LearningDisabilities
Collaboratingwith the student to generate ideas for assignments
Itis essential to utilize appropriate etiquette that facilitates a freeflow of communication when collaborating with John. First, thediscussion with John will assume an interview structure. During theinterview, it is common for students with disabilities to exposetheir anxiety to please the interviewer. Such instances may bedisastrous as John might give inaccurate information based on what hethinks the interviewer wants to hear. The interview technique willprovide clear questions for making sure that John gives his side ofthe story regarding the way he handles his assignments (Kim, 2004).
Secondly,during the discussion, the interviewers will ensure that Johnunderstands the various questions concerning the strategies forimproving his assignments. Consequently, it is imperative for thediscussion to proceed slowly. The interviewer will have the courtesyfor repeating the questions to ensure that John has taken in all theinformation provided (Kim, 2004).
Third,the interviewer will provide opportunities for John to contributeverbally concerning the things he presumes are his problems. He willalso recommend the most appropriate approach for solving the problem.In addition, the interviewer will give John an opportunity tocomplete his sentences without interfering or assisting him in thetask. Besides, it is important for the interviewer to make sure thathe or she asks John to repeat his statement, in case, what he says isnot clear. Such instances shall serve as an indicator that theinterviewer is listening and that they are placing importance andvalue on John’s point of view. Consequently, they shall raiseJohn’s interest in providing as much information as possible(Loonin, 2012).
Evaluatingand following up on the recommendations
Duringthe interview, I will take notes based on John’s ideas and the waythe school can enhance his assignments. I will evaluate John’sconcerns to identify his favorite treatment in class, as well as, theapproach for ending the current belief that the teacher mistreatshim. Besides, John will require providing suggestions regardingsuitable treatment from the gifted teacher. The interview panel shallattach a timeline for each concern John indicates. I shall follow upon the recorded recommendations after a specified period, such as theend of the term, to identify the progress. For example, I willinvestigate whether the teachers’ attitude towards John haschanged. Besides, I will evaluate whether he receives similartreatment to his classmates. Additional key performance indicatorsinclude John’s performance in his assignments after implementinghis suggestions. I will look for feedback regarding his academicperformance and question any shortfalls of grades (Loonin, 2012).
Teambuilding strategies and activities for the class.
Thekey team building activity is providing group work to students. Thestudents should have the option of choosing their team members basedon their level of comfort with the colleagues. The strategy providesan opportunity for equal participation of each member. During theassignment, the team members should implement a portion of a task toaccomplish and report to the group after a particular period.Besides, each group member should have a chance for presenting his orher findings to the group, as well as, the class. During thepresentation, each member should explain his or her class, and thencoordinate a question and answer session with the class members (Kim,2004).
Howto provide collaborative coaching to the classroom teacher.
Collaborativecoaching is accomplished after a teacher understands the currentsituation. First, reconciliation is crucial for both the teacher andJohn. The intervention team will provide the teacher with John’scomplaints. On the other hand, it is important to obtain the opinionof the teacher and develop ways for solving the misunderstanding.Specifically, it is essential to make the teacher understand that theIEP team evaluated John’s condition and found that he does notrequire a paraprofessional to be successful in the gifted classroom.Consequently, the teacher will erase the current misconception ofJohn as an underachiever. Second, the teacher will understand thatJohn qualifies for the gifted class that based on the test scores.The teacher will start recognizing John in class, and everything willbe back to normal (Kim, 2004).
Addressingthe communication with parents
Theaction plan will aim at identifying the opinion of John’s parentstowards the treatment of their son in school. At first, it isimperative to understand beforehand that the parents are of theopinion that their son is being mistreated at school since he is theonly Hispanic speaking child. It is the most probable situation asthe parents are aware that the teacher told John that he does notbelong to the class. It is, hence, imperative to apologize for suchdirect insult on their children and promise to make adjustments(Loonin, 2012).
Additionalcritical interventions should aim at reconciling the teacher with theparents that now have a negative attitude towards both the teacherand the school in general. The communication with the parents shouldprovide assurance that their child has the right to be treatedequally with the other children in the institution. The aim is toensure the parents that the situation is under control and that theschool will provide them with feedback regarding the futuredevelopment. An apology should also assure the parents that such anincidence should not happen again (Kim, 2004).
Reportingback to the principal
Theprincipal will obtain four reports. The first report will be aboutthe ideas generated by John concerning the most appropriate approachfor handling his assignments. The second report will provide theteacher’s conclusive collaborative program for John. The thirdreport will present the conclusions reached with John’s parents.The last report will provide information on the findings of thegeneral education teachers (Kim, 2004).
Thefirst report will lead to additional school related ideas from theprincipal. Besides, the principal will evaluate the discussions withJohn to identify other topics left out in the evaluation. Thediscussion with the principal will also provide guidance concerningthe ways for discussing and laying out a collaborative coachingprogram with the classroom teacher. After the discussion with thegifted teacher, I will report the findings to the principal for anadditional guide on the way to discuss with John’s parents.Finally, the principal will provide guidelines for the last meetingwith other general teachers about what is working for John. Finally,I will report to the principal after holding the meeting with thestaff to report on the final decision for the case. The principalwill advise and provide guidance on the way for making variousconclusions a background for policies to deal with students who havelearning disabilities within the school (Loonin, 2012).
Incorporatingcommunication from the other general education teachers
Iwill hold a meeting with other general teachers from our school whereI will present John’s case, the various developments from hiscollaborative teacher and the principal as well as the parents.Together we shall discuss each perspective from my previous meetingsto identify their level of viability. I will ask each staff member toprovide his or her side of view that shall further be subject toevaluation by the teachers. The final meeting will provide a set ofseasoned approaches to assist John and any other student with alearning disability (Kim, 2004).
References
Kim, H. H.(2004). Learningdisabilities. San Diego,CA: Greenhaven Press.
Loonin, M.(2012). Learningdisabilities. Detroit,MI: Lucent Books.