Hannah Vu

Ms. Bullock

ED271

4-30-22

Journal 2

I gained valuable experience in classroom activities during my previous practicum in

ED270. By doing this, I was able to interact with and gain valuable experience. To manage out-

of-seat behavior, I used praises and rewards as a Behavioral Management technique. As part of

my experiment, I collected data and tested whether the reinforcement I chose would be effective

for the student. The student I had experimented with was autistic. Often, the student gets out of

their seat in the middle of a lesson, blurts out random words, and talks out of turn. A toy or

object that the student can hold in their hand can prevent out-of-seat behavior from escalating.

As a result of this technique, the teacher has to constantly remind the student to get back to his

seat.

ED217: Classroom Management was a second class that informed me of the activities in

the classroom. This class taught me strategies for supporting students in their learning. The

course work in this class prompts me in recognizing the many ways and methods by which I can

help students learn in a proactive environment. One assignment in particular that helped in being

more aware of the many ways that I can provide support to students' learning is the assignment

titled “Management Plan.” In this assignment, I had gotten the opportunity to observe the

students that I worked with and come up with a management plan in which I can more support

students' learning.
 In this assignment, I listed the procedures that were performed in the classroom on

students. Rules were also enforced and agreed upon by both the teacher and the students

themselves. With rules come consequences for students who break the rules. Lastly, I wrote how

I had implemented my plan of action for students in their learning. As part of my implementation

with the students, I applied Behavioral Management techniques. The use of reinforcement in

place of punishment allows students to fix and learn from their mistakes. In most cases, the

teacher had to constantly remind the student to get back to his seat, using instructional strategies.

The class that I used for both of my assignments is from my experience volunteering in the same

classroom.

Compared to the tasks I did in ED270, my skills in working with students are quite

different. The students that I have worked with so far in my practicum for this course ED271

involve students with different kinds of disabilities. In the practicum for ED270, I encountered

one student with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I have to constantly tell them to go back to their

seat and sit down. The student can’t seem to keep still. I usually chase the students around the

classroom to get them to sit down. The disabilities of students that I am working on for this

course, ED271 include a wide variety of disabilities; Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mobility

Impairment, and Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD). I learned that I need to pay more

attention to students than I had done in my ED270 course. Students in this term need more

attention and support with their learning and disabilities.

In the course of working with one student with NVLD, she hit her head on the ground

many times and grabbed the glasses of staff and myself. In addition, she displays aggressive

behavior. She still requires assistance walking. Consequently, her education could be at risk

without reinforcement. As a precaution, I usually place a pillow near the student in case she hits
her head on the ground. When she kept grabbing my glasses, I usually gave her her own glasses

to play with or a toy to distract her from hurting herself or others. It is up to me, the teacher, and

the staff to guide her and prompt her as she transitions to the next activity. Additionally, there are

students with all kinds of disabilities that require different kinds of attention and reinforcement.

In addition to assistance with feeding, students with nonverbal disabilities are also provided with

support in using technology as a means of communication. Other forms of assistance are also

provided.

I differentiated instruction based on the various abilities of my students. With my student

with ASD, I usually give them instruction and use modeling to tell them the task that they need

to complete. I also write out a plan for them using drawings as an example. Since ASD student is

in first grade, constant reminders are necessary for their learning. With the student with NVLD,

the differentiated instruction that I use is simply giving students instructions and then stepping

back and seeing if the student is paying attention or not. The student tends to be distracted at

times. I use intervention as needed giving the student the necessary guidance based on their

needs.