DEALING WITH DIFFICULT LEARNERS - INCLUSIVE TEACHING

(Workshop Week with Phil Dexter, Canterbury 24.7.-18.7.2017 / summarized and complemented by Martina Kaltenbacher)

Rationale: Being able to teach in an inclusive way involves knowledge, awareness/attitude AND method skills

What is there to know?

Inclusion Vocabulary

A and E - Access and engagement are the pathway towards effective learning
ASD - Autism spectrum disorder
Dyslexia - disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols
Dyspraxia - disorders that involve motor skills problems
IEP - individual education plan
LSC - learning support center
multi-agency approach - cooperation of teachers, administrators, psychologists, social workers...
physical impairment
SEBs - children with social-emotional behavioral disorders
SMEHs - children with social-emotional and mental health issues
SEN - special educational needs
SENCO - special educational needs coordinator
Possible classifications can be found here and here
Possible activity with trainees: Find the German equivalents. Compare the situations in your schools.

5 Areas of Challenges

Cognition and Learning
Behavioural, Emotional and Social Development (SMEH)
Communication and Interaction
Sensory and/or Physical
Societal Marginalising Factors

2 Models of inclusion: the medical and the social model

The medical model starts from the view that the individual is the problem. The social model views society as the problem and thinks that it is not about 'fixing' the learners, but about creating an environment where they can learn according to their abilities (access and engagement).

Source

Inclusive Schools and their Context

Source: (p 9)

10 Frameworks for quality teaching and learning for ALL learners

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

1. Celebrate Diversity

Recognize that we are all 'different', accept who your students are, appreciate what they CAN bring to the classroom, include the 'unusual' as a gift to the class.

In understanding neuro-diversity we recognise cognitive differences as part of a natural spectrum of ‘ways of thinking’ that are unique and should be educationally and socially celebrated. (PPT-Phil Dexter)

Task: Watch BBC-video and discuss what Rosie can contribute to the class: Link to video

2. Define Clear and Achievable Learning Outcomes

Start point, goals (end point) and progress should be clear and agreed on.

Teacher questions for planning in an inclusive way:

Does the work involve a lot of writing and text work?

Are there difficulties with attention and focus?

Are there difficulties with sitting still

Is copying from the board a difficulty?

Does the learner have trouble following instructions?

Are there problems in certain class groupings and different times of the day?

What kind of remembering difficulties does the child have?

Are there difficulties starting, staying on and in completion of tasks?

Are specific short term goals being overwhelmed by long term goals?

Also consider these questions:

What is the learner doing particularly well?

How is s/he doing it?

Does s/he have particularly preferences in ways to work?

What skills, activities orprocesses seem to be working?

Can we do more of these in supporting learning?

Example of an IEP

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

3. Start from What is Already Known

Link the subject matter to pre-knowledge. Importance of pre-activities to activate schema.

Teaching loop in 4 stages: assess need, plan, teach, review

4. Remove 'clutter' that creates a barrier to learning
e.g. complex instructions, physical obstacles, mess, unclear learning steps / goals...

5. and 6. Scaffolding and Differentiated Teaching, e.g. by

Considering different ways of providing help:

help cards: vocabulary/grammar/structural help/content clues etc.

well-made teaching material (uncluttered, clear structure, motivating)

use concept-checking for understanding of content and instructions

Other means:
Using multi-sensory input-modes
Varying your teaching methods
Adapting texts and/or tasks to learners abilities
Setting clear goals for everyone
Monitoring progress
Keeping up engagement and motivation
Offering choices

7. Access and Engagement

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter / ppt online p.14

8. Multisensory and multimodal approaches
See 5./6. for teaching ideas. Also consider these approaches in organisational and administrative communication with learners.
Task: Analyse the timetable and suggest improvements.

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

9. Ensure appropriate space for learners' voice.

Listen to and act on what the learner wants

Actively encourage a collaborative and cooperative approach

Practical and purposeful steps towards a ‘learning centred’ approach

10. Assessment for learning vs. of learning

Assessment OF learning = summative assessment: Teacher tests at the end of a teaching unit (lesson/week/unit/year) what learners have learnt so far.

Assessment FOR learning = formative assessment: Teachers and students collaborate. Based on continuing diagnosis and reflection process: identify need - set goal - reflect on progress. Focusses on more than just the 'measurable / quantifiable'.

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

Collaborative and continuous

Open ended responses – not fixed answers

Involves learner in setting own targets and measuring progress

Credit for what someone can do!

Positive and achievable

Self and peer assessment

Ways of giving feedback/talking about learning (also for peer assessment):

2 stars and a wish (two aspects that are good, one suggestion for improvement)

3-2-1 (3 things I remember, 2 things I can use in other classes, 1 thing that surprised me)

KWHL - chart

Attachment Types

Source: Heather Geddes, Attachment in the Classroom - a practical guide for schools, 2006

ADHD Symptoms

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

Awareness / Attitude Activities / Thinking about Principles

Categorizing labels - an awareness activity

Papers with words/phrases are laid out on the floor. Task: pick one and put them into one of the categories on the board (ok / iffy / not ok).
Words: neurodiverse, special educational needs, disabled, behavioral disorders, disturbed, difficult learning, diffidult learners, learning difficulty, normal, emotional dysfunctional, developmental disorders and disabilities, personality disorders, learning difficulty cure/treatment, gifted

Reflection: the words and labels we use reflect a certain attitude towards children who are 'different'.

Awareness lead-in/revision

A cardboard box or dustbin are put in front of the class.
Put your name on a piece of paper. Squeeze it into a ball. Throw the 'ball' into the box/bin.
Reflection: the ones closer to the bin were at a clear advantage. What are these advantages in real life? What can we do to reduce the distance for those in the back?

Get rid of / reflect binaries
Smart vs. non-smart
Succuss vs. failure
Right vs. wrong

Promote the aesthetic
Use art and creativity as pathways into thinking and learning

What is an effective learner?
Individually list qualities. Compare and complete in groups. Visualise on poster. Think of a student in your group and identify where the challenges lie.
Alternative: Give a list of suggested aspects and make trainees categorize them:

Is able to take risks and try new things

Is able to ask for help without expecting ridicule or criticism from the teacher

Is able to concentrate on one task and their own work

Is able to manage the difficult feelings associated with learning, such as frustration, anxiety and disappointment when they get something wrong

Is able to tolerate not knowing something and letting the teacher teach it

Has good self-esteem and sense of self

Can seek help when needed without expecting criticism or ridicule or punishment

Is able to concentrate and be ‘in the flow’

Keeps trying to learn when they have these feelings

Is optimistic and has a positive attitude to a problem

Is able to follow the classroom rules

Is optimistic and has a positive attitude to a problem

Believes that the classroom is a safe place

Believes that the teacher can be trusted

Believes that they can learn and has good self-esteem

Can wait for the teacher’s attention

Less effective learners face ...

Source: Course Material Phil Dexter

Creative Reflection Activity

Use lego, cuisenaire rods, buttons etc. to build your dream inclusive classroom / learning support center. Then discuss realistic possibilities.

Case Studies

In groups trainees work on case studies taken from the British Council Brochure. Suggested cases: Robert, Joanna, Damina, Zoe, Ramon, Noura, Jorge, Mina. Find the really helpful brochure here .

Methods / Learner Activities

Diagnosing readiness to learn

Line-up activity with scale from 😊 to 😧. Question: what state are you in for learning? Line-up can be physical or with crosses on the board.

Cooperative drawing

Teacher draws some lines and/or shapes on board. Learners contribute ideas, a visual text evolves.
Pairs: How is this an inclusive activity? What could we do with it? -> Vocab work, storytelling, grammar, writing

Source: Course Materials Phil Dexter

Cooperative Monsters

Every student gets 5 slips of paper and writes down body parts (need to be taught before, a visual could be shown for support. Groups are formed, each group gets a number of paper slips. TASK: create your group-monster (visualise, then fill in form). Monsters are presented in class. Reflection: how is this an inclusive activity? Which language is practiced?

Trust-Building/Bonding Activity

Students work in pairs. Partner A teaches partner B a sound. As spread around the classroom with their eyes closed. Bs call for their partners making the sound.

Concrete Writing Activities based on Steve Wonder's 'I just called to say I love you'

Do a regular listening activity around the song (e.g. gapped text with seasonal words blanked out). Then hand out writing tasks that are losely based on the song. Have students organise texts according to reference in original song and have a classroom presentation.

Possible task for seminar: Analyse the tasks and develop help cards for each one. Suggest more 'modern' tasks focusing on digital text forms.

Music-> drawing-> texts

4 short pieces of music are played. Task: make a drawing, abstract or concrete. Write a story on the basis of your drawing.
Pair work: exchange drawings. Write a story about your partner's drawing.
Compare stories and share impressions.

Using a song to talk about our ideal world

Listening jigsaw (everyone gets part of the text - text is laid out on the floor accordingly). Song: Christy Moore, the least we can do . Briefly discuss message of the song.
Follow-up: draw an island and give it a name. Write 7 words or phrases into the island that reflect your country's values. Islands are presented. Possible follow-up: differentiation of ideas, e.g. democracy -> separation of powers, free elections...

Using a song to explore different levels of understanding and creative exploration

Listen to Beatles 'She's Leaving Home'. Read along. Ask simple comprehension questions first. Then offer a range of questions that go beyond, e.g.: What does the girl like? What has she put in her bag? How much luggage does she take? What is the season? What was she doing between Wednesday and Friday? Which part of Britain is the story set in? What exactly does the 'man from the motor trade' do? How did they meet? What is goint to happen next? Write the article in the newspaper. Write the note she leaves. Write the phone call of her mother to her aunt....

Using a song+video to talk about sadness/depression

Listen to the song Mad World by Gary Jules . Imagine what the video could look like (e.g. write the storyboard). Compare with e.g. this version.