effective teaching:
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Effective Teaching:. What do we know about teaching strategies that work for students experiencing homelessness? Patricia A. Popp Project HOPE-Virginia [email protected] Fran Anderson Kenosha Unified School District [email protected]. Agenda. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The context – what do we know about our students’ achievement?
Preparing teachers and tutors General strategies to address student
needs:› Affective› Academic› Technical
Content specific strategies
What do the statistics say?
Absenteeism is greater Developmental delays occur at 4 times
the rate reported for housed peers Learning disabilities identified at
double the rate of housed peers Twice as likely to repeat a grade
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
Grades 3-8 Tested in Reading 136,153 120,770 83,137
Grades 3-8 Proficient in Reading 60,980 59,709 36,395
Percent Proficient in Reading 44.79% 49.44% 43.78%
Grades 3-8 Tested in Math 135,890 119,633 80,886
Grades 3-8 Proficient in Math 62,081 54,092 34,181
Percent Proficient in Math 45.68% 45.21% 42.26%
Academic Progress in Reading and Mathematics, Grades 3-8
Adequate yearly progress (AYP) and disaggregated categories
On Time Graduation Rate Joe Johnson – serve our homeless
students well…we’ll reach everyone
When you find research that makes sense and “fits” what you see…
That’s the research to which you should pay close attention
What do teachers see?
Below grade level (2 years by 6th grade)
Lacking many cognitive strategies (due to lack of mediation from an adult)
Lack of environmental knowledge Weak vocabularies Trouble solving abstract problems and
making inferences
34% genetics 66% environment
BUT THERE IS HOPE!!!› It’s not just critical periods of development› The window doesn’t shut› There are more critical experiences that we
can provide
Federal, state, local policies› Immediate enrollment› Local liaisons and collaboration› School stability
Access, attendance, and success in school
NCHE Efforts› Highly Mobile Students, Reading on the
Go!, Qualities of Effective Teachers
“There is persuasive evidence that students benefit from high quality instructions and that these benefits are cumulative for student who have good teachers for several years.
Teacher effectiveness matters so much that low-income students lucky enough to have three very good teachers in a row in elementary school earn test scores that, on average, are similar to middle class students.”
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS
Prerequisites
Organizing for Instruction
Classroom Management &
InstructionImplementing
Instruction
Monitoring Student
Progress & Potential
The Person
Job Responsibilities and Practices
Used with the Permission of Linda Hutchinson, Doctoral Student, The College of William and Mary
Background
Affective Needs
Academic Needs
Technical Needs
What does it mean?› Focusing on the outside needs of at-risk/highly
mobile students such as assistance with food, housing, referrals to agencies
› Considering relationship with parents in working with students
What does it sound like? It’s not that the parents don’t care and I find the parents increasingly supportive. But the reality is that they also come from highly dysfunctional homes.
-- Tanya
They need to understand how homelessness influences school performance
How do we make this happen?
Students:› Will decide to work in your class IF they like
you› Love to entertain and tell stories in casual
register› Are disorganized› Often lack basic classroom survival skills› May not know or use middle class courtesies› May not know or use conflict resolution skills› Get angry and quit working easily (emphasis
on present feelings)
Communication skills› Working with parents› Working with other teachers and tutors› Working with other support personnel
Getting outside help› Knowing the resources› Knowing who to call
What does it mean?› Helping students develop a sense of belonging› Developing intrinsic motivation› Attending to emotional needs
What does it sound like? I work hard to reduce stress in the classroom – to make it very comfortable and positive. I want to be seen as a helper/facilitator, not a dictator.
-- Jeana
Connecting with students Classroom management
“You came back!” Assimilate quickly into class Be honest about student’s academic level Reflect all progress with praise (esp. attitude) Teach life lessons Use adult voice (avoid sarcasm) Appreciate student’s humor and ability to entertain Show personal interest in the student Provide individual help Give “wait time” and give clues when there is trouble
answering a question (scaffolding)
CultureThe way we do things around here
ClimateThe way we
feel about the way we do things around here
Rules – standards or expectations
Procedures
Routines
Looks Like Sounds Like
Post them Sing them Cheer them Rap them Rhyme them Let the students help create a method
Describe and demonstrate desired behavior› Give context› Give rationale› Model
Rehearse› Simulated› Guided practice› Distributed
Feedback› Sandwich
Technique› Eye Contact
An ideal strategy would:› Maintain/restore order immediately
› Not affect a positive learning environment
› Prevent repetition of the problem
Minor Moderate More extensive
Nonverbal cues Pacing speed up Proximity Group focusing Behavior
redirect
Instruction Brief desist Student
choice “I” message
Withhold a privilege or desired activity Isolate or remove student(s) Use a penalty Assign detention Use a school-based consequence
Problem solving Peer mediation/conflict
resolution Conference with a parent Individual contract with the
student
Label the problem Alternatives are brainstormed Choose one (+) to implement and gain commitment Evaluate effectiveness
of implementation of outcome
Place event in center of wheel Generate feeling words on one half Generate possible solutions on other
half
Feelings Solutions
Write and model classroom rules Teach and model conflict resolution
skills Teach and model middle class
courtesies (give a second set of rules from which to choose)
Include student in discipline process (alternative behaviors)
What does it mean?› Focusing on the academic achievement› Working toward academic progress
What does it sound like? I think [my relationship with students] it’s a big role because I take ownership into their learning process and involvement and there should be no question on their part that I’m a player and that they don’t stand alone. And I think that makes a big difference.
-- Janice
Reading tests Writing samples Computation probes
Tools kept in students’ boxes› Non-reader skills› Future worksheets› School spelling lists› Copies of report cards
Planning interventions
Balancing student needs and grade level expectations
Systematic building of vocabulary› Important to concept development
Direct teaching of formal register Direct teaching of classroom survival
skills› Hand raising, note taking procedural self-
talk)
Help students set goals (control impulsivity)
Teach students to ask questions Teach students to sort Help students process abstract
information through mental models
Common needs
What works› Instructional techniques/tips
› Resources
Common needs
What works› Instructional techniques/tips
› Resources
Common needs
What works› Instructional techniques/tips
› Resources
“… nothing, absolutely nothing has happened
in education until it has happened to a student”
Joe Carroll, 1994