Students are not a “one size fits all”
model. Each student comes in with different abilities, strengths,
weaknesses, and learning style. How teachers face this challenge
impacts our future. As educators implement the use of multimodal
strategies into their classroom, they are giving all students new ways to
learn. This allows students, to be successful in the classroom in a way that
they can best show mastery. Implementing multimodal strategies into the
classrooms allows students the opportunity to not only realize their learning
style, but also how to utilize their learning style to the best of their
advantage (Gordan Kelly Academic Success Center, 2017). But what does that look like for new teachers?
I have found that one of the biggest struggles a teacher can have is classroom management. Being able to control your classroom is vital to being able to teach the content required. It is imperative that teachers take the time to teach rituals and routines to students. Time spent with this at the beginning of the school year will pay itself back tenfold when the teacher is able to teach the rest of the year with minimal interruptions from behaviors (Weinstein, et al., 2003)
To learn more about teacher perception of multimodal strategies I send q questionnaire to 3 teachers. Each had varying amounts of experience, degree level, and grades being taught. The results were amazing to me that teachers who were so different, all felt very similar. The results are represented below.
When new teachers are presented with
all the expectations that are expected of them, they can become overwhelmed.
Through Action Research, I was able to talk to a veteran teacher and asked her
questions that allowed her to discuss the importance of differentiation, social
emotional learning, and conflict resolution. I feel it is crucial to share her
answers. She is wise and had great advice on putting all the pieces
together to be successful and survive those first, crucial years of
teaching.
What approaches are used in your classroom to promote collaboration?
Students work in small groups or with a partner.
During this time students are able to give opinions and collect ideas that may
be different from their own. Students are given roles in each group so that no
students is doing all the work and students are not left out of a
project/assignment. Students are also paired with a variety of learners, this
helps other students who may not normally speak out a chance to have a voice.
To enhance appreciation of cultures and diversity
in your classroom, what resources and plans do you use to cultivate an
appreciation of diverse cultures within your classroom?
Parents and community members are some of our best
resources as teachers. These resources are able to bring in outside information
and artifacts that we may not have access to in the classroom. I often go from
being the instructor to being the facilitator. Students are another way to
promote appreciation for diverse cultures in the classroom. They are always
excited to share with their teachers and others about their own culture and in
turn, create excitement for others to want to learn and appreciate a culture
that is different from their own.
What tactics do you use to teach Social Emotional
Learning within your classroom to promote and model empathy and cooperation?
As teachers, we need to facilitate and model social
and emotional skills. Providing students with ways to practice these skills
will create a habit so that they use them naturally when in various
situations. In my classroom students are given different scenarios they act out
and then we discuss ways that we could use these in our own daily lives.
Students are not always given the scenario that is deemed the correct way to
handle situations. This gives me a chance to talk about how we could handle the
situation and how if we handle it the wrong way it can cause more harm that
good.
What practices do you use to model and teach to
your classroom in order to promote respect for the diverse cultures and values
represented in your classroom?
I try to always give students a chance to
talk about their own cultures (especially is they are vastly different from
most others in the classroom). This could happen within a lesson during our
morning meeting or even throughout a reading lesson. I try to approach it in a
delicate manner, so that students do not feel like they are put on the spot and
feel comfortable sharing with others. Many students want to share about their
own culture, however, some students do not want to feel "different"
from others in the classroom. I often share my own experiences and
culture/values with my students.
What strategies do you use in the
classroom to help students resolve conflict?
I try my best not to solve
the conflict in my room first. I give ample opportunities for students to come
up with their own resolutions with guidance if needed. I feel if we as
teachers/adults solve all the issues in our classroom then we are not teaching
our students how to solve problems on their own. Students are often better at
looking at the bigger picture when they step back and listen to each other and
not just the teacher telling them how to resolve a situation. That is not to
say that I do not step in when needed. I am always there to mediate as needed.
What behavior plan is in place to
help prevent conflict in the classroom?
In my classroom, we treat each
other like we are family. This by itself is a great way to eliminate much of
the conflict in the room. During our morning meeting, we treat each other with
respect and often give compliments during the meeting. We talk a lot about how
to be respectful, even if someone is not their favorite. Classroom motto:
"We don't all have to like each other, but we do have to respect each
other".
What do you do to differentiate
the students in your classroom to ensure understanding?
Depending on the task, students
are grouped either by ability, interest, topic, or learning styles. Students may
also be assessed in a variety of ways.
How do you ensure rigor in your
classroom?
High expectations are probably
the most used in my classroom. Students need to know that you expect the most
from them or they will give you their least. Assignments and tasks are also
differentiated to promote rigor throughout. I also make sure that it is a
relevant assignment and that students feel as if they are learning this for a
reason and will be able to use it in life. I realize that sometimes teachers
have the approach of; "we have to teach it, because they have to know
it" and that is okay too. High order thinking questions and engaging
questions are another way I try to ensure that lessons and assignments are
rigorous for my students.
What types of technology do you
use or feel would be beneficial in the classroom?
I have access to a laptop cart
and iPads in my classroom. With these pieces of technology, my students use a
variety of apps and programs to promote learning. They use voice and video
recorded applications to answer questions and work on projects.
Last question, if you could give
one word of advice to yourself as a first-year teacher, what would it be?
Be flexible, never stop wanting
to learn and be honest with what you are able to do (ask questions when you
don't know how to do it). Teachers are often asked to do things we never
thought possible. This year is definitely a trying year for all teachers and
being flexible and learning to go with he flow has been the best possible
approach to teaching this year. HAVE FUN!!
Through my action research in my doctoral Curriculum and
Instruction class, I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. I was able to
conduct quantitative research and gauge teacher perceptions with different
levels of experience and school environments as well as have a veteran teacher
share her wealth of knowledge with me (and not with you). As a mom I know
that it takes a village to raise my girls and as each year in my career passes,
I am able to see how it takes a village for teachers to be successful.
Teachers truly are a community.
References
Multimodal Learning Strategies: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Multimodal Learning. The Gordan Kelly Academic Success Center. (2017). https://academics.uafs.edu/academic-success/academic-success-center
Weinstein, C., Curran, M., and
Tomlinson-Clarke, S. (2003). Culturally responsive classroom management:
Awareness into action. Theory into Practice, 42(4), 269-276
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