Removing Barriers to Make Education Accessible

Transcript

Kris (00:00)

Hey everybody and welcome to the Learning Loop podcast, your best source for educational insights and trends. I’m Kris, your host. Today’s special guest is Emily. Emily is a special education teacher at Frost Lake Elementary School right here in Minnesota. Emily is a veteran teacher, being a former classroom teacher and now shifting to special education. In our talk, Emily will share with us how she differentiates instruction, how she leverages technology and how she engages students. Emily, welcome to the show.

Emily (00:41)

Thank you for having me. I’m really excited to be here and get to share with everybody.

Kris (00:48)

Of course, of course, for sure. We’re gonna start off with kind of a baseline question, one that just helps us to understand what’s working in your classroom? What kind of things are you doing that kind of fits the needs of your students? So when we think about differentiating instruction, what are some things that you do at a very base level just to differentiate that instruction to meet those diverse needs of all of your students?

Emily (01:13)

Yeah, definitely. So one of the things I think is really important is actually two things, collecting good data and building relationships with my students, which I know is kind of like a tagline for teachers, but especially at the beginning of the year, I try really hard to just get to know who they are as individuals. And then also just collect a good baseline, letter sounds, letter names, reading, things like that. So then I can make…

lessons that are hopefully engaging to them and also at their level and then I can start there and differentiate With that as a jumping-off point

Kris (01:55)

Absolutely. Strong foundations are always important. And I love your emphasis on data specifically, like having accurate information and making sure that that’s also pretty concrete really helps everybody to know exactly what to do.

Emily (01:59)

Yeah.

Kris (02:13)

I’ll jump into our next question here. What strategies have you found helpful to get to that point of differentiating that content? You know, you talked through what you really look for, but what kind of things do you put in place to be able to get to that point? Maybe it’s things that you have set up as far as assessments. Maybe it’s the way that you think about differentiating your content. Can you just share what strategies have you found helpful in your classroom?

Emily (02:39)

Yeah, so a couple of different things. One is I just I want differentiation to be something I can sustain throughout the year. And so I try to start small, I try to have maybe two or three different options for students. But I mean, we could spend all day on an entire week planning for one lesson to meet the needs of every single students if we wanted to. So I think having two or three different options for my students to do.

is something that has been manageable for me. And then another thing that I like to do is talk to my students about the why behind we differentiate. And for them, it’s as simple as everyone gets what they need to be successful. And that can be in terms of sensory tools or fidgets, all the way to why your assignment looks different than a friend’s assignment. And then I often invite my students into the differentiation.

You know, sometimes if it’s like a phonics lesson and they don’t really understand by one student is working on short vowels versus long vowels, they’re really not involved in that. But if it’s getting to choose like which writing template they might use, then we’re going to set some goals around, try this one with sentence downs. But then next week, I want you to try to do the writing on your own. And so they then get to take some ownership, um, and have some, yeah, just like goals that they get to set with in the differentiation as well.

Kris (04:07)

Yeah, yeah. I love how you’re passing that baton onto them and really allowing them to own some of those outcomes and some of the things that they do on their end who will show you what they know. I think, you know, we’re stepping into that student-driven learning and in the realm of really allowing students to really own their instruction in the classroom. I love that.

Emily (04:29)

Yeah, thanks.

Kris (04:31)

Yeah. How do you balance differentiating for students at both ends of the spectrum? I know you might often see students in your specific instance where they might need extra support, but you probably also have them in certain subjects who might need some extensions. How do you differentiate on both ends of those spectrums?

Emily (04:52)

Yeah, I think that’s a great question and can be so hard to do, especially as a classroom teacher. I remember how am I supposed to meet the students needs that are two grade levels above and then maybe a kiddo that’s maybe two grade levels behind and then there’s the kids in the middle. And so that can be really challenging. Um, so then kind of like I mentioned before, I try to maybe have three different, uh, lessons or like, um, differentiation points where

maybe one is for students right at grade level, and then one would be an extension, and then one would be for kiddos that aren’t quite where we’re at yet. So that I am kind of have a challenging, more challenging lesson, a right on point, and then one that, oh, we’re going to get you there. It just takes a little bit longer. You need maybe a little bit extra practice. So that’s kind of my go-to is have three different options for each lesson. And if I have to, I’ll go to…

an upper grade level teacher and try to get some of what they’re doing. And I think my easiest tip is if I can go into the CSOC community library and find something that is going to meet their needs, then it’s even easier. I can have four or five, six options for students. If I find lessons that just go perfectly with what we’re doing.

Kris (06:11)

Absolutely, absolutely. Work smarter and not harder. I love that you have those levels to set in front of you as you think about all those. Cause I think that most students are gonna fall into those. There might be some outliers who are two grade levels ahead and other things like that. But just being mindful of trying to meet all of your students where they are is so important.

Emily (06:15)

Exactly.

Kris (06:36)

We’ll jump to our next one here. This is a pretty general question. In your experience, whether this was your experience as a classroom teacher or now as a special education teacher, what kind of accommodations and modifications have you found to be the most successful? And that can lean into how you modify content, and that can also lean into what you do with technology. Just kind of share general things like, what have you found to be really successful meeting the needs of the diverse learners?

Emily (07:05)

Yeah, as a special education teacher, I love this question. Um, but when I was a gen ed teacher too, definitely had to implement accommodations and modifications from students IEPs. Um, and so one thing that is really just an easy no-brainer for me is adding visuals to every lesson and I mean, CSA makes that extremely easy in the directions using, um, you know, the CSA icon shortcuts as well as emojis. And then.

putting on top of that, being able to record my own directions. So then I have the auditory piece for my auditory learners, and my students who maybe can’t read what the directions are. And then if I can put the example in there as well, then my students can actually have a visual model of what I’m expecting. And so that has been one that just at the most basic level helps all of my learners succeed. And I try to do that for every lesson if possible.

And then I also like to give my students like voice and choice in their learning and how they learn best. So that’s in a quiet space with noise canceling headphones. They get to do that. If it’s with music at a table, on a couch, on a chair, as long as they’re not disrupting anyone else, I learn how you learn best. Um, and so that’s just another super, at least easy accommodation. It, when I was a gen ed teacher and now as a special ed teacher as well. Um, and then, um,

I love, we’re a one-to-one iPad school. And so I have some students that have like a voice recorder that’s already set up on there or a screen recorder, sorry, that will read text to them. Or then I’ve also shown them how they can go onto a webpage and have that read the text that’s on the screen so that no matter what text we’re reading, it could be a fifth grade level, third grade.

Whatever my students can access it, even if they can’t read it. And so that’s kind of been a game changer for me as well. Um, and then one thing that I always love to have, whether it’s a technology based lesson or not, it’s just a simple sentence stem, whether that’s for writing or just speaking that helps my, uh, language learners, my spread students, and my, just every student in the class. So I always try to have a sentence stem available as well, or a sentence starter.

Kris (09:31)

Awesome. I love all those tips. I really do. I think you’re really being mindful of, you know, all the needs that come in and just setting them up on a path for success without giving away the, you know, the treasure at the end of that path as they go. So it’s just a really great balance that you’re striking there. I love all those tips.

Emily (09:51)

Thanks, thanks. I try to make it so they’re independent in their learning and can advocate for themselves through the different accommodations and modifications we can come up with along the way.

Kris (10:02)

Absolutely, absolutely. Love it. We’ll jump back to what you talked about at the very beginning, talking about data and getting really accurate data. How do you make assessing student learning easier while still differentiating instruction? Is there a perfect balance you’ve kind of found in that? Is there a specific technique that you use that really just fits that mold in your classroom?

Emily (10:28)

Um, I definitely think I’m still trying to find the balance. Um, I definitely have been guilty of, there’s too many notifications when I’m on CSA approval. I’m not creating anything like start fresh. So hopefully I’m not the only one that’s been there. But, um, once we got the folders on CSA and the stars where I could go and grade to certain standards, that was incredible. It was so time-saving and effective.

Emily (10:57)

that then when it was time for me to go and report card season or I’m meeting with the student and I need data to back up my comments. Well, it was in this beautiful color coded graph that then I could either share with parents or just help me shape my comments that I would make and grades I would ultimately give. And now with the assessment tool that CSO has, I’m like, okay, great. How can I make assessments more engaging to my students? And

more than just, you know, fill in the blank or multiple choice, it has opened up a world of possibilities and made my grading even quicker. So I’m not an expert in that yet, but I’m excited to see how it’s transformative in my students learning and also a time saver as well.

Kris (11:42)

Absolutely, absolutely. Being mindful of using the tools when they fit best and really make sure that they’re fitting in what your goal is. I think those are great tips and great things that you’re just being mindful of, even though you’re saying you’re not an expert, but I think you are in the way that you’re thinking about this and implementing things. So that’s really awesome.

Emily (11:58)

Thank you.

Kris (12:05)

Two quick questions here that will kind of close up and then we have one kind of a silly question I’ll ask too. So it’s really three, but thinking of the family engagement and what you’re doing to just allow them to be a part of the process. I know that there’s a lot of components when we think of the special education statutes and lots that are there, but how else are you including these families in this process to make sure that they’re supported, that this differentiated instruction is really meeting their needs?

Emily (12:36)

Yeah. So, you know, besides like the, I feel like, typical weekly newsletters and just communication with parents, if I can get them connected to our CSOC class so that then they can see what their student’s doing, then that’s kind of my like talking point with them all year is, hey, have your students show you and explain what this lesson was, because then it’s twofold. Not only are they being invited into the process.

Their student is becoming the teacher and teaching what we just learned. So it’s almost like they’re getting the lesson a second time. And then I have a lot of parents that will kind of take the lesson we did, and then maybe model some things at home after it, or, um, I don’t know, it just helps them feel like they’re a part of their child’s learning a little bit more. And that has just been really cool to see as, um, I’ve been teaching longer and longer how it’s the same every year. Parents are always so excited.

to get to feel like they have an extra part in their child’s learning. And so that’s kind of my biggest go-to.

Kris (13:42)

Absolutely. I love that you have parents who are taking that initiative and taking that leadership and really starting to take some of those things implemented at home, practice them at home, and just continue that learning. That’s such a powerful loop that has been built.

Emily (13:59)

Yeah.

Kris (14:00)

We’ll ask our loopy question, would you rather be able to eat only pizza for the rest of your life or only chocolate for the rest of your life? You have to choose which one do you think it would be.

Emily (14:12)

I’m going to go ahead and close the pizza. Can I put chocolate on the pizza?

Kris (14:29)

Sure, we’ll see ya.

Emily (14:31)

Okay, okay, then I’m gonna go with pizza because then you can have like a breakfast pizza, a dessert pizza, a dinner or a lunch pizza. I’ll go with pizza for the rest of my life. Yeah.

Kris (14:41)

I would totally agree with you 100%. I think the chocolate would get old, but I think pizza you have enough variety where you can, you’ll be just fine.

Emily (14:50)

Exactly, exactly.

Kris (14:52)

Awesome, awesome. Final question here is we close up our time, close up our episode. We just wanna make sure we always leave with some tips, tricks, things that you can share that just really help anybody listening to take away and glean at the last moment here. So what advice would you give to a new teacher who is struggling to meet the diverse needs of their school in their classroom? What kind of things would you say to them to say here are some things, some tips and how to differentiate their instruction in the best possible way?

Emily (15:24)

Definitely start small. I think as teachers, it’s so easy to want to fix everything and meet every need, but we don’t have a magic wand to do that, unfortunately. So set one goal, maybe one subject area where you’re gonna work to differentiate. And maybe for you, it’s not having three different lessons or activities, it’s two to start with and then three. And then once you feel comfortable in that area, add another one. And…

Maybe it’s not your whole class that you start with. Maybe it’s a group of students. And then slowly building. That way you don’t get burnt out trying to fix everything at one time. And I think hopefully you have amazing colleagues that you can lean on and share resources there. I know when I was teaching first grade, I pulled from the second grade team, some of their activities they would be doing. And same with kindergarten. And so that right there made it a lot easier. And then…

Definitely using activities that are already made. Work smarter, not harder. The CSAW libraries are incredible. And as much as I love making my own, oh, when I can just type in a search key and find high quality lessons or activities already made, I’m sold, I’m gonna use them. And it cuts my time down exponentially. So I think those would be my few little nuggets there.

Kris (16:46)

Amazing, amazing, such purposeful tips in a time when we’re thinking about how do we save time for teachers? How do we make sure we’re being mindful of the time in our classroom? So those are super practical and very timely in what we’re talking about here today. Emily, I just want to say thank you so much for taking time out of your day to be here. Thank you for sharing such powerful insights and how you differentiate instruction, how you really make sure you’re thinking of the students needs and being mindful of those.

throughout your time teaching. You’re such a wealth of information, and we’re so thankful that you’ve been here with us.

Emily (17:24)

and thanks so much for having me. I had a blast!

Kris (17:27)

Of course. Thank you so much. Bye.