I believe "..if teaching is to be effective with young children, it must assist them to advance on the way to independence" - Maria Montessori.
That is just what we promote in our Foundations Class. The students all have varying goals and objectives, but the overall goal is always independence.
My classroom consists of a group of students who are performing significantly below grade level due to severe/profound or multiple disabilities.
These students are some of the most determined, hard working students that I have encountered. They have to work ten times harder than their peers to try to close the gap. Always armed with a smile, determination and courage, my students rise to the challenge. Our school does a wonderful job of promoting independence and growth among all students-- not just those who happen to have disabilities.
My Project
The students in my classroom are always on the go between related service sessions, general education lessons, unified arts and small group lessons. They are always accompanied and supported by adults. Acknowledging that these students have a lot of adult interaction, "independent work time" is built into their schedules. This time block is intended to offer an opportunity to work alone on skills that they have previously mastered to insure retention and generalization.
The Hot Dots system will be used by the students as a way to make "review" fun and interesting. Lessons, flashcards and books are based on documented areas of weakness. I can monitor progress by listening to the auditory feedback or observing the visual feedback. Students would work independently with these skills and would be responsible for tracking their own data. A reward system will be built into the "independent" work time as well.
Often, teachers give students worksheets and you are not able to progress monitor them.
This creative system will allow the students to be independent and gain confidence in their skills. The students will be encouraged to take academic risks and challenges. One small step to helping them build the confidence to gain independence in the school community as well as in the greater community. The Hot Dots system is not intimidating; it's fun and easy to use!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Bouchard and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
