Identifying and Helping Struggling Students in the Classroom 👥 by ALESSANDRO ANTONICELLI
Before jumping to the conclusion that we are facing disabilities which requires a professional intervention, in my Mind Map I am proposing a series of enquiries and following actions that a teacher should be able to set up, based on expertise and common sense, the result of which will give the school and the experts a better picture of the next step to be taken.
The gap between ability and aptitude
Straying off-track
Trying very hard with little success
Missing assignements
Lack of Participation
1) IDENTIFY
Fear of saying the wrong answer
Assuming they have anything valuable to contribute
Fear of public speaking
This can be a sign of a larger issue
Gap between what a student has the ability to do and what he is actually able to do
Remembering to complete or hand-in assignments
Remembering to complete or hand-in assignments
Difficulty with multi-step directions
Lost once completed
Embarrassed to hand in assignments considered a poor job
Forgot to write down
Re-establish academic self-confidence
Identify and re-build gaps in skills
Change the Routine
(2) HELP
Improve study skills
Set reasonable expectations
Change desk arrangement, work with different supplies or otherwise, change the place and time they complete homework, etc. etc
This is not about building false self-esteem through unearned praise. It’s about finding the areas of strength in your student, and building from there
Struggling students might have missed concepts along the way and these have become bigger obstacles to performances
There are many steps in the learning process. A good teacher should down into which step(s) in the process the student struggles, and help in improving those steps
A student’s performance should be judged against what they are capable of. Some students effort will decrease if too much is expected of them
If the HELP did not really help, then an escalation procedure has to be in place, similar to the one suggested by the CPI&R - 10 Basic Steps in Special Education
(4) ACT
Step 5. IEP meeting is scheduled.
Step 6. IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.
Step 4. Child is found eligible for services.
Step 7. After the IEP is written, services are provided.
Step 3. Eligibility is decided.
Step 8. Progress is measured and reported to parents.
Step 2. Child is evaluated.
Step 9. IEP is reviewed.
Step 1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
Step 10. Child is reevaluated (at LEAST every 3 years)
Howard, C. (2010, January 1). Helping Failing Students: Part 2. Association for Psychological Science - APS. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/helping-failing-students
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3) DEFINE
Life circumstances impeding learning, such as death, divorce, poverty, abuse, etc etc.
Poor/inadequate study habits
Student is reading/writing below grade level
Documented physical disabilities
Student exhibits anxiety about attending school
Students show signs of addiction or psychological impairments
Lack of awareness and/or comprehension of teacher expectations
Student avoids answering questions and/or reading out loud
Student avoids answering questions and/or reading out loud
N. (2017, April). 10 Basic Steps in Special Education | Center for Parent Information and Resources. https://www.parentcenterhub.org/steps/
One of may interviewees, Wang Lin, when I asked her How do teachers involve parents in helping struggling students?,
stated an example of how family matters can heavily affect kids in both school and personal life (full interview transcripts can be found here).
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