Week 10

Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing often have difficulty socializing and making friends with their peers.  How can you address this within your classroom?

If the student uses sign language:  Number one, I would like to encourage sign language in the regular education classroom.  Learning the signs for spelling words, etc. is a great way to provide the language for the students without taking up a ton of time.  I would also be interested in leading a sign language club, if enough students willing to participate.  This would give the students more language to communicate with the D/HH student, as well as give the D/HH student the opportunity to be a “leader” within that environment. 

I would have the students do activities in groups of two, and they will have to change partners every time.  That will help more students to interact with the D/HH student and hopefully start to become friends.  If the D/HH student has difficulty knowing how to interact with others, I would directly teach that because it’s a hugely important skill to have.  We could also role play interactions with others to try and help the D/HH student to feel comfortable.

I think it would be really neat to incorporate deafness and Deaf Culture/history in the regular education curriculum.  It could help the other students understand how to better communicate with the D/HH student, as well as to respect that student’s culture.

Communicating with parents is very important.  What are some ways you can communicate with parents and is there a better way than another?

Email, phone calls, in-person meetings, newsletters, notes sent home with the student, teacher’s website, and texting are all viable options of communication with/to parents.

I think all of these are good options and all should be used that the parent wants.  I want to communicate with the parents in the way they are most likely to receive the information and respond.  I think the subject matter also defines which is the best choice:  if it’s something of a delicate matter, perhaps an in-person meeting should be set up to discuss (the scheduling may need to be done via phone call, text, email, etc.) 

While I may be more comfortable using certain types of communication with parents, I will make every effort to use whatever type(s) with which each parent is most comfortable.

Week 9

Positive Behavior Supports or PBS is a program some districts or schools implement.   Complete a mini-research regarding this program.  Do you think this is beneficial program?  Why or Why not?

I think the program has the possibility of being very beneficial.  It is a great way to acknowledge and reward good behavior, which (hopefully) encourages others to want to exhibit good behaviors.  I also think it’s great that this is a school-wide program, so it isn’t only the students who are rewarded or acknowledged.  I particularly like this for elementary schools.

For older ages (particularly high school), I think this could still be beneficial but it needs to be paired with punishments (or something for student exhibiting negative behaviors).  My husband and several of my in-laws teach middle and high school, and they don’t see as much of a benefit from the program.  It may encourage the students who are doing well to continue doing well, but it doesn’t necessarily encourage those exhibiting poor behaviors to change them.  That is just their personal experience, however.  

I do think it’s great for PBS should be incorporated in a school, but there also needs to be a set up discipline program.  Focusing on the positives is great, though!