Student's Needs

The information I collected about my class is crucial to my goal-setting and planning. My class has very diverse needs, having 11 students with IEPs and many more as second language learners, it is really important to take into account that many students are at modified levels. Without this knowledge I would not be teaching students at the appropriate levels nor would I have realistic expectations. With this knowledge I am able to plan activities that can be scaffolded to many different ability levels.

The readings discuss the most effective ways to reach student’s when teaching. The “spiral of inquiry” had a detailed explanation of how to teach more effectively. The spiral talks about 5 steps. The first step is to figure out what your student’s needs are- to scan the class. Next, we use this scan to focus in on a specific area. Throughout our teaching, we will have “hunches” about what our student’s learning needs are and should follow these hunches to perform new “scans” of the class. Once we have determined what the focus should be, we need to research what the best methods are for delivering this concept. After we have determined the best course, we need to take action! Finally, we need to ensure that our actions have produced the desired effect. We need to check whether or not we have made enough of a difference. If not, we need to find a new course of action. If so, we can tackle the next obstacle!

Tiemperly et al, 2014. "A framework for transforming learning in schools: Innovation and the spiral of inquiry". Centre for Strategic Education.