Portfolio

#1 - Instead of solely relying on the educational records of the student, let them tell you about themselves! It can be insightful and makes an initial personal connection with the learner that will prove to be very helpful later when including them.  If the student has difficulty communicating, engage with the families for additional support in understanding and accommodating your students' needs.  

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#2 - Find subjects that your students are interested in, and try to incorporate them as much as possible in lessons. Use their inherent enthusiasm to fuel more engaged learning.

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#3- Having small, student-initiated discussion breaks during lessons can help those with special needs practice social skills, and reinforce the material. Strategies include:
-"Turn and Talk" 
-Alternative: Physical Whole Class responses

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#4- Giving choices fosters independence, and lets learners gain knowledge in ways that suit them and that are most effective. This, in conjunction with Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, can make learning individualized and students will feel like they have more control over how they learn.

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#5- Writing can be a struggle for students with disabilities, so teachers need to provide encouragement and alternatives. Using technology such as tablets and computers, is also very useful.

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#6- Strategies to help students stay organized is essential, such as having students work together to clean and organize common spaces at the same time each day as part of a classroom routine. Specific skills like prioritizing, list-making and sorting can be practiced during these times. Posting visual supports in the form of checklists can be very helpful as well.

 

#7 -Give reminders to the whole class before transitioning 
-Use a visual timer so students can visualize how much time they have on a given activity
-Provide a standard transition activity: it could be a particular song, a toy, or motion activity. 
-For students with special needs, especially those who have an autism spectrum disorder, try to have a peer help in the transition time for minimal upset

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#8- Making the classroom a comfortable environment will help students feel at ease and more likely to absorb and learn new material. Here are some tips: 
-Provide seating options like beanbag chairs, cushions, lawn chairs, and yoga balls 
-Reduce direct light when possible 
-Minimize distracting noises

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#9- Taking breaks helps students to regroup and refocus their energy. Breaks are important and should be incorporated in lessons. Both physical and non-physical breaks are good to include. A physical break could be walking around the classroom for a few minutes, while a non-physical break could be doodling for 5 minutes or chatting with a friend.

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#10- Inclusive environments help: 
-students learn appropriate behaviors and social skills
-teachers determine whether students need that extra academic support