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Allie
About Me:
Hi!!! My name is Allie Schubert and I'm a sophomore at TCNJ! I'm a math secondary education major! I play violin in the orchestra at TCNJ and am a part of club frisbee! I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember! I want to have a positive impact on students and have students feel a super welcoming environment in my class! I want to be a part of what makes each student have a positive school experience!
An inclusive approach to math teaching
Some of the most important elements of an overall inclusive lesson include having high expectations, developing relationships with students, engaging through hands on activities, and quality feedback. This will make every student, no matter who they are, feel welcomed.
One thing extremally important to do when making an inclusive classroom setting is to deliver whole class inclusion and whole class teaching. This is done by refraining from grouping students based on abilities. The problem with grouping students based on abilities is that there will be different expectations put on the 'top' group than the 'bottom' group. Having students from different abilities working together will help everyone strive for the same expectations and it allows students to learn from each other. Whole class teaching also allows for students to enjoy learning without any labels. The teacher can then spend more time interacting with everyone. Whole class teaching allows for every student to be a part of the lesson and feel a sense of worth, which will overall help the student feel comfortable in the classroom, making them more likely to do better in school.
When implementing whole class inclusion and whole class teaching, the students will be more likely to be
-more involved
- excited to learn
-unafraid to make mistakes
-have a growth mindset
-expect challenges
-flexible and adapt
-independent
I will do whole class teaching by randomly making groups for students to work on assignments. I will change the groups depending on if certain groups always finish assignments first. I will make sure all my students feel like they have potential to learn and progress by never labeling groups or making groups that seperate that students that came into the class able to do math. I want all my students to leave my class being at the same level.
Teaching math to struggling learners
The most important things to include in a lesson when there are struggling learners (students with learning disabilities) are:
-explicit instruction
-visual representation
-teaching how to identify based on structure of a problem
-teaching students to plan, monitor, modify
For explicit instruction, make the lessons highly structured and have sequenced instructions. Identify the concepts/strategies students will need to complete a problem or activity as well as connect activities to what students already learned. Have students verbally describe the process they are going through to solve a problem.
Visual representation can help students with a learning disability or any student understand problems better. Some ways to incorporate visual representation are:
-number lines
-strip diagrams
-pictures/illustrations
-graphs/charts
-graphic organizers
Teaching students to identify word problems based on their structure(schema) can be extremally helpful especially for students with learning disabilities. Word problems usually are more difficult than regular problems for students with learning disabilities. Having the students be able to identify what structure problem goes with what solving method can help these students solve word problem. The main types of word problems are
-additive/subtractive
-multiply/division
-proportions/rations
-combined
Teaching students to plan, monitor and adjust can help struggling learners solve problems correctly and fix mistakes. Planning how to solve the problem is figuring out what the problem is asking and using the best strategy to solve. Monitoring is checking while doing the problem to see if the method chosen is working. Monitoring is also questioning whether the answer gotten makes sense. Modifying is adjusting the strategy used to solve the problem if it is not working or giving an answer that makes sense.
I will use these 4 strategies when teaching by first fully explaining each step in the process of solving a problem. This will not only allow the students with learning disabilities to understand how to solve the problem better, but can also benefit any student in the class to have a fuller understanding of the sequence of solving. I will also make sure to always include visuals by either bringing in cubes that can come apart or by showing graphs and number lines with corresponding problems. Having visuals also can be a super fun interactive activity if you bring in m&ms for proportion type problems. This way students can sort by color and figure out what proportion of each color is in their bag.
How to best teach middle school math
This section is focusing more on teaching middle school math in general, whether the students have a learning disability or not. Every student is still a middle schooler and will respond the best to certain strategies implemented. These strategies will help the students stay engaged and be more likely to learn better and overall succeed!
First, use color! Color on slides and worksheets can help keep students engaged because the brightness of the colors will draw the students attention. Color can also be used to differentiate the parts of equations and steps so students have a better visual of the order of steps and what leads to what while solving a problem. I will implement this when teaching by making sure my power points are bright and intriguing. I will also make my classroom have a color so that there is a bright and positive energy in the room without it being to overwhelming with busy color. I will also be conscious of putting different steps of solving a problem in different colors to give the students a better visual and so their eyes are drawn to the colors staying the same or changing.
Next, use correct vocabulary notation when teaching and encourage students to do the same! This will help there be consistency when students solve problems and help students succeed as they perform more difficult problems that the vocabulary and notation are vital to getting the correct answer. I will use this when teaching math my making sure students know that x=1x. 3x can be easier for students to tell that there are 3 x's, but just having x can be confusing to students. So consistently putting 1x may help students better.
Then, have students do less problems but more deeper thinking since these years are the foundation of students math skills. Making sure students fully understand topics will not only help them be successful in your class, but also help them succeed in later math classes. Focusing on the quality not the quantity is important. I will implement this when I am a teacher by giving few problems for homework, but having students explain reasoning for why they are doing certain steps in the problems I do give.
A few other methods to use include:
-asking quality questions
-keeping students in a growth mindset
-have students explain their thinking
Teaching students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms
Inclusive classrooms developed in contrast to special ed classrooms. An inclusive classroom is where students with disabilities learn in a classroom with their classmates who don't have disabilities. There is a belief that students with disabilities actually learn the best when in a classroom with nondisabled students.
Benifits of an inclusive classroom
-students are more likely to accept differences in others
-high standards for all students
-all students believe they have the potential to succeed
How to make a classroom inclusive for students with physical disabilities:
-allowing students who have trouble with transportation be late to class and leave a few minutes early
-providing students with assistive technology
-extending test times if physical attributes makes the student slower at testing
Accommodations for students with intellectual disabilities
-allow students to answer orally for tests
-have audiotape learning material
-use large print
-adapt and make curricular changes when needed
-schedule exams at particular times during the day
-increase the number of breaks
-have alternate assignments
-have minimal content per line or per page
-assign shorter tasks or tests
Along with the ideas mentioned above, when teaching an inclusive classroom I will have multiple formats for assignments and teach in a wide range of ways(visually, orally, small group, large group.) I will inform students about what resources are available that could better help them learn. Also, I will make sure students know I am available and happy to meet with them if they have any concerns or problems they.
To make sure all students are comfortable and acting appropriately, you can make rules together with students about classroom dialogue to make sure there are no derogatory terms or words used when discussing disabilities. Remember, not all students are use to being in an inclusive classroom, so they may have to be taught what is and isn't appropriate. This will ensure that everyone respects each other so that there is a positive classroom experience for everyone. The goal is as more and more classrooms become inclusive, all students will be use to inclusive classrooms and will be accepting and respectful to each other without having to be reminded. Hopefully inclusive classrooms become the new normal because inclusive classrooms benefit all students.
How to incorporate joy and empathy in a math classroom
Joy and empathy are important part of any classroom. While teaching any and every group of students, teachers should have the goals bringing the students joy and making the students feel cared for.
For most students, math class is the opposite of what they want to be doing. Math has a right and wrong, which doesn't leave students with the ability to come up with new ideas. Since there is a right and wrong, many students don't feel there is much compassion in the classroom. Math class most of the time doesn't lead to discussion.
One of the best ways to build a relationship with students is by talking with them. Not talking about the subject you are teaching, but about life in general. Get to know the student outside of the classroom. Taking with students about relatable things for a few minutes during class can help build trust, which will make the students feel heard and like they belong in the math class. Many students don't ask for help if they don't feel a comfortable environment. Having a relationship with the students will make it more likely for the students to succeed.
Another thing to help students succeed is by not putting all the emphasis on tests and getting the right answer. The goal is for the students to learn and think through problem solving. Having discussion and group work can help students learn better.
Not only should you as a teacher build a relationship with students, but encourage students to build relationships with each other. This will help the students work better together in group work and make them not afraid to be judged for asking questions during class or asking others for help. Having an overall positive classroom environment between students and students and well as students and teachers will help the students perform the best because students will feel others supporting them.
Another thing that can be done to bring joy and empathy to students in a math classroom is celebrating certain math days. Also, you can play games that math can be incorporated into like bingo or jeopardy!
I will incorporate joy and empathy into my math classroom by setting the students desks up in groups. This will promote discussion between students and make it more comfortable for students to ask each other questions. I will also celebrate pi day, where I can bring in pie for the students. The students can use this day to work a little bit of work, but mainly talk with each other and bond to further build student to student relationships.
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