Reflective Journal Reflection Essay

Journal Reflection: In the Learning Support Classroom, I observed different learning aspects in all the students. Some students have ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, or academic challenges. These students face challenges in all settings in the classroom. Each student receives an hour time frame of practice and review in the Special Education classroom every day. The classroom routines are set up with three stations including; sound review, writing, and speaking components. The stations focus on one-on-one support and hands-on concepts for students to practice their growth and allow the teacher to progress monitor their skills. In the morning, there are three students at a time from 9-10am. Two are in Kindergarten and one in first grade. These

A few ways to accommodate students include; using Touchmath concepts, whiteboards, manipulatives, modeling, and letter boards. Utilizing these strategies help students grasp and master the concepts taught. One of the strategies that we focus on in math is “touchmath”. Students use this technique when solving additions or subtraction problems. For example; if a solution is higher than ten, students use points on the numbers to keep track how many times they need to count to find the solution. The teacher shows different strategies for students to use when struggling a concept because all students learn differently. In the classroom, the teacher monitors students’ strengths and weakness every week to help her develop skills and tactics for students to use when learning. Knowing different ways to select and adapt strategies for all students allow students to be in control of practicing skills that make them be successful in the

Focusing on different ways to communicate encourages students to share their thoughts or ideas. In the classroom, the teacher demonstrates ways to communicate using verbal or written skills in different aspects. During students one-hour time, the teacher squeezes in all components of written and verbal language skills. Some of the modes of communication include; writing journals, sentence building, and pronouncing words. The writing journals are used for students to generate their ideas and thoughts from their weekend. Later, they were able to share their response with a small group about their happenings. Sentence building is reviewed everyday to help students’ practice the skill. For example; a student was writing a sentence using a spelling word appropriately. Some students struggled because they either did not know the meaning of the word or needed practice forming a sentence. Pronouncing words focus on the verbal aspect of communication. When students sound out words and letters they are using their mouth and brain muscles to understand and practice what they are saying aloud. During this time, the teacher uses her own talk moves to clarify and understand the students thought process. For example; the teacher rephrases or repeats what the students says to better understand and allow the student to think about their response. Rephrasing and clarifying responses from students allow students to think about