Creating success with non-traditional (and traditional) learners by accommodating learning needs
Presentation for educators or parents by Dr. Jane Bluestein
We all have individual preferences and needs when it comes to learning. Some of us like it quiet, while others need music or other noises in order to concentrate. Some need a nice, neat desk while others sprawl out on the floor. Some of us like working alone while others prefer working in teams or with a partner. Some understand best when we hear information, others when we can touch it or see it.
It’s not the differences that are a problem, however. The problem is that we tend to be most comfortable with our own styles and assume that everyone learns the same way we do!
This is why it can be so hard to understand kids who actually learn and perform better when their preferences look very different from our own. Trying to force kids into a picture of learning or attending that is unnatural for them can create stress for them, result in behaviors that create stress for us, and ultimately interfere with the very goals of learning and achievement we claim to want!
This program will explore a number of ways individuals learn. In addition to presenting dozens of practical strategies for accommodating a variety of learner preferences, we’ll also look at ways to teach children how to take responsibility for their own learning needs—without creating problems for anyone else.
Great ideas for teachers and parents, especially those working with non-traditional learners.
Participants will learn to:
- Identify differences in how individuals learn (adults and kids)
- Learn a variety of strategies and accommodations to meet a wide range of student needs
- Establish win-win authority relationships with students to create an environment in which accommodations and differentiation strategies can be implements without creating disruptions
- Incorporate movement and various brain-friendly exercises to regulate students’ levels of alertness
- Share information to create buy-in with colleagues, administrators, mentors, and parents
- Use conditional availability of accommodations as practical, and positive strategies for motivating student cooperation, commitment, and accountability
- Adopt planning, placement, and pacing strategies to build student success and minimize behavior problems that often emerge when kids believe they cannot be successful in school
- Improve engagement and time on task by accommodating kids’ cognitive, physiological, and neurological needs
Information about related materials:
The Win-Win Classroom: Positive Classroom Management
The Beginning Teacher’s Survival Guide: Win-Win Strategies for Success
Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents
Managing 21st Century Classrooms: How do I avoid ineffective classroom managementpractices?
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© 2012, Dr. Jane Bluestein
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