Role of the educator

1. Role of the educator

2. Who is the educator? • Parent • Teacher • Resource teacher • Parent • Psychologist • O.T. • E.A. • SLP • Principal

3. Given that all students need: • Knowledge • Self esteem • Friends • Skills • Independence • A sense of belonging

4. And given that students with LD need: • Direct instruction • Group learning • Social skills • Organization • Emotional support • Growing independence

5. What is our role? • To teach, in groups or one-on-one • To mentor • To counsel • To liaise with home • To create an environment of safety and acceptance • To model social skills

6. What is the best way to provide this? • Options • Specific programming • In class support • Co-teaching • Teachers consulting with specialists • Early and ongoing assessment

7. What do we need to develop to do this? • Collaboration • Resources • Variety of approaches • Research

8. What does this require? • Time • Commitment • Shared vision • Cooperation with home • Support from leaders and co-workers • Flexible school systems • $? • Courses?

9. Some models • Landmark • Cape Breton • Finland • Reggio • RTI • French school

10. Specific areas to address for LD • Academic: reading, math, language, comprehension • Organization • Study skills • Executive function • Social skills • Self esteem, self-advocacy • Belonging • Home • Future

11. Specifically...Reading • Phonological awareness • Access to literacy • Connection to language • Comprehension • Multisensory approaches • Is reading recovery enough? • Small grp vs. Whole class

12. Math • Declarative, procedural, conceptual • Number sense • Students need practice and facts, but don’t omit the higher order thinking skills • Technology is necessary for many with LD

13. Organization • Note-taking: Teacher: slow down; cue- emphasis and organizational • Student: teach note-taking skills, strategic and guided. • Time management, space, materials, managing work • Structure, written, visual schedule, fewer problems per page, assignment folders, visual timer and calendar • Digital master filing system

14. Memory • Sort • Review • Physical • games

15. Writing • Technology • Specific spelling instruction in context • Organizers • Distinguish creativity from formal writing • Not the only way to assess knowledge

16. Behavior • Connection to ability, motivation • What comes first, LD or behavior? • ADD, nonverbal • Provide verbal mediation • Avoid difficult situations • Self-monitor • Learn non-verbal cues

17. Social skills • Collaborate with parents • Teach in context • Be sensitive to cultural differences • Limit reinforcement and let student’s own rewards be internalized • Teach problem solving, eg. Autopsy • Listen, don’t judge

18. Emotional needs • Acting out not the only reaction; also withdrawn, depressed, anxious • Self esteem- school to global • LD can affect emotional, and vice versa, positively and negatively • Avoidance- lazy • Escaping school, trouble at home, teacher’s impatience

19. Twice exceptional: Gifted and LD/ADHD • Learned helplessness and underachievement • Annoying behavior masks LD and giftedness • Assessment must include creativity • Develop talent • Do not necessarily shorten or simplify tasks • Differentiated-integrated curriculum, counseling, remedial instruction • Enrichment • Mentoring, including peer and community • choice

20. Relationship with home • Initial word: the grieving process: compassion, hope and appropriate discussion • Mutual respect and appreciation • Share information: past, present and future • Admit when you don’t know and find out • Connect to outside agencies • Include parents from the beginning in program planning • Behavior, medication, homework

21. Building for the future • Ongoing assessment • Transition planning • Independence and technology • University and community college • Work experience • Personal strengths and aptitudes • Positive attitude • Self advocacy