His creation.
2. Experiencing and engaging instructional strategies.
-This point is at the core of the issue of diversity since there will be a wide range of instructional strategies in the classroom, depending on the wide range of differences within the student body. It is essential that a teacher recognize these differences and teach in a way that meets the individual needs of the students. “Experiencing” and “Engaging” will require practice, perseverance, and creativity.
3. Having time to reflect
-I like this goal because it’s so broad; it’s important for both the teacher AND the student. It could encompass a few of the other ones listed in the article as well (Giving time for students to think through an answer themselves, understanding Biblical connections to our lives, etc.) If proper attention is given to reflection of self and what one learns, many of the other goals will naturally be achieved through this practice.
1.)Experiencing engaging instructional strategies: I want to teach my students in regard to their different learning styles. I want the kids to always feel engaged in what they’re learning and not afraid to try new strategies to develop their knowledge.
2.)Having time to think through the answers for themselves: This is very important for students. I want my students to be able to think for themselves and have time to develop their individual thoughts.
3.)Having time to reflect: Students should be allowed time to reflect and relate classroom subjects to their own lives. They should also be encouraged to share thoughts with their peers. But individual reflection is a great thing for students to experience and it will help them think more creatively.
As future educators, it is important to identify our own learning needs, so we can help future students with their own.
Self worth- I hope to show my students that each of them is a worthwhile individual. This can be accomplished by making sure each child has a part in the classroom, such as handing out papers, timing lectures, or injecting valuable insights.
Self expression- In schools, children are so used to spitting out a generic right answer that many stopped thinking for themselves. I hope to show my students the importance of creativity, and I hope to make my classroom a safe environment so children feel comfortable expressing themselves.
Community Responsibility- I will show my students that while it is important to live according to the gospel and be an upstanding individual, it is not enough. It is important to give back to the community. i hope to show my students the importance of this through service opportunities.
1.Understanding the importance of connecting what they study and Biblical principles.
6.Having time to think through the answers for themselves.
7.Having time to reflect.
…. These 3 student learning needs are important to me. I grew up attending public school all of my life but I wish I would have had the opportunity to study more Biblical principles in my education. I think it is always interesting to relate biblical matters to your schooling. In order to truly understand concepts and form ideas, students must be allowed appropriate time to reflect. Even in college courses now I find it difficult to think for myself and have a meaningful response to give the profesor when he/she allows me minimal time to do so. As a teacher I would feel the need to encourage my students to reflect on their personal values and faith throughout different educational studies/ lessons.