Isabel Yates, 11/2015

EngagingandSupportingStudentsinLearning
The task of engaging and supporting students in learning requires the ability to set
up your classroom in a way that is engaging and supportive for all students. This requires
the capacity to individualize as needed as well. No plan for the school year will work for
each student all the time. A good teacher prepares to support and engage students based
on their needs that change and grow day by day. The aspects that make up engaging and
supportive classrooms are: accessible content, high student engagement, developmentally
appropriate teaching practices, and teaching English language learners. In my placement
at Cypress school as an intern teacher I engage my students in a supportive learning
environment each day.
The first task I face is making content accessible. Each of my students has an
Individualized Education Plan (IEP). They dictate the goals for the year for that particular
student. My students do not always need to follow exact common core grade-level
standards. I do however use anchor standards and lower grade level standards to guide
my lessons. My lessons and activities are always given with written, oral and visual
supports. I have non-verbal students who use iPads as an AAC (Augmentative Alternative
Communication) device. They are able to use premade icons for generic items and also
you can add pictures of staff, preferred items or places so the students without use of
words can communicate at a much higher level.

Isabel Yates, 11/2015

The AAC allows the students to engage in a lesson, which gives me more
information about how much they do or do not understand. Whenever we are learning
about new concepts I am sure to integrate as many modes of learning as possible. I love
to include visuals, physical models and whenever possible actual experience doing the
skill we are learning. We use math manipulatives all the time in my math lessons. All
students benefit from using manipulatives but my students especially thrive when given
the opportunity to represent the numbers with an actual item. Lastly, we use technology
as a whole class engagement tool. My students struggle with shared attention, however if
there is a movie or short clip involved, it becomes much more easy and successful. I will
video tape an activity and watch it back as the whole class, this allows the students to
watch what happened again.
Student Engagement can be difficult especially when my students dont have
appropriate social skills all the time. Engagement is a focus for my class because if they
arent engaged, they will not be able to acquire new skills or knowledge. We often use
community resources such as the garden, library and parks in order to create high levels
of engagement. We use the different environments as the incentive for engagement in an
activity. My students will engage in play together if they are at the park. Once they are

Isabel Yates, 11/2015

able to engage and play together at the park, it is easier to have that knowledge transfer to
the classroom in a less motivating activity or setting. The school in general stresses the
importance of teaching relevant skills in realistic settings. Often skills are practiced at
school and then integrated throughout the day across settings. It has been very successful
with my students to practice, implement and adapt a new skill or knowledge to different
settings throughout the day.

My classroom has a very structured day with many opportunities for movement.
An Occupational Therapist (OT) recently told me that arrival time provides a key
opportunity to be active for all students. Our school as a whole has all students go on a
walk, skateboard, bike or run each morning. The students come to school, regardless of
the classroom they are in, they know to make a choice in the morning for their physical
activity. Some students use a modified bike based on their needs. This allows for sensory
regulation first thing in the morning and also creates an all school climate that values
physical activity. We also spend a great deal of time modeling norms of social
interactions. We have many social stories and depending on the grade level some students

Isabel Yates, 11/2015

create their own social stories. When the students create their own social stories they
become that much more powerful and personalized. For my class in particular, we
participate in a playgroup with the Montessori school that we share a campus with, as
well as our middle school class. The students learn hands on from their peers how to act,
share, learn and grow together. It is a mutually beneficial playgroup because the older
students are practicing empathy, patience and sharing. It is beautiful to watch them grow
together.
Finally a part very dear to my heart, teaching English Learners, plays a huge role
in my classroom. I am fluent in Spanish and have two ELs in my class this year. They
have low verbal abilities but understand English and Spanish. It is fabulous to be able to
speak with them in Spanish throughout the day. I also encourage the other students in our
class to learn to say words and phrases in Spanish. I have eight students, so one quarter of
them speak Spanish at home. I am sure to write all communication home in Spanish to
those families. I also include bilingual books into our library. I think presenting Spanish
and English together allows for my bilingual students to feel special. It is a pleasure to
have Spanish speakers in my class. I have heard from both parents that they are so happy
to have a teacher who they can speak to in Spanish instead of English. I have also
provided the other teachers in my school with translations for letters home.

Isabel Yates, 11/2015