ADD & ADHD In The Classroom. (What Not To Do!)

As an instructor you will never have a classroom full of "normal" students. There is no set definition of normal to some it may be, but it depends on who you're asking. Everyday all across the country there is a student that is being excluded from a class session because a teacher may be enable to accommodate them. In my Intro to Special Education we have been discussing a whole lot about ADD & ADHD not being considered a learning disability to some professionals.

 

To me as a person who struggling all through out school because I was unfortunately diagnosed with ADD & ADHD when I was in the 2nd grade. I had trouble staying focused on the assignment at hand sometimes. In other instances I would complete some assignments with ease , but if I had finished before other students did I would distract them from learning. My teacher held a conference with my parents and stated that I was capable to complete the work, but didn't allow the students around me to complete theirs. She stated to my parents I was out of control and that if I didn't get my act together she would have me removed from her class.

 

From that day on she ignored me when I would have a question, and never acknowledged my presence. This made me feel like I wasn't apart of the class and it discouraged me from learning. Her as a teacher should have found different ways to keep me on task or different tasks for me to do when I was complete with my work so I wouldn't have time to distract others. In the education field INCLUSION IS KEY! No matter the instances you should always make all your students feel like they belong because if not they can shut down and hate learning as a whole.

 

So to my fellow educators beware of the many different things you may encounter and be prepared.

 

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_teaching_strategies.htm

 

How do you deal with Valentine's Day in the classroom??

I waited specifically to blog on today because of the date. Valentines day is filled with love, gift, homemade cards from your students, and broken hearts if your not careful. As future educators valentines day is something you must know how to deal with within your classroom, because a great day like this could turn bad in a blink of an eye. Sometimes students can be mean to each other by excluding one another while passing out their valentine's day candy or cards.

 As the teacher you should have already discussed the topic with the students, and sent a letter home to parents discussing your concerns on this particular day. Enclosed in the letter you should address to the parents that in order to keep the classroom a friendly environment, that if students want to bring valentine's day cards and candy for their friends they must bring enough for the entire class. If they do not have enough for the entire class then they will be unable to pass out their valentine celebration gifts.

You as the instructor have witnessed how a lack of attention to something as small as this can turn into something bigger. When we were students in elementary our feelings were easier to be hurt by things that are not considered so serious now. Growing up students gave valentine day cards and candy to their "friends" and then there were students that were left out. At this age students don't fully understand how that could hurt someone's feelings by not receiving something on the one day that everyone should feel loved and cared for.

So take this opportunity to really think at some more creative ways to deal with this situation within the classroom.

Go check out this link for some valentine's day activities for a ESL classroom. http://bit.ly/1duEriZ

Once You've Been Knocked Down, Whats Next?

As future educators sometimes we find ourselves losing our passion when life knocks us down. While here in school were overwhelmed by: making the grades,working part time jobs, staying involved on campus, and passing our certification exams. This can sometimes consume us where we feel like there is no where else to turn, but I think i might have found the solution. This solution may help some, but I can't speak for all. Every educator has a different path of life they must follow, and different ways of reaching their destination.

 We have to understand sometimes that we may do everything that is humanly possible to do to gain our goal, but sometimes we still fall short. This happens because we are sometimes meant to fail because it is a way of telling us that we aren’t ready yet or something better is coming our way. You can’t force what isn’t meant to happen because if you do you receive something prematurely and you may not be emotionally ready for what comes next.

There is a mountain inside all of us that buries something amazing, that covers a dream, idea or gift that has been there all along waiting for you to use the shovel of choice, to dig your mountain and explore… Knowing you’ll find something within that, give the world so much more.

My grandmother once told me: "It is good to spend 90% of your time on positive things because this will have a corrective effect on the remaining 10%."

A bird asked a Bee: you work so had to get honey and people steal that from you, don’t you feel bad?

Bee replied: no, because they can never steal my art of making honey. So never let anyone steal your Joy because no one can beat you at being you.

So us as educators sometimes must fall, so that we can have these marvelous comebacks. So I say once you've been knocked down.... GET BACK UP!