Culturally Responsive Teaching {Chapter 14 Synthesis}

What I Do Right...

Culturally responsive teaching is very important in today's world. Students come from all varieties of backgrounds, and it is important that teachers include practices in the classroom that will help all students learn to the best of their abilities. As a second grade teacher, I strive to foster a classroom environment where ALL my students feel like a welcomed and important member of our family. It is important to me that each child feels safe and valued in my classroom.

Relevance 
I try to incorporate lessons that are relevant. Our social studies regions tour is a perfect example. We "tour" the country from our very own classroom through virtual tours, read alouds, and project based learning. These tours help my students to build background knowledge and actually EXPERIENCE our social studies curriculum. Each phase of the tour {Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West} highlights different cultures that have influenced our nation. In the Northeast while visiting New York City, students researched immigrant groups that came through Ellis Island. They worked together to make a "pizza." This "Culture Pizza" was a great way to celebrate cultures from around the world. 

 This activity liked to our science unit on matter {students make the pizza by changing a solid through bending, cutting, stretching, and tearing}. 

 This activity was completed during reading and writing time. They had to work together to make the inside of their pizza and research the elements of the immigrant group's culture {language, food, dress, and celebrations}.

Collaborating

I try to incorporate cooperative learning into my lessons. One such example was during our weather unit in science and Midwest tour in social studies. While in the Midwest, we learned about the Mall of America and supply and demand. Students were divided into teams and asked to design a store full of things {supply} that would be needed {demand} during a particular season. {Sorry for the tilted picture again}.  

 Winter Season Store

Our Family 

I also try to promote a sense of family in my classroom. One such method is a song that we sing. This song sends the message that we all should care for each other and value each other because our class is one big family.  {Sung to the tune of We are Family by Sister Sledge.}

We also have a STAR of the WEEK. One student is selected each week to decorate a bulletin board with favorite pictures and their favorite things. Their families are asked to send in a secret letter that I read to the class, they bring their favorite book that I read to the class, their parents are invited to have lunch with them one day that week, and they bring something special in to share with the class. 

 {star of the week share time}

I also read Have You Filled a Bucket Today? at the beginning of the school year. Students work hard throughout the year to fill our class bucket by being kind and sharing. Any time I see them performing an act of kindness, they add two sparkles to the bucket {two because when you are kind to someone else, it makes you feel good, too}. When our bucket gets full, we will have a KINDNESS PARTY. During this party, we will complete a service learning activity to spread kindness outside of our school building. {I have not done this yet, so I am still gathering ideas because our bucket is almost full. I am thinking of having the kids put together care packages for people in a nursing home. I think that it will really help the kids see that they can do something good for others.}

What I Do Wrong...

I still need to work on learning more about specific cultures. I want to make sure that my teaching style matches the learning styles of all of my students. As the chapter mentioned, gaps in achievement of minority students could be due to the fact that teachers do not change their teaching styles to meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. I think that all teachers are in danger of getting STUCK in a rut for many reasons, and I need to make sure that I am constantly reflecting on my instruction to students that are culturally diverse. I think that I need to allow for more music, movement, debates, and share time for the students in my classroom. 

How I'm Going to Fix It...

I would like to research more about the cultures of my culturally diverse students. I think that the chart on page 323 in the text is a powerful resource for teachers to use when planning lessons to ensure that a variety of strategies are being incorporated into daily classroom activities. I have taught students of Mexican, Chinese, and Haitian descent. I think that a chart should be available for teachers to use for students from varied cultures. These charts would include ideas for teachers to use so that BEST practices of instruction are incorporated into lessons. This type of chart would ensure that culturally diverse students are not left behind, and gaps in achievement could be narrowed. 

 

Assistive Technology {Chapter 13 Synthesis}

What I Do Right...

During one of my first years teaching, I had a student who used a form of assistive technology. If I remember correctly, he had a learning disability in writing. He had a machine that he would use that he could type into instead of having to write with a pencil onto paper. I remember that he had LOTS of trouble with this machine, and I really couldn't figure it out either. He did a lot of frustrated growls and fist shaking at the gadget {and I think I did, too}. Boy, would I love to go back in time to just sit in my classroom during those first years...I bet I would get TONS of laughs.

Since then, I have not had any students with a documented need {in their IEP} for any assistive technology. I use technology in my classroom, however, to assist students in many ways.

SMART board
I have a SMART board in my classroom. We use it every day. I use it a lot for whole class instruction. Smart Exchange is a website that offers tons of free lessons and resources that can be downloaded for instant classroom use. I also use the SMART board for word study and math games. The games prove to be a great strategy to use while I am teaching a small group because I can see exactly what is going on from any point in my classroom! A SMART board is an excellent tool to use for students with learning disabilities because it enables them to interact with the content through tactile manipulation and movement.

{we nicknamed our SMART board "Smarty Pants"}

Flip Camera 
I received a flip camera two years ago as part of a grant that I wrote for Donor's Chose. I use this camera to record students performing in reader's theater, presenting information as a group, or presenting reports and poems individually to the class. The Flip camera is an excellent tool to use for students with disabilities because it creates a motivational tool for them to participate with their group. It also helps them to go back and see themselves after their presentation or part is finished. 


MAP testing and Odyssey
One of the BIGGEST assessment tools that we use at my school is the MAP test {Measure of Academic Progress}. I love this test because it takes students from where they are at the beginning of the year, and then shows me how they grow throughout the course of the school year. Paper-pencil reading comprehension tests are so difficult for my students who have learning disabilities or perform below grade level. The MAP test, however, shows me that my struggling learners have indeed learned something. 


This year, I have started to use the Odyssey program. It links directly to the scores that students have made on the MAP test. I can pull up each child's page and see which areas they need to work on in reading and math. Odyssey will then provide computerized instruction, reinforcement, and games on the material that the children need extra practice with. 


What I Do Wrong...
There are two BIG issues with technology: time and money. There has to be money for the technology to be purchased, and then there has to be time for me as the teacher to be trained to become a proficient user of the technology. Unfortunately, the budget in my school district has been so tight these past few years. Our computer lab teacher was taken out and replaced with an assistant. We have two computer labs, but I have to be the one to sign up for a time slot and develop the lessons to teach. I have no classroom computers for the students to use. Anything that I want to learn or implement has to be researched and developed on my own.

How I'm Going to Fix It...
My school does seem to be turning around economically. I think that in any budget, however, that teachers need to be creative when utilizing technology. I have learned to think about what I have, rather that about what I do not. For example, I use my smart phone {such as an iPhone or Droid} in my classroom to snap and upload pictures and videos. I can then email them to myself and then upload them to my webpage. I also have found so many AMAZING and FREE websites out there for my students to use. The great thing about these sites is that they are all perfect for differentiating instruction. Here are a few of my {and my student's} favorites:

Fun 4 the Brain

IXL Math

Starfall

Spelling City

I also have a ton of websites already bookmarked on my school webpage. Just click here.

It does take time to search for websites, to explore them to see if they are appropriate, and to train ourselves and our students. Truthfully, however, I believe that it is necessary. Teachers HAVE to stay current for the sake of our students who come to us as digital natives in a techno world. 

Reading Comprehension {Chapter SEVEN Synthesis}

What I Do Right...

I think that the first important thing that I do when teaching comprehension is MODELING STRATEGIES. Students need to see some strategies over-and-over again to see how they really work. We create anchor charts together, investigate different texts, and then I give explicit instruction on how I use the strategy while reading. Once the students see how the strategy is utilized, it it time for them to practice it on their own.

I give each student a READING IS THINKING sheet each week. It has a box for each day of the week. In the box, the students have to practice the strategy independently that they learned during the mini-lesson. They might have to make a prediction, share their schema, write a connection, ask a "thick" question, or make an inference. I take these sheets up and grade them at the end of the week.

I try to give a variety of assessments so that I can see how students are comprehending the texts that they read. For example, this past week we studied the genre BIOGRAPHY. Each student read a biography of an African American during independent reading and then recorded important information from that person's life. The purpose was twofold: 

• to find the main idea of that person's life
• make connections from that person's life to our own

The students then wrote a paper about their famous person, and then presented what they learned to the class. They had to dress up or make a puppet. {This picture was being so stubborn and would NOT turn...but it was too cute not to include!! Sorry for the head tilting!}

What I Do Wrong...

I think that I need to work more on class-wide peer tutoring and cooperative learning models. I think that my students could help each other more with comprehension if they were placed within small groups. This way they are forced to share ideas, understand content, and internalize information. I know that, when I am teaching, I tend to talk too much. I really need to OBSERVE more. Observation would give me much more information so that I can truly gain a clear picture as to how my students are comprehending what they read. If students were forced to take a leadership role, then they would be able to implement strategies together, and I would serve as their facilitator. 

How I'm Going to Fix It...

I plan to grant more opportunities for collaborative groups during reading instruction. I do a lot of independent practice and small group instruction, but I very rarely let the students work together on the stories that they are reading. It would be very interesting for me to see what kinds of thinking would go on during their discussions. I would love to have groups of students complete an activity such as the Cooperative Story Map on page 177 in the text. This way, they can work together on understanding the stories they have read. They can then present their story maps to the class as an different way to retell what they have learned. 

 

Reading Instruction {Chapter SIX Synthesis}

What I Do Right...
I have always loved to read, and I LOVE to teach reading. I love it when my students get excited about books, and I love to help them find authors and genres that they can get excited about! Every year, I have such an incredible mix of kids. My second graders range anywhere from a 4th grade to kindergarten reading level. It can be challenging to keep up with such a diverse group, but I have found strategies that have really helped me!


I attended a conference last year at Furman by Dr. Richard Allington on What Really Matters for Struggling Readers. I learned 3 points that have really shaped my whole outlook on teaching reading:

• Struggling readers need to read MORE.
• Struggling readers need access to books that are on their independent reading level. This means they can read them with 99% accuracy.
• Struggling readers need more one-on-one time with a highly trained reading teacher.

{Read More}
In order to get my students to read more, I did away with centers during reading time. I felt that my advanced readers got really bored doing them and my struggling readers never really knew what was going on. Allington stated that the average struggling reader only reads for about 5 to 10 minutes a day. This fact was SHOCKING to me. Now, my students have a bucket full of books that they can read, and they read for over an hour every day. 

{Books They Can Read INDEPENDENTLY}
At the beginning of the year, I teach my students how to find a "just right book." We typically read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to illustrate this point. Goldilocks needs to find a book that is just right. Some are too hard, some are too soft {easy}, and others are JUST RIGHT! I use Beth Newingham's idea with t-shirts, too, and create a poster that illustrates this point for my students. 


This strategy works really well because it teaches all the students to find a book that they can read with success.


{More One-on-One Instruction}
This, or course was the hardest to implement! I just can't devote my whole day to teaching just a handful of students how to read. I have tried my best, however, to find ways to help those kids who are below grade level. Jan Richardson's book The Next Step in Guided Reading really helped me to find ways to meet with students and provide more meaningful lessons for them based on their needs. She has lesson plan templates for each level that truly changed the approach that I take with each guided reading group. 

What I Do Wrong...

After reading the chapter, I realized that I still need to work more on culturally responsive reading instruction. I loved the quote from the book that "the construct of culture is so much more that foods, holidays, and customs." As an educator, I need to dig deeper to learn how our diverse students see the world. I need to learn more about what my CLDE students value, how they learn, and how they interact with their family. 

How I'm Going to Fix It...
I think that I could design a survey to send out at the beginning of the year. This survey would help me see how culturally diverse students see the world, and what they value most. I could also research more into the culture of the students that I teach so that I have more background knowledge concerning students who are culturally different that I am. I loved the ideas from the chapter on how teachers could become more culturally and linguistically responsive. Some ideas that I would like to try are:

• more learning opportunities designed for students to make connections between what we are learning and their own lives
• more time to build background knowledge {maybe through read alouds or guided reading groups}
• more personal links established with parents to see how literacy is utilized at home
• more participation with the members of the community 
• more high expectations set for ALL students to achieve 

Classroom Management {Chapter FIVE Synthesis}

What I Do Right...
I strive to maintain a classroom environment where all of my students feel like they are in a safe place where they are valued and important members of our PLANET 128 community. I work very hard at the beginning of the year to train my students on the rules and procedures so that maximum learning can take place. I read several books that demonstrate good manners, being kind to others, and being a good friend. Here are a few of the books I like to read:

At the beginning of the year, my class brainstorms rules that we all think are important in a classroom. We then narrow it down to six main rules. Each rule has a color {orange=talk when appropriate, red=follow directions, yellow=keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself, blue=respect teacher & all other adults, purple=respect school & personal property, and green=be kind to others.} The students mark their behavior on their homework sheet. This system really works because the parents know exactly what kind of day their child had.

The extra incentive that I give my students is through the Friday Store. Students earn money for good behavior during the day. A day without tickets=2 pennies. I also give various amounts of money to student that I see exemplifying excellence. Every Friday I have a parent volunteer that comes to "run the store" while I am still teaching. I have several different baskets full of various prizes at various prices for the students to choose from. The students can either spend their money, or save it for something in a bigger prize box. 

I also maintain other methods that foster opportunities for cooperation and kindness:

• Our class earns brags from other teachers/building personnel. When we reach our goal of 50 brags, we earn a fun activity such as silly songs or extra recess.
• Tables work hard to earn 10 tally marks by being quiet during transitions, having materials out and ready, and keeping their table nice and tidy. When they get 10 tallies, they get 10 cents for the Friday store.
• After reading Have You Filled a Bucket Today, we collect SPARKLES. Students earn two sparkles to put in our bucket when they say or do something kind for another person.

My management system works very well, and I can honestly say that I have very few behavior problems. When I was student teaching, my mentor teacher said that teachers should make the punishment bad enough and the reward good enough so that the students WANT to behave and do their best. I think that my system does just that because they want to earn rewards, and they want to please their teacher. 


What I Do Wrong...
I think that I need to work harder on contacting parents. I think that I try to handle things the best I can in the classroom, and I honestly forget to call parents to discuss concerns or praise their child for good things. I do maintain contact through emails, newsletters, and homework folders. I do think that a phone call can be so much more meaningful. A goal of mine is to call parents more frequently so that they hear from me not only when there is a problem, but also when the child is experiencing success. 

I also have struggled in the past with students who have behavior problems. It is very hard for me to deal with outbursts of anger, temper tantrums, or "shutting down" moments. I do not feel truly qualified to handle these types of behavior issues, and I do not know the right way to help students express their frustrations in more positive ways. 


How I'm Going to Fix It...
I want to set up a schedule or plan where I call a certain number of parents each week. That way the parents will hear good things from me as their child's teacher before they hear about behavior problems. I also want to make more phone calls home so that I build a better relationship with the parents of the students I teach. This will in turn strengthen my classroom management because I will have parental support and camaraderie with the parents of the students that I teach each day. 


I also want to research better strategies to handle students who have behavior issues. I know that a one-size-fits behavioral management system is not effective for every student. I think that I need to find other methods and strategies to help students who need more chances, or need better ways to express their emotions. 

Low-Incidence Disabilities {Chapter THREE Synthesis}

What I Do Right...

I have not had much experience with teaching students with low-incidence disabilities. So, I would like to reflect on ways that I {and my school community} have tries to raise awareness for students with disabilities:

We have a wonderful lady at my school {Centerville Elementary} who coordinates our tutoring program. She also organizes a Disabilities Awareness Day each year. She has stations that the students can rotate through where they can feel what it is like to have various disabilities. She also has had Michael Cogdill {from WYFF News Channel 4} come to our school twice to speak and read his book Cracker the Crab and the Sideways Afternoon. This book is a great tool to use in the classroom because it teaches how to treat people how have disabilities with dignity and respect. 

We also have two LD self contained classes that are new to our school each year. One of these classes includes a boy who is Vision Impaired. This child is truly a blessing to our school. My class has the opportunity to go to related arts with this class, and my students love to talk to him, help him, and learn about him. He uses a Braille machine, and his teacher will hang his writing out in the hall. He has helped my students to learn how to treat others in a kind and compassionate matter.   


Just recently, I had a group of students to read a book about Guide Dogs in one of my guided reading groups. I was shocked and AMAZED at what they had learned while I was teaching a whole class lesson when we were discussing Henry Ford. We learned that Ford would hire people with disabilities to work in his factory because he would focus on what they could do rather than by what they could not. During the whole class discussion, the students from that particular guided reading group began to share what they had learned from reading the book. WOW! I was one proud teacher during that moment! I included the website under the Webliography tab to the right.


What I Do Wrong... 
I do have a student this year who is high functioning autistic. He is an extremely bright boy! He makes the honor roll, is a great reader, and he is a whiz at math. He does, however, have a hard time socially. I feel that I have not done the best job with him by helping him find ways to express his emotions. I tend to ignore behaviors rather than trying to find ways to help him deal with his social problems.

How I'm Going to Fix It:
Reading the chapter, I have found many new strategies that I cannot wait to implement with him. I think that I can implement some "consistent prompts, cues, and feedback" that only he and I would know. This way he would see the cue, and modify his behavior without being embarrassed. I could also try reading social stories that would model to him successful ways to interact with his friends and handle frustrating dilemmas. Finally, I could target certain behaviors to work on when he does interact with his classmates. I could work with him on how to handle losing a game, handling a disagreement, and sharing classroom materials. 

 

High-Incidence Disabilities {Chapter TWO Synthesis}

What I Do Right...
I teach a variety of students with high-incidence disabilities such as Learning Disabilities {LD}, Attention Deficit/Hyper Activity Disorder {ADHD}, and Speech and Language Imparments {SLI}. One way that I try to reach these students is through differentiated instruction. I have learned ways to teach students in small groups so that they are instructed on their individual level. During my school day I have:

• small math groups
• small guided reading groups
• small writing groups
• individual writing conferences
• spelling groups and word study instruction 

Another way that I try to reach students with high-incidence disabilities is through lots of interactive, hands-on lessons. I do not think that students learn best when they are stuck in their desks all day long. Here are some examples:

This little girl is reading a book that she has checked out from our classroom library. Students are instructed on how to select "just right books" for themselves to read independently. Students then have to keep up with their tasks and reading logs in their reading folder. This strategy is great for kids with LD because it is totally designed for their level.

These students are enjoying our word study games. I find that learning games are a great way to break up the monotonous day for students who really need to get up and move during the day. This strategy is great for students with ADHD.


What I do Wrong...
I think that I really need to better analyze the work of my low-incidence disability students. In the CRAZY, busy schedule that I keep as a classroom teacher, mom, and student, it is so hard to find time to carefully investigate the work that students turn in to me each day. I take running records often in reading, and this is soooo effective when I am planning for the next week. However, I rarely do the same type of observation in math, writing, and word study. If I take more time to analyze areas of weakness in math, spelling, and writing, then I will be able to gain more insight as to HOW I can better assist these students. 


How I'm Going to Fix it...
I want to design some forms that I can keep with my lesson plans. These forms will be designed to specific content areas, and will include space for analysis of reading, word study, writing, reading, and math groups. The forms will provide me with the chance to reflect on my teaching, the mistakes students are making, and the strategies that I am going to use to help them improve. 


I also want to better differentiate my spelling instruction. I have tried to implement a program that challenges students who need it, but I still find that my students with LD and SLI struggle with sight words. I want to differentiate their spelling words so that students are learning words ON THEIR LEVEL rather than just giving them all a one-size-fits-all spelling list. 

Response to Intervention {Chapter ONE Sythesis}

What I Do Right...
I try my best to deliver high quality instruction to my students everyday. When dealing with students with special needs, I strive to implement strategies that are suggested in their IEP. I also look at testing data so that I can monitor each student's progress and see if the interventions that have been implemented are being effective. I like to research the students' individual area of strengths and weakness, then design an action plan that is feasible for a classroom full of MANY students. I find that there are many resources that I can pull from which give suggestions as to how to instruct students with special needs. To further illustrate my action plan, I will describe my current teaching situation with one of my actual students {whose name has been changed}: 

• Sally performs significantly below grade level, and significantly below that of her peers. She was referred for testing at a different school, but did not qualify for special education services. I follow Jan Richardson's guided reading plan from her book The Next Step in Guided Reading for 10 minutes of one-on-one instruction 3 days a week. I also modify and re-mediate assignments based on her needs. 

What I Do Wrong...
When teaching a classroom full of second graders, I find that my WANT TO falls short of my NEED TO. I want to do so much for each child, and give them all that I can. However, in the busy pace of the day, it is so hard to follow through, keep up with, and research the strategies for students who need that "little extra push." Data analysis, interventions based on scientific research, and implementation of BEST practices instruction based on individual needs is at times ignored...due to the fact that I have a very full plate.


How I'm Going to Fix It...
I think that, by pursuing a Masters Degree, I am learning more and more about how to become a better classroom teacher. I strive to gain new insight by taking classes, and implementing new strategies that are best for my students. I also try to read new books and stay current with the trends in education. Similarly, I want to learn from seasoned teachers who have tons of classroom experience. These teachers can provide insight into strategies and methods to reach all learners in the classroom. Finally, I think that each year will be a teacher in-and-of itself. Every year I see a variety of new faces with a variety of new concerns. So...education, veteran teachers, and experience with continue to give me "a new tool in my tool belt" as I continue to implement interventions for my students who need it.