Science

        To ensure all students on all levels are grasping concepts in Science, I teach by the two major approaches, traditional and inquiry.  I teach mostly by the inquiry approach which is the constructivist and hands-on approach.  The experiemental methods and concrete way of learning help my students achieve more.  I follow the five E's: engage, explore, elaborate, explain, and evaluate.  Through the explain step, this is where some of the traditional approach comes in.  Once a week we'll look through the Science textbook to learn facts and vocabulary.  The vocabulary is then placed in the Science Square (like a word wall).  There's also modeling of activities and "experiments" during this time.  We have Science vocab readers and once I read one, there are several other copies to place in their group book baskets.  During the engage and explore steps, there are multiple means of action to provide learners for demonstrating what they know, individually and in cooperative groups (Universal Design for Learning).  To record their findings, they are given concept maps and grapic organizers.
        Looking through the chapter, I realize that I haven't looked into buying inexpensive Science Lab Kits.  Greenville County Schools receive three Science kits throughout the year that are chalk full of materials and hands-on lessons, but I could have more kits for the units we do.  I also don't start all lessons with a review before new material is presented. 
        Of course, there are ways that I could be even more sure that students are where they should be with Science proficiency.  I'll go to the websites mentioned in the chapter and also do a little research myself for kits I can purchase to help my student with being engaged and exploring.  To help with a daily review, I'll implement Peer Tutoring, PALS and a time for Retelling/Repeated Readings. 

Social Studies

       I have Social Studies on my schedule to teach 30 minutes every day, but also it's integrated into Reading and Writing very often!  Sometimes Social Studies and Guided Reading are combined for the week, depending on the unit.  For example, we (my 2nd grade team and I) combined it for a Polar Express Unit, focusing on comparing communities and their traditions in S.S. and sequencing events in Reading.  Instructional approaches I take to teach S.S. that stem off of textbook and lecture, as stated in Ch. 10, "Textbook and lecture should still be done, just integrated with new and supportive techniques," are the following:

• Inquiry - making connections to the real world, student-centered, students being social scientists and solving problems, planning and organization on my part as the teacher, and cooperative groups
• Making Connections - Reading (comprehension) and Math (map skills) integration
• Strategic Instruction - helping students identify different test structures (key words), Reading and Writing assistance with organizers (POSSE, POWER)
• Simulations - students acting out events (for ex: other cultures' traditions, the voting process in government, following map routes, role playing and dressing up for historic figures)

Accommodations I make for my students to better meet their needs for excelling in Social Studies is giving extra time for completing projects to LD students, having separate settings when needed, assigning reading partners, assigning partner work, assistive technology (webquests) and concept maps. 

       Instructional Approaches that I'm not doing to help some of my students bring up their grades in S.S. is working with them in small groups to give assessments.  Some directions on assignments and tests aren't as clear as they could be.  More materials for weekly lessons is something I'm not doing.  This could be because at my school, Science is taught every day as well and the preparation is hard to make each lesson for both subjects every day seem highly stimulating with materials.

       To put these approaches into practice and help all my students excel in S.S., I could assess some in small groups where I can reread the directions more.  They could also be given highlighters to highlight test directions and also directions given in partner and individual work.  I need to plan better to have every lesson have at least one material that will cause thinking for all students to move from abstract to concrete thinking.  I could also have more partner work for my class before assigning individual work and tests.

Math

Math.  When I was a student from 6th grade and on, this word made me cringe.  Now that I'm a teacher and am aware of evidence-based teaching practices, I know that a lot of the teachers I struggled learning Math from didn't use many of the practices in their teaching.  Thinking back, 7th grade was a little different because I remember my teacher introducing each lesson by relating it to real-life and taking the time to model different procedures to solve problems.  She also had us work in groups a lot (one high student in each group) to extend the teaching.  I use these practices in my teaching as well and they fall under the Four-Step Direct Instruction Format that I use daily: introducing lesson, modeling procedures, guiding students (during whole group instruction and cooperative learning groups) and moving student to work independently.  Something I do that is a very important part of introducing and modeling the lesson is using manipulatives to ensure I'm getting through to every learner.  Even those above-level students sometimes get stumped on new Math concepts and using manipulatives help provide the concrete learning they all need.  After we've done whole group, guided work, and independent work, I know who is proficient in the standards taught that day and who isn't.  Those that are will move on to work in their assigned Math station.  Those not will have their station with me in a small group for extra practice.  I'm very thankful for my low-performing students being pulled for Math Intervention with our Math coach.  She is teaching what I'm teaching and is able to give those students more one-on-one help that I may not be able to in whole group.  When they come in from working with her, we're doing Math stations and they get more small group help with me!  We didn't have Math Intervention in 2nd grade last year, and it's made a big difference this year with helping below-level students catch up! 
       There are about five students in my class that display deficient semantic memory, procedural deficits, and visuospatial MD.  A couple of these have learning/behavioral disorders that mess up their self-regulation that is essential to successful academic performance in Math.  All of these students are in Math Intervention with the Math Coach and they also work with me in a small group while on and above level students work in Math Centers.  Strategies that I'm not using from the chapter that aid in these students' success, despite their learning difficulties, are more drill practice, self-monitoring, and self-regulating demonstrations.
       For effective academic remediation with my students showing deficient semantic memory and procedural deficits, more practice will be done with drills.  I'll try to make the process of doing drills interactive, motivating, and fun by playing lots of games and giving positive feedback.  My goal is to have students learn and behave like successful mathematicians and self-monitoring/self-regulating are evidence-based practices I need to put into practice more in my students' daily Math routines.  For my students showing difficulty, they can have a form for that certain skill that has a list of questions for them to ask themselves when working out the Math problems of the day, whether it's in guided or independent instruction.  First, they'll mark the form when I give them a cue and then they'll move on to independently monitoring themselves.  This self-monitoring practice has proven to help students be more accurate and productive in solving Math problems.  If it's more than one area of Math they're struggling in, I'll provide them a set of prompt cards that can be held on a ring.  As for self-regulating, I'll provide more opportunities for students with MD to demonstrate talking out the problem (and actually paraphrasing word problems) and solving it before I step in.  This will help them take more responsibility for their learning and hopefully, motivate them to have perseverance in being successful in Math.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian classroom and even in my field experiences at Clemson, I was placed in classrooms that I was familiar with: mostly Caucasian and very few African-Americans and Hispanics.  However, my first teaching job and where I still am, I had to adjust real quickly to a culturally diverse classroom: mostly African-American, some Hispanics, and very few Caucasians.  Now, I have to say I have to agree with the book, "Unfortunately, too few teacher education programs appear to be preparing teachers and other education professionals to work effectively with culturally different students."  So my first year was hard, very had.  Thankfully, my school's main professional development that year was differentiated instruction and this helped with varying teaching styles to accommodate and affirm learning styles.  In my classroom, learning styles dominate the instruction making my instruction be student-centered.  When there's a lecture, there's always a chance for student discussion.  When the class has a grasp on the standard(s) being taught, judging from discussion and activities, they are assessed.  For activities, cooperative learning takes place frequently, as well as graphic organizers, group presentations, projects, games, manipulatives, creative movement, role-plays, peer-tutoring, and sharing/celebrating work.  I've been told when my class is observed by administration or support staff, that my classroom feels inviting and warm and there's a respectful rapport between the students and I.  I try my best, but definitely fall short every now and then, at treating my students exactly like I'd want to be treated and try to be an example of what I expect from them. Whether it's using manners and following procedures or putting my best effort into the work being done that day.
         From Ch. 14, some things did grab my attention that I'm not using to foster my classroom being culturally responsive.  One being that the teaching is bidirectional.  Yes, there is peer-tutoring in cooperative learning groups, but I don't have the students trying to make me learn from them.  To facilitate the communalism characteristics of some culturally diverse students, I need to use teaching strategies that implement service and community involvement.
         Now to make a plan to readjust a couple of my teaching practices.  With the bidirectional teaching, this could be done with my students being required to research a certain topic without me teaching them about it first and then coming up to teach it to me and the rest of the class!  Sounds pretty exciting to me, except there would have to be some major guidelines set up before freeing them to teach themselves. :)  With service and community involvement, we get a lot of help from churches and social services because of being a Title 1 school.  We do make thank you notes and posters, but it just stops there.  We could find ways to help them back!  Also, we could delve a little deeper when we learn about our cultures.  I make sure to somehow incorporate all cultures present in the classroom in the instruction at least once during the school year, for example with African-American and Hispanic students, some things we learn about are Kwanzaa, Cinco de Mayo, El Dia de los Muertos, Black History Month.  I could actually have speakers come in that have experience with our cultural units. 

Assistive Technology

       I learned that Assistive Technology services is, as defined in chapter 13, "any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device."  As I've said in earlier posts, I don't have any students this year that have IEPs, but in the past have used AT to help disabled students with IEPs.  Devices that were utilized were interactive white boards, word prediction software, school-installed software such as: ABC World, Mathosaurus, KidPix, TypetoWrite, Number Recovery, Graphers Network, Compass Odyssey, and Fast Forword.  These are used presently with students that are below level in my class, even though they don't have IEPs.  Also in the past and currently, tools that have been and are used that don't involve the use of a computer are: talking cash registers, color coding, highlighting tape, page tabs, pencil grips, stamps, and sticky notes.  For all of the tools mentioned, I've provided multiple opportunities for practice and have given feedback.  I've also progress monitored and collected data to help support how the technology has enhanced my instruction and the students' learning. 
       I download and use flipcharts every week from Promethean Planet, but sometimes settle for mediocre flipcharts, knowing what could be done to make it more engaging and effective.  Making the time to make some of my own flipcharts hasn't been a priority of mine like it probably should be.  We have FlashMasters that help master Math operations with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.  I don't have any in my room because there weren't any available in the beginning of the year.  I believe there have been some more added to the Math Resource room, I just keep forgetting to check. :/  We do, however, practice Math facts with internet games on the Promethean Board and they can't get enough! 
      Since I'm keeping my textbook and its valuable information, I'll definitely use it to make sure assistive technology is applied as it should when I have the next student(s) that have IEPs.  For my classroom this year and to ensure my instruction is enhanced through research-based technology, I'll take the time each week during my lesson planning to make a highly appealing flipchart or two that correlate exactly with my standards and essential questions.  I'll also check the Math Resource room for FlashMasters to help with fact fluency.

Writing

      Writing is one of the hardest subjects to teach, but one of my very favorites!  It's a time where my class and I share our lives with each other, ask personal questions, convey feelings, and give praise.  Writing is such a critical subject to effectively teach and for the students to get down pat because it's the primary way that most knowledge is shown in school.  I make sure when I'm planning writing lessons, that they are carefully designed, well-paced, and highly interactive.  During Writing in my classroom, students have an organized routine.  It starts off with Writing Workshop that begins with five minutes of reading a book or me telling a personal story that showcases the trait being taught, next I model writing, then the students get with partners to talk about whatever emotions/thoughts they connected to during Writing Workshop, the students have their individual Writing time, then an "Author of the Day" is picked to share any writing piece they're comfortable with.  After they put their writing on the Dukane (visual projector), they receive praise from myself and peers.  Throughout the writing instruction, the Writing process is discussed daily and there's a display for the students to refer to.  In my draft modeling, I include specific statements about why I'm writing what I'm writing.  I also include statements that reflect goals, coping, and reinforcement of the skills and traits I'm wanting to obtain.  For the editing step, we have an Editor's Checklist that strictly focuses on editing (spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization) and they write the Checklist numbers at the top of every writing piece.  They know they can't publish until they've gone through their writing and checked off the item's number and then it's been double checked by me.  For example, item 1 states "Do all of my sentences make sense?" and item 2 states "Did I put an end punctuation mark after every complete sentence?".  As of now, we have a total of six editing items.  Right now we're learning how to portray the trait of Voice in our writing and so during conferencing, Voice is the main component being praised first and addressed for revising.  Of course, other traits that have been already taught and are present in writing will be praised as well.  Students have a working portfolio at their desk, they have a Writing folder that has a place for Brainstorming (graphic organizers and lists) and a place for Publishing.  Their Writing journal is their Drafting.  When pieces have been published, they turn them in and I save them for their showcase portfolio.  There is a Writing rubric at the front of the room at eye level so students can easily remember what needs to be displayed in pieces that will be graded.  I'm pretty confident that cognitive strategy instruction is being implemented currently in my Writing instruction, but there's always room for improvement!  On a sidenote of what else is implemented in my classroom, I have a Writing station.  This is where the Writing Process is displayed on the wall, as well as posters for Writing ideas and Punctuation/Capitalization strategies.  On shelves there are: dictionaries, a bucket of objects for students to choose that help with generating ideas, a mailbox to submit letters, and trays that hold stationary, envelopes, markers, and erasers.  There's a place for students to sit and write on laminated posters that look like notebook paper.  Under the shelves, there are drawers that hold materials for making books, stamps for making scenes and/or using in created book illustrations, and writing journals that have extra handwriting practice and places to write to classmates.
       One thing that I don't do and definitely need to put into place is a showcase portfolio for each child to look through to help them see their growth in Writing!  I have the binders for the portfolios, it's just getting them put together and this is something that I NEED to take time to do.  I know it would help motivate them!  I also fail to put up published work frequently.  I have the work saved and ready to use in conferences with parents and send home at the end of the year, but why not have a place in my room where it's constantly changed out and celebrated?  When it comes to grading, I don't show anchor papers that have below level, on level, and above level scores.  Another strategy that isn't going on in my classroom is having the students actually help grade anchor papers.  What a great way for them to be more aware of how an acceptable and exceptional writing piece should look. 
      Now to make improvements .... I want to put together Writing showcase portfolios as soon as possible.  In these portfolios, I'd like to include tabs that show months and genres.  I also need to get a checklist ready to ensure that students have turned in at least one published piece per month.  Over the summer, I'm going to set up a place for published pieces to go on the wall in my Writing station so the most exciting step of the Writing process can always be celebrated!  When it's time to grade, I'll get together all levels of writing assessments and show the students the papers without the grade.  I'll give them the opportunity to use the rubric to grade them and then I'll show them the actual score to see how well they assessed the papers.  Hopefully, in the near future, these areas won't be considered weak areas of mine anymore. :)
      

Reading Comprehension

      Race and socioeconomic status are definite factors with students not comprehending reading.  I teach at a Title 1 school and face this with many children.  Reading Chapter 7, I came across modifications and strategies that I'm using now to increase reading comprehension for all of my students.  Modifications that fall under direct instruction such as dynamic presentation of info, clear organization and structure of instruction, step-by-step progression of teaching elements, and explanatory instruction are some that I'm using.  With explicit instruction, I'm guiding students during initial practice, providing students with high levels of successful practice from modeling, highlighting, providing feedback, reviewing, and then having the students practice and apply knowledge cooperatively in groups and/or individually.  As for strategies, there is spatial organization with graphic organizers and also mnemonic practice.  There are many opportunities for my students to progress in reading comprehension from questioning, main idea instruction, multicomponent elements, summarization, reciprocal teaching, cooperative learning, and peer tutoring.
       There are strategies and collaboration from the chapter that I haven't yet put into practice in my classroom.  They are having the reading disabled students serve as tutors, students performing self-regulation, and full implementation of a multicomponent strategy program.  Looking at the tables for reading comprehension procedures, when it comes to summarizing and main idea, there are steps I haven't taken to provide higher achievement in these areas. 
      Realizing that reading comprehension is the basis to do well in all subjects, there is always room to apply additional research-based strategies in teaching.  To help boost confidence and self-efficacy in my reading disabled students, I could demonstrate to them how to be a reading tutor in cooperative groups.  With self-regulation, I could model self-instruction such as think-aloud skills, teach for self-monitoring, and provide students with strategies that they can apply independently with confidence.  A multicomponent strategy program that I've heard of and could start with is the SQ3R program (Survey, Question, Read Retell, Review).  We do a lot of this already in my classroom, but to have my struggling students put together these skills into one name and know steps for the process, it would help text information be clearer and more organized.