Molly Heck

“Inclusion Toolkit” for Exceptional Learners

Throughout the course we have studied effective teaching practices, adaptations,

and instructional strategies to utilize in our future classrooms in order to cultivate a
positive and productive learning environment for all students. Below is a breakdown of
the tools that I plan to implement into my future ELA classroom, with a specific focus on
supports for students with disabilities. These strategies have been illustrated in our course
narrated PowerPoint slides.
Firstly, I will implement the “S” in the SCREAM variable, or “structure the
lesson.” To structure a lesson, a teacher will clearly communicate the organization and
purpose of a lesson before diving into the instruction. Doing so eliminates any mystery
surrounding material, as it lets all students know exactly what they will be learning and
why. An outline that indicates the different areas of focus in the lesson can be shown to
students to help them visualize the game plan for the day, and see where they are
heading. Additionally, a teacher will indicate moments of transition in the lesson and
emphasize critical points. As a teacher emphasizes key bits of information, students will
be aware of what they should focus their attention, and have an opportunity to clarify
what they do not understand. Finally, throughout the lesson, a teacher will summarize the
information or ask students to summarize the material themselves, in order to break the
information down into smaller chunks that are easier to digest.
Structuring a lesson will be helpful for all students, but may be particularly
supportive for students with autism, as routines and structure can benefit their learning
and comfort in the classroom. I am currently student teaching in an ELA classroom with
two students with autism, and have noticed that they really appreciate the classroom
routine that is written on the board every day. This routine breaks down our 90-minute
block into sections such as “writing workshop” or “mini-lesson.” All students seem to
appreciate the lack of mystery, as they see exactly how long certain tasks will take.
However, I think that we could be more explicit about the structure of the lessons
themselves, and plan to incorporate this structure into the future. To do so, I plan to
utilize PowerPoint slides at the beginning of a lesson that explicitly breaks down the
lesson and detail the learning targets. This will help students see where we are going and
know what to expect. Then, I think it will be instructive to stop at points in the lesson to
summarize what we have learned, and how the information connects. I like the idea of
asking students to summarize the information, as this will allow them to contribute to the
learning.
Secondly, I will implement the behavioral contract adaptation into my future
classroom as a tool for positive behavior management. A behavior contract is a contract
that specifies student target behavior and a reward for students if they meet this target.
For example, a contract may describe that “After two days of independent reading during
silent reading time, Nathan will earn a cookie during lunch.” The contract should be
attainable in order to keep student motivation up, and the student should be included in
the creation of the contract. After the contract has been created, the teacher and student
will both sign off on the plan.
The behavioral contract will be particularly supportive for students with
emotional or behavioral disabilities, as it can help them build positive behavioral
practices and be rewarded for their hard work towards meeting those routines and goals.
In an ELA classroom, there is often time dedicated to silent reading or writing time. I
have noticed that this time can be difficult for students with ADHD, as sitting still and
being quiet for an extended amount of time can be challenging. So, I think that the
behavioral contract could be a good incentive and reward for students to use this time
productively and try to stay on task during independent work time. If I notice that a
student is having a hard time working independently, I would suggest the behavioral
contract as a reward system. What “on task” looks like within the contract would be
different for each student. For some, this may mean sitting at their desk and doing the
reading or writing, and for others this may mean doing work at a standing desk with a
fidget spinner. All in all, I think this tool will help students use the time in class to the
fullest, and not have to do extra reading or writing time outside of class.
Lastly, I will implement the mnemonics instructional strategy in the future.
Mnemonic devices are aids that aid retention and retrieval in one’s memory. An example
of a mnemonics device in ELA is the “FANBOYS” mnemonic. Each letter in
“FANBOYS” stands for the coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.
This memory aid is helpful, as coordinating conjunctions indicate when a comma should
be inserted into a sentence. Mnemonics can be created by the teacher as a learning tool or
student created.
The mnemonics strategy will be helpful for all students, and specifically students
with learning disabilities that impact memory, as it will offer them supports to retain and
retrieve information related to key bits of information or content in ELA. In my future
classroom, I plan to ask students to work with a partner or independently, to create
mnemonics at points in a unit where information may become hard to process or
remember. I like the idea of students creating the mnemonics, as this will be a fun and
creative activity that allows them to be contributors to their own learning. For example, I
would ask students to create a mnemonic to correspond with a narrative plot diagram. It
may be difficult for students to remember exposition, initiating event, rising action,
climax, falling action, and resolution. So, a mnemonic device would help students
remember each point on a plot diagram and visualize the flow of a plot. They could then
transfer this information on a test or essay, in which they have to identify how different
events in a text are significant to its plot.