Creating a learning environment most comfortable for all student's I feel is very important. Although I will group my students heterogeneously, I will make sure there are outlets in the room such as a reading corner, computer working space, a learning rug, etc. By grouping my students heterogeneously, they are given the opportunity to work and interact other students at different levels. The outlets are a way for the student to spend independent time, to work on a certain skill or just to have a cool-down period. I want to provide very comfortable chairs, pillows, any type of item that the student could use to relax and feel safe in these environments.

I am observing a classroom now in which the teacher has a list of rules, numbered 1-5 above the white board. These rules are called "Ms. Brown's Golden Rules". The students know the rules by heart, and if the rule is ever broken the entire class together says the rule. I feel like this is one great example of how to limit certain behaviors in the class. By the entire class knowing the rule and reciting it together, it makes the students come together as a team and support each other to follow these rules. I hope to have this sort of rule strategy in my classroom to set limits on behavior.

As I said before, I will let the students establish goals for themselves at the beginning of the year, and I will push my students to meet their goals throughout the year. I will show the students that I care by giving them choices in decision making, or if the student is having a bad day, I would acknowledge this and let them have their own time in one of the outlets.

Early Childhood Education Case Study

It has been one month since the school year began and most of your 25 kindergarten students know class procedures, such as the schedule of learning activities, where they are supposed to be for each learning activity, where they are supposed to keep their personal items, and how they are expected to move about the room and the school building in order to ensure a productive learning environment.  Then there is Willard.  He must ask 20 or more times a day,“Teacher, when can we go outside to play?”  In addition, he often does not stay where he should to work on a given learning activity.  Instead, you find him wandering around the room and getting into other children’s personal things.  Three times this past week you looked up just in time to see Willard walking out of the classroom without permission. Some of the other children in your classroom community have started making fun of Willard.  Others are beginning to become less engaged in their learning.
In order to decrease asking about the agenda for the day, I may supply this student with a schedule of out day as well as times. This may reduce the questioning about what we are going to do next, or how many minutes until we go outside, etc. I may place the student closer to my desk, where the tissues, extra pencils, paper, etc is located to decrease the amount of times the student is leaving his seat. I will explain to him the importance of privacy and not going through others belongings, expressing how important this is and that it is very rude and hurtful to go through others personal belongings. After this discussion, I will remind the student of this anytime he is wandering and messing with other students things. I will supply the student with passes to leave the room. This may prompt the student to ask the teacher before leaving the room first, because he may desire to hold the pass or feel a sense of importance holding the pass when walking to the bathroom or wherever the student may need to go.

After discussing motivation in class, I feel that the motivation theory that best fits me is goal theory. To me, when I have a goal, I perform to the best of my ability to meet requirements and do my best in order to reach my goal. For example, getting into UT was my goal after being deferred my senior year of high school. My freshman year of college was spent at Mississippi State, and I worked my butt off to get the grades necessary for UT to accept me. UT was my goal, and I had one year to prove that I could make the appropriate grades to be accepted into the college.

In special education, once the student is diagnosed with a disability, we have an IEP meeting in which we create goals and objectives for the student. Having these goals can not only motivate the student, but the teacher as well. I believe that I will be a good special education teacher because I will strive to do whatever it takes for my students to reach their goals. I will try my hardest to be a role model, be enthusiastic, show the student that I care while at the same time having positive expectations for my students. I also will teach my students that no matter what, no disability will interfere with their goals, as long as they put forth maximum effort.

In my future classroom, I will discuss with each student what their goals will be for the year. They will have a copy of these goals, and will keep track of their progress weekly. Once the goal is reach, I will provide some sort of reward, such as candy, ice cream, pizza party, as well as verbal praise from me. I believe that if the student keeps track of their own progress, this will also motivate them to keep pushing toward their goals.

PLE 2

Looking at the diagram on p. 505 in Ormrod’s text, write down an idea for an assessment for each of the five categories.  Be sure to explain why you would use the assessment within the context of your lesson.

Informal assessment: informal assessment can be used to make judgements on students learning behavior/characteristics through observing, check lists, running records, interview, etc. I would use this type of assessment in my special education classroom to make note of what my students are understanding in the lesson and also where they may struggle.


Authentic assessment: I love this type of assessment because the student is able to show what they have learned. Students create posters, artwork, create journals, presentations, portfolios, etc. They are able to express what they have learned in a creative way that can also increase critical thinking skills. I would use this type of assessment in my special education classroom so that each student can individually meet their own needs by being creative.


Criterion-refereced assessment: I would use this type of assessment to evaluate if my students have been able to learn certain concepts and skills. From there, the student and I can figure out how to reach their IEP goal.


Paper-pencil assessment: This type of assessment is one they may have to be adjusted to a oral assessment for some students within the special education classroom. But, I would use this type of assessment for essay questions to engage my students in critical thinking skills.


Teacher-developed assessment: I would use this type of assessment in my classroom to ensure that my students are being tested on what I have taught them-not what the book has taught them. In the special education classroom I think it is very important to use this type of assessment so that the teacher can fairly make modifications to the assessment so that it fits the needs of each student.