Chapter 11

                Every classroom faces diverse learners – students with differing levels of achievement, language knowledge, cultural backgrounds, etc. Not many classrooms have the same ratios of these students compared to others. Many teachers think that diverse learners are only those who may be struggling within their classes but the definition is much more than that. It encompasses special education students, at-risk students, students from low-socioeconomic environments, students with low self-esteem, etc. Focusing on the diverse needs of students allows teachers to reach students on a level that potentially no one has before, by including them.

                With the least restrictive environment provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with special needs are now being placed in regular classrooms through a principle called inclusion. This allows students with special needs feel included among their peers with the same workload. Determining a student’s special education status is the role of the student, the parents, and even the educators by using the response to intervention model. This tiered scale indicates the level of intervention that a student should have to succeed throughout school and the tier a child is in can vary throughout their schooling experience depending on the current needs. This intervention model is present to keep students out of special education which is the ultimate goal.

                Some students in the classroom are at-risk of dropping out due to a variety of possible factors. It is important for educators to be able to identify these students and provide a positive, caring setting. With proper guidance, students can become resilient and thrive in school despite other factors in their lives that may be acting against them.

                One of the factors that can inhibit at-risk students is their socio-economic status due to their family not being able to afford supplies that are essential to optimizing the learning experience. Many families can just afford the basics like food and clothes. Students in these settings might have parents who are not employed and may feel like they need to care for their parents or siblings and decide to drop out of school. Helping these students requires the educator to be sensitive and understanding about the situation.

                Other at-risk students may suffer from low self-esteem, or self-efficacy, which can be mended through having a good student-teacher relationship and good peer-peer relationships. It is important to not play favorites within the classroom because low-efficacy students might suffer even lower self-esteem. Avoiding favorites will also build a sense of trust among all of the students that can provide a comfortable setting for all at-risk students, especially though with low self-esteem. Some of the key strategies to focus on include focusing on student strengths, giving students opportunities at their level, and providing a good cooperative learning environment.

                Many diverse learners may struggle with reading but there are ways to assist them. It is important to keep students on track and make sure that they comprehend the material. In order to do this, teachers can implement the PAR framework and keep track throughout the reading of the student’s progress. Giving students goals for what to look for at different stages of reading is crucial. Differentiating the style that a material is learned or read by student can make a huge difference. Teachers should focus on the acronym PLEASE by focusing on physical factors, language, environment, aptitude, SES, and educational factors. If a teacher can pinpoint where a student is struggling, then they can best manipulate the lesson to facilitate learning.

                There are many good strategies that can be used by teachers to benefit diverse learners. One of my favorites mentioned in the book is the mystery clue activity. With this activity, students will have to be able to incorporate information into chronological order in order to solve a problem. This could be very helpful for struggling students when I become a biology teacher as there are many difficult topics with long processes. Another neat activity is the concept formation study guide. Some students just need a little help organizing the information in order to help solve problems about it. This guide helps them do so by providing an area to take directed notes and another area for questions relating to the information collected.

                Chapter 11 has provided me with some interesting insight into the world of diverse learners. I encourage you all to check out the following link below which I discovered while doing some of my own research about diverse learners. This website provides tools and articles for educators and future educators relating to how to work with diverse learners in the classroom.

http://www.tolerance.org/