The Acorn
A Newsletter for CSB/SJU Cooperating Teachers
Volume 4, no. 14--Friday, March 18, 2022
Growing, Nurturing, and Supporting CSB/SJU Student Teachers
A Message from the Director of Student Teaching
Shifting the focus to reframe teaching students with special learning needs
Over the past two years, the heaviness of teaching has sometimes shifted our focus on the problems and struggles of the world, especially as it involves teaching and learning. So much has been expected of teachers and schools to repair the social and emotional wellbeing of our students, to catch up on “lost” learning, and to respond to the issues in our communities, nation, and world. Those expectations can shift our needle toward negativity and affect how we view our students. To push the needle the other way for our student teachers, I have been encouraging a focus on strengths rather than deficits, on the positive and can dos.
There is a growing body of research on the power of strengths-based teaching practices that is shifting the focus of teaching and learning in our state. Current drafts of standards for teacher preparation programs reflect this; work with student ACES and trauma-informed teaching provides even more direction. The research and practice of strengths-based teaching can also offer insights into how we work with students who are English Language Learners and on 504 plans and IEPs.
In the opening chapter of Teaching to Strengths, Zacarian, Alvarez-Ortiz, and Haynes propose that we look beyond “’ what is lacking’ to find ‘what is already there’ to effect change and sustain progress” (2017). They suggest that we:
Identify students' existing strengths.
Honor, value, and acknowledge these strengths.
Help students become aware of their strengths.
Build instructional programming that boosts social ties and networks by drawing from students' strengths.
For students who have learning needs outlined in 504s, IEPs, and through EL, we can change the frame where we look at the supports that are needed to bridge what is to what can be to help an individual “function successfully, participate in society, pursue meaningful goals, and live a self-determined life” (Wehmeyer, 2019, p. 22). Rather than look at student needs as a disability or deficit, we look at the "person-environment fit." We consider how to build on strengths thereby mitigating the gap. It is much like constructing a bridge over open water. We place the supports in the strongest parts of each bank and co-construct connections that bring the sides together rather than look at all of the things that cannot happen because of the environment and raw materials.
In the next few weeks, I encourage you to help student teachers continue to reframe how we look at the students in our classrooms as individuals with strengths and with potential rather than students with deficits and gaps.
It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.
—John Joseph Powell
References:
Wehmeyer, M.L. (2019). Strengths-based approaches to educating all learners with disabilities: Beyond special education. Teachers College Press.
Zacarian, D., Alvarez-Ortiz, L., & Haynes, J. (2017). Teaching to strengths: Supporting students living with trauma, violence, and chronic stress. ASCD.
Student Teaching Timelines
For Candidates in 16-week placements:
Weeks 11 & 12--
- Continue to teach as in week 10 (ten consecutive days of full-time teaching are to be done in this time)
- Assist student teacher to address areas needing improvement with continued informal observations and feedback
- Additional materials for week 12: Conduct one formal evaluation and complete feedback form
For Candidates in 12-week placements:
Weeks 11 & 12--
- Continue to teach as in week 10 (ten consecutive days of full-time teaching are to be done in this time)
- Assist student teacher to address areas needing improvement with continued informal observations and feedback
- Additional materials for week 11:
- Conduct one formal evaluation
- Discuss transitioning back to your classroom
- Schedule a final meeting with the university supervisor
- Prepare letter of recommendation for the final meeting
- Additional materials for week 12:
- Have the student teacher teach half time and observe (either you or colleagues) half time
- Complete the final evaluation and dispositions forms (see below)
- Participate in the final meeting
For Candidates in 8-week placements:
Week 3 of new placement--
- Work with the student teacher in planning, preparation of lessons and materials, monitoring student work.
- Review the student teacher’s lesson plans
- Co-teach in subjects/classes the student teacher isn’t leading
- Conduct one formal observation
- Elementary: Allow the student teacher to solo teach 30-40 minutes per day, adding more time as the student teacher is ready.
- Secondary: Allow the student teacher to teach at least one section of a course, building to two sections by the end of the week
Week 4 of new placement--
- Model teaching, learning, and assessment for the student teacher
- Conduct informal observations and provide actionable feedback
- Co-teach in classes/subjects the student teacher is not leading
- Review the student teacher’s goals and performance, setting new goals for the remainder of the placement
- Elementary: Allow the student teacher to teach building to half of the day
- Secondary: Allow the student teacher to teach up to two classes less than a full-time load, if the student teacher is prepared to do so
Quick Links
CSB/SJU Student Teaching Handbook
Student Teaching Observations (by Cooperating Teacher/University Supervisor/Director)
This observation/evaluation form should be used to complete observations throughout the placement. Six formal observations of the student teacher are required within the span of student teaching. We ask that you complete 6 for a 16-week placement, 5 in a 12-week placement, 3 in an 8-week placement, and 2 in a 5-week placement. The entire form does not need to be completed for each observation; however, by the end of the placement, each part should be addressed.Additional Forms:
Cooperating Teacher Information (if not completed in the past three years)
Feedback (weeks 2, as needed--6, 10, & 12)
Cooperating Teacher's Final Evaluation of Student Teacher
Cooperating Teacher's Dispositional Evaluation of Student Teacher
Resources and Interesting Tidbits
Websites to Support Working with Students with Special Needs
Accommodations in the Classroom: A Guide to Making them Real https://inclusiveschools.org/accommodations-in-the-classroom-a-guide-to-making-them-real/
Classroom Accommodations for students with ADHD
https://chadd.org/for-educators/classroom-accommodations/
Accommodations based on Characteristics (begin with page 36)
https://www.fed.k12.mn.us/cms/lib/MN02205206/Centricity/Domain/79/MN_Manual_of_Accomodations.pdf
Toolkit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities
https://osepideasthatwork.org/federal-resources-stakeholders/tool-kits/tool-kit-teaching-and-assessing-students-disabilities
Toolkit on Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning
https://www.cast.org/?utm_source=udlguidelines&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_content=header
https://www.cast.org/impact/universal-design-for-learning-udl
Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/universal-design-learning-meeting-needs-all-students
CSB/SJU Education Department
Director of Elementary and Secondary Student Teaching
Allison Spenader, PhD.
Chair
Email: jmeagher001@csbsju.edu
Website: csbsju.edu/education
Location: 37 College Avenue South, St Joseph, MN, USA
Phone: 320-363-5709