Blog #6

Describe:

At-risk learners and learners with special needs are students that can definitely benefit greatly from a great relationship with their teacher. At risk learners may vary, ""students who come from impoverished or single-parent homes, those who have marked developmental delays, or those who exhibit aggressive or withdrawn behavior are more likely to experience problems in school than are other students". (Slavin, page 263) Many at-risk learners are also at-risk because they do not have the parental involvement at home to motivate them or to teach them the importance of education. With children like this the first thing I would do to develop a rapport is just to show them I care about them individually. I could show interest in something that they are interested in, make eye contact throughout the class, and speak to them in and outside of class (in the hallways, lunchroom, etc.) This will let the student know that I care and that I want him/her to do well in and outside of the classroom.

As we mentioned above a reason a child may be at risk is because of poverty. If the child is hungry or barely making ends meet at home, they are likely to care very little about what goes on in the classroom. One place to start is to make sure the child is on free/reduced lunch. You would be surprised how much better child does when they are properly fed. Keeping small snacks in the room may also benefit some children who do not eat much at home.

Another way a teacher can help their students is by assigning a peer tutor or a cross-age tutor to help the at-risk student.  A peer tutor is a student in the classroom that knows the material well and has leadership skills necessary for helping others.  A cross-age tutor can sometimes be more beneficial because they are older.  The student can look up to them and the cross-age tutor may know content more in depth than a same age peer-tutor. 

Title-I" is federal services to schools with a large number of low-income students. This program is set up so that schools cannot abuse the privilege or use it to increase teacher salaries. The program is set up so that the funds used go directly to benefit the students. For instance, Title I money can be used to fund a summer school program or an after school program.  This helps at-risk learners because they have somewhere safe to be after school, where they also can receive extra assistance on schoolwork, and be around positive role models.  “Head start” preschool programs are for students from low-income families to help prepare them for school."   (Slavin, 2012)

Analyze: 

In my opinion the schools that receive Title I program can be very effective.  Schools that have after-school programs not only give a student a place to receive extra tutoring in subjects that they struggle in, but it also gives them a chance to be in a safe environment, probably have a snack that they may not get at home, and most importantly be around positive role models that can mean a lot to them.  The money that the government provides for these programs helps many students out that may otherwise be at home in bad situations with no one to count on.  Also, it gives students whose parents work late a chance to get some homework done with qualified professionals.  I think the after-school programs are a positive impact on at-risk learners. 

Another strategy for at-risk learners that is simple, yet profound is the cross-age tutors.  Some students need an older child to look up to who cares about school and is smart. Sometimes all it takes is an older child showing them how much they like school and learning, to encourage the at-risk learner to try harder.  These relationships can build up the child’s self-esteem as well as their grades.

Reflect: 

I have a special place in my heart for at-risk learners if you could not already tell by my “analyze” section.  These children come into the world just like the rest of us do, they are babies.  They do not choose the situation they grow up in or the parents that may or may not even care about their education or even them at all.  These students so desperately need positive role models and for someone to be their advocate.  Some people think that it is the teachers number one job to teach the students content, but there are so many other aspects of teaching that are just as if not more important. 

This chapter has re-motivated to work harder with these at-risk learners. Sometimes, we get new students in our class and we also get with them their reputation.  We do not give them the fresh start they deserve and skip the whole relationship building stage.  I will definitely approach these situations differently.  I will take time to build a foundation with the student so that they respect me and know that I respect them.  This will let the child know I care, and they too may care more about their grades.

I feel these techniques are very important to learn and to stress to educators because we often get bombarded with teaching standards and preparing for standardized tests.  We have to remember that these students come first, as well as their individual needs.