Maxwell Hibbard | Greater Philadelphia 2014-15 | Mastery Charter High School Thomas Campus

7
th
and 8
th
Grade Math Teacher

2014-2015 Vision

Class Philosophies:
Show dont tell.
Every voice matters.
Always ask why.


As any educator will tell
you, we wear many hats:

Teacher
Co-Teacher
Advocate
Problem-Solver








So too, must our students:

Brother/Sister
Son/Daughter
Grandson/Granddaughter
Cousin
Role Model
Student
Friend
Babysitter
Teenager
Mentor
Leader



This is our vision for the 2014-15 academic school year. Youll notice that our vision looks a little bit different than the ones youre
used to seeing. That we dont have a theme. That we dont have a motto, mantra, or catchphrase that will magically propel us
To College and Beyond. That college may not be the best choice for all of us, even though we spend most of our waking hours
inside the walls of a high-performing charter school which promises college acceptance. And that we are okay with that. That
because when it comes down to real dreams, real aspirations, real hopes, our primary vision is that we develop the skills necessary
to succeed no matter where we decide to go.

We hope youll support our aspirations to become effective problem-solvers, strong self-advocates, and gracious relationship-
builders in our journey to acquire the personal and academic skills necessary to be ready for secondary and post-secondary life.

Signed,

Mr. Hibbard | 8
th
grade math students | 7
th
grade math students | 8
th
grade parents | 7
th
grade parents


The Fine Print, Technical Stuff:

Our classroom is a math class of 33 students, made up of 7
th
and/or 8
th
grade students, whose age ranges from 12-15. While
many of my students have a primary disability of Specific Learning Disability in math computation and/or math problem-
solving, many of my students must also navigate additional disabilities of Attention-Deficit Disorder, Attention-Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, speech-language impairments, Specific Learning Disabilities in basic reading and/or reading
comprehension, dyslexia, Intellectual Disability, and autism. Additionally, some students receive occupational therapy
services to remediate difficulties with handwriting and other fine motor skills.

Typically, a student with an IEP is initially evaluated in elementary school. The school psychologist, notoriously overworked
and underpaid, administers a set of state-mandated examinations which test for several skills, including, but not limited to:
Basic Reading Skills (oral reading fluency, accuracy), Reading Comprehension (basic and inferential), Math Computation, Math
Applications (problem-solving), and Written Expression. Based on the students performance when compared to his/her
peers of the same age, the school psychologist determines whether or not the student qualifies for special education services.
When properly done, students are evaluated on each cognitive skill, and their disabilities (if applicable) are categorized
according to their specific cognitive deficiency. Ironically, educational categorizations are overwhelmingly not specific: they
will simply read, Specific Learning Disability, disregarding the need to designate whether or not a student has a disability in
reading-only, math-only, or both.

Elementary schools are also less likely to practice inclusion. Typically, elementary schools will practice either self-contained
or push-in, pull-out models of support which alienate students with IEPs from the general population. Years of being
identified as separate typically cultivate feelings of (at best) low self-esteem and low self-worth. At worst, yet equally as
common, the separation cultivates behaviors of defiance, resistance to authority, and disillusionment from schooling.

No, students with IEPs should not be treated differently from other students. They want to blend in, fit in, be included with
their neurotypical peers. But they do have unique needs, and unique histories.

In the interest of holistic, transformational education, I believe there are five categories of development for a student with an
IEP. Each one is interconnected, and no category is any more important than the other:



Student
Literacy and
Problem-
Solving
Self-Efficacy
Family
Support
IEP
Ownership
Interpersonal
Relationships




Problem-Solving Goal: All students will develop the problem-solving skills necessary to demonstrate
readiness to succeed in both secondary and post-secondary academic life.






Self-Efficacy Goal: All students will develop the level of self-efficacy necessary to create and navigate access
into a social and professional environment that is conducive to both their secondary and post-secondary
success.






How will I know that were making progress?

Student Action 1 - Help! 2 Far Below
Expectations
3 Almost
Meeting
Expectations

4 Meeting
Expectations
5 Exceeding
Expectations
Understanding of
Strengths
Im good at
math and
Im good at
fractions, but
Reading novels
is my greatest
Math computation
is my greatest
My strongest
subject this year is
Algebra & Algebraic
Reasoning
Fractions
Operations
(Multiplication)
Number Sense & Place
Value
Self-Efficacy
Self-Agency
Self-Confidence
Self-Awareness
science. weak in
understanding the
scientific method.
strength. But I
dont like writing.
Its too hard.
strength. However,
Im still getting
stuck on negative
numbers. This year,
Im going to use my
problem-solving
strengths to get
better at solving
computation
problems with
negative numbers.
reading. This year,
I want to improve
on my weaknesses
in reading, such as
making inferences
in fictional texts.
Understanding of
Weaknesses
I hate math. I cant multiply
and divide like the
other kids.
I really struggle
with reading
history. Its hard.
There are too
many big words
and long
sentences.
Literature is my
strongest subject
because Im very
strong at making
inferences.
However, Im
stronger at making
inferences in
fictional texts than
non-fictional texts
because without the
time to create an
idea-map of the
topic, I struggle
with organizing
non-fictional pieces
of information in
my head.
Its difficult for
me to read for long
periods of time.
Therefore, this IEP
term Im going to
focus on
strengthening my
reading
endurance. I will
do this by keeping
a log of my reading
times, annotating
the main idea of
every paragraph,
and having a peer
check my work.
Understanding of
Disability
I cant read and
I cant do math.
Something
doesnt really
work in my brain,
especially for
math and
reading.
I have a learning
disability. It
means I cant do
math and
reading.
Based on the
results of my last
evaluation, I have a
Learning Disability.
Specifically, I
struggle with math
computation and
reading
comprehension.
According to my
last evaluation, my
educational
category is Specific
Learning Disability
in the areas of
math computation
and reading
comprehension.
This means that I
am currently
testing more than
two grade levels
behind my peers of
the same age and
Mental Processing
Index. MPI for
short.
Advocating for IEPs
SDI &
accommodations (if
applicable)
This isnt
accommodated
so I cant do
this.
I need extended
time because I
have a learning
disability.
To teacher, either
in private or
during a lesson: I
have an IEP that
says I have a
disability in
writing. So I need
extra time for this
assignment.
To teacher, in
private: My IEP
describes that I
have a right to have
this assignment
accommodated.
Unfortunately, I
have a disability in
the area of reading
comprehension, so
Im honestly going
to have a very
difficult time
comprehending this
To teacher, in
private:
much material in
the amount of time
you have assigned.
Can you provide me
with some support
during class which
is aligned with my
SDI?


Family Action 1 2 3 4 5
IEP Goals and
SDI/Accommodation
Ownership

Building positive,
effective Relationships
with both GenEd and
SPED teachers

Building positive,
effective Relationships
with school
administrators






Interpersonal Relationships Goal: All students will become proficient at building relationships with both peers and
adults at the level necessary to demonstrate readiness for secondary and post-secondary life.





Reciprocity
Humility
Self-Awareness