Lizzie Whitworth
Learning Disabilities: Notes and Reminders to Self!
Keep up with current information on special education accommodations:
As teachers, it is vital that we remember to always be on top of what accommodations can help our students with learning disabilities feel better about their learning, and really set them up for success. I think, often times, teachers tend to get caught up in their regular routines, and the pressures of state testing and standards- that it is easy to feel overwhelmed when we work with students with disabilities. Sometimes, we feel like no matter what we do, the child is not learning enough.
Use your resources:
This class, and this online resource: http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/respond, has helped me to remember that the child comes first. I need to try to forget about all the extra pressures we feel as teachers, and get to know my students with learning disabilities as well as I can, their interests, and their lives. I need to remember to work very closely with their parents, as these are some of the most important relationships I will build that year.
Reminders: Simple accommodations equal success!
Also, I need to remember the number of specific accommodations I can make to help, not only the students with learning disabilities, but those who are struggling to keep up with the class – if I remember these, I can easily differentiate my classroom. Simple but really successful accommodations include: reading written information aloud, allowing extra time on exams, taping lessons, and using technology!!