HLP: 7 - environment (social/emotional/ behavioral domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. When do I know that I need to reteach a specific expectation inside the classroom? How
many students need to be struggling with the concept?
2. How do I know when to change, ignore, or eliminate a behavior? When would be a good
time to resort to punishment?
3. What are the best ways to change or improve a disruptive classroom? How can I keep all
students engaged when they are at different levels?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “To provide students with clear directions, procedures, and expectations to support
learning and behavioral success.” (2:11) Through several readings, we have understood
that students need clear, simple, and consistent instructions. Students (especially those
with a disability) thrive off a routine. Anytime you walk into a classroom and the routine
is off, you will most likely see complete chaos.
2. “Educators can’t make a student learn or behave.” (2:48) In Miss Meredith’s first grade
classroom, we were able to understand when she changed, corrected, eliminated, or
ignored a disruptive behavior in her classroom. It reminded me that sometimes certain
actions should be left alone and are simply a part of a student's emotional journey.
3. “Students win when their chances of learning are maximized.” (15:08) We understand
that students cannot learn if they are not inside the classroom mentally, emotionally, or
physically. Time and time again we see students behind fall further and further back.
Optimizing a student's time inside the classroom is vital to their success and confidence.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Establish a clear, consistent, and positive learning environment to increase likelihood of
academic success, opportunities for engagement in effective teaching, and fostering
caring and respectful interactions.
2. Set clear and consistent expectations, rules, routines, and procedures in order to keep
students engaged. Take the time to teach and reteach using models, examples, non
examples, and feedback.
3. Provide behavior specific feedback to all students - could be individual, choral, gestural,
written or other forms. (Specific and Contingent!) Don’t immediately turn to a
punishment to change or eliminate a behavior. Take time to explain non verbal cues and
gestures.
HLP: 8 and 22- feedback (social/emotional/behavioral and instruction domain)
What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. How do I provide a sensitive or nervous student with constructive feedback? Is there a
best practice or environment?
2. In my future classroom, I want to take the time to teach my students the correct ways to
provide positive and constructive feedback to one another. This is not only a vital life
skill, but also promotes positive relationships and further academic success.
3. How should I respond to students who are providing disrespectful or non constructive
feedback to one another? What about my fellow colleagues?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Students use information to improve motivation, engagement, and independence.”
(2:10) When an educator compliments a student, you are able to see the student light up
with joy and confidence. The student will be more likely to assist their classmates or raise
their hand in class. I was a student that thrived on compliments and positive feedback.
My voice was always heard throughout the classroom, when I knew I was doing the right
thing.
2. “Teachers must provide specific information about their current performance and their
progress towards individual learning and behavioral goals.” (3:50) Students aren’t able
to improve if the feedback they are given doesn’t apply to them. Meaningful feedback
improves learning while also showing students how much you care. Feedback has the
ability to promote positive teacher to student relationships.
3. “When providing constructive feedback, include information that will help students
identify their specific mistake, and clear steps to fix it.” (10:20) Almost every current and
past student has felt the frustration of asking for assistance and receiving no helpful
guidance. A simple, “remember last class,” or “look at the question again,” is simply
useless. As an educator it is your responsibility to provide effective feedback without
disrespecting the student.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did you
find? (3 or more):
1. Providing feedback to inform progress towards each student’s specific goals is the most
powerful. Using constructive feedback provides students with actual steps to take in order
to correctly respond to your feedback.
2. Provide feedback almost immediately after a student responds. Each student may need a
different type of feedback based on their academic,social, emotional, and behavioral
maturity.
3. The feedback I provide should always be contingent and genuine. Educators should
always be positive and respectful to the student.
HLP: 18- student engagement (instruction domain)
What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. How am I able to measure my future classroom student engagement?
2. How can I make all lessons engaging for all of my students? - every child has different
interests and cultural lifestyles.
3. Student engagement can stem from motivation in the classroom! The first educator's
words of affirmation before the lesson not only caught the attention of all of her students,
but also made them feel confident in themselves and their learning.

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Engagement is a relative construct for all teachers and students.” (2:30) Having
engaged students allows them to gain the most out of their learning and success in the
classroom. However, not every lesson or activity is engaging or motivating to all
students. While being a council member in my sorority, I have learned that when you are
excited about a topic or an event, the general members will also feel your excitement. As
a future educator, it is important to always be excited, engaged, and motivated with every
lesson and activity.
2. “Engaged students make healthier life choices, have strong social emotional well being,
and have more fulfilling careers.” (2:45) When we are passionate and engaged about a
topic, we tend to feel success in all parts of our lives. Our passions for our interests loop
into our success inside and outside of the classroom. My elementary educators would
always incorporate my love for cheerleading to the books I read. As a reader who
struggled, I looked forward to learning and reading about the thing I loved most.
3. “Teachers who make overt effort to acknowledge, celebrate, and understand students
backgrounds help student’s stay engaged.” (6:20) Through multiple readings and class
discussions, I have understood the high importance of creating positive relationships with
all students. When a student feels cared, welcomed, and loved, they will be more likely to
succeed in the classroom. They will care about the words you say because you care about
them as a human being.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Engage students in multiple ways. Students can become involved in behavioral
engagement by raising their hands, watching the teacher, and answering questions. Using
a range of motivational strategies allows students to feel the success of their learning
inside of the classroom and beyond. Affective engagement allows students to find love,
responsibility, and motivation for their learning.
2. Build and maintain positive personal relationships with my students by taking active
interest in each part of their life- includes academic, sports, pop culture, and attending
 and considering cultural family backgrounds. Adding personal connections to the
learning environment and activities has the ability to keep students engaged.
3. Provide students with multiple opportunities to respond and receive meaningful feedback.
Monitoring feedback allows educators to receive proper data that will further the success
of each student’s progress and engagement.

HLP: 17- flexible grouping (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. How will I know if the flexible groups I created were successful?
2. How will I create groups that are meaningful to all students? How will I incorporate
students with disabilities? - I want all students to feel comfortable and welcomed, but still
allow for success at each academic level.
3. What is the best way to monitor the success and challenges of each student? How can I
be involved in all groups without physically being present?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “When group size and structure are carefully planned, flexible groups will oftenly do
improve learning gain.” (1:57) Through several class readings and discussions we have
learned that most students tend to thrive while learning in a small group setting. This
environment allows students to comfortably make mistakes, ask questions, and even
succeed. Small groups are a safe place for many nervous students.
2. “Groups can be flexibly used to accommodate learning needs, promote in-depth
academic interactions, and teach students to work collaboratively to develop
interpersonal skills.” (2:23) Students work best when they are surrounded by students
with similar academic backgrounds, goals, and progress. As a student, there's no better
feeling than knowing you are not alone in your learning. Flexible groups have the
opportunity to completely change the success or engagement of a student.
3. “The teacher who removes ambiguity and guides organized movement within and
between groups sets students up for success.” (7:04) As an educator we have to
overcome the challenge of being in more than one place at once. Monitoring the success
and challenges of each flexible group is vital. The data you collect will allow you to
create further, more successful, groups which will lead to further individual student
success.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Change grouping patterns based on lesson goals and objectives. The way I create these
groups should be based on previous data and the specific content areas. This process may
 include homogeneous, heterogeneous, small groups, pairs of students, whole class, or
individualized instruction.
2. Groups should be highly structured and include clear directives. All students (especially
those with disabilities) tend to thrive when educators provide clear instructions, teach and
review expectations, and maximize time for learning.
3. Monitor group interactions, provide feedback, hold students accountable, and sustain
interactions through proximity and feedback.

HLP: 14- cognitive and metacognitive strategies (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. Solve it method: read for understanding, phrase the problem, draw a picture or a diagram,
make a plan to solve, estimate the answer, do the problem, and then check your answer.
2. What are some other methods, similar to the solve it method, that engage students with
cognitive and metacognitive strategies?
3. How should I collect data in order to decide if a strategy is effective for my students?
Could this process be done independently by older students?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Students must be explicitly taught the purpose, steps, mental actions, and evaluation
process.” (2:13) When educators take the time to purposely and fully explain a strategy,
students will be more likely to receive the true benefits of the strategy. Personally, when
an educator takes the time to show an example and walk through all of the steps, I am
able to further understand and learn independently. Taking the time makes the difference.
2. “When students learn and use a strategy, they are essentially learning how to learn and
then how to use the strategy to execute a skill or process.” (2:49) Strategies have the
ability to teach complex topics to students at a comfortable and safe level; just right risk
from 299 readings. Students have the opportunity to make mistakes, ask questions, and
succeed with assistance of intended and meaningful strategies. Specifically, when looking
at math, different strategies allow for different students to solve and understand problems.
3. “Strategies that are too complex, or use skills they do not process, will not have the
intended impact.” (8:11) Through class readings and discussions we have discovered the
harmful effects of not pushing students to their fullest potential; usually due to our biases.
We should have the same mindset for each student that walks into our classroom.
Stargties have the ability to push all students past their comfortable limits in a safe
environment and level (quote 2).

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
 1. Teach strategies explicitly, in order to be effective. All students benefit from the use of
clear instruction on when and how to use each strategy; especially students with a
disability/ those who struggle. This process should include teaching main components of
each strategy, modeling the use of each strategy, and providing guided and independent
practice.
2. Embed strategies within academic and behavioral instruction so students can see them in
context. Embedding these strategies allows students to monitor and evaluate their
individual performance during authentic tasks - they are able to ask themselves if they
truly understood the problem/activity/lesson at hand.
3. Select strategies purposely. Strategies should have high utility, align with current content,
and be appropriate for each student. As an educator, I should monitor student progress in
order to determine if the strategy is serving its true purpose.

HLP: 12- systematically designed instruction (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. How do I know when to intensify my systematic instruction for a specific student? Are
there any signs or data I should be looking out for?
2. What are the best ways to create goals in a whole class setting? How can I make sure
every student has their input heard? Where should these goals be posted in the
classroom?
3. When should I use visual aids to assist my learning in the classroom? How will I decide
which visual aid or tool to use in a specific lesson or activity?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Teachers who systematically design instruction toward specific learning goals are
cozigant of this issue and take important steps towards a positive solution.” (2:24)
Through several class readings and discussions, we know it is our responsibility to make
sure all students, especially those with disabilities, do not snowball further and further
behind. When the gap between thriving and struggling students widens, confidence,
engagement, and motivation decrease. Struggling students feel as if there is no more hope
for them to succeed inside or even outside of the classroom.
2. “Teachers must identify precise learning goals, determine what students need to know
and be able to do in order to reach the goal, and allocate instructional time as
appropriate.” (3:01) Setting clear and attainable goals has proven to be successful in all
areas of life. Goals allow us to make progress towards our wants in a reasonable time
frame. Providing students with attainable goals will allow them to feel comfortable and
confident in their new learnings.
3. “Show students a variety of ways to interact with or demonstrate the skill or concept
being taught.” (10:55) As we all know, all students don’t learn in the same way. Every
 single student is unique and different in their own way. Proving instruction and strategies
that are suitable for all types of learners is vital. Taking the time to discover what type of
learner each of your students are will provide you with crucial information that will allow
your class to succeed.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Set clear, specific, challenging, and measurable learning goals for each student. Educators
should be setting appropriate goals for individuals, small groups, and the whole class at
all times; these goals should be set through data or consultations from experts. (Students
with disabilities should have goals that are understood and measurable through the IEP)
2. Organize and sequence lessons logically in order to target broader goals. Educators
should always explicitly state how the lesson will fit within the bigger pictures and how it
will affect individual and group goals.
3. Support students in organizing new knowledge by providing scaffolds and structures for
learning. Educators are able to assist students in creating and seeing relationships among
concepts and content and apply new knowledge and skills independently.

HLP: 16- explicit instruction (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. I do (teacher models instruction by thinking aloud), we do (teacher provides guided
practice and feedback), and you do (teachers provide independent learning practices)
sequential instruction approach
2. How will I make sure my non-examples are not confusing to any of my students? How
will I go about teaching, if my students are confused?
3. How will I create questions that range in difficulty in a whole group setting? - range of
difficulty will be unique for each individual.

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Explicit instruction helps teachers design and deliver effective instruction for a range of
student’s learning needs.” (2:15) Through class discussions and readings, we have
discovered that each student is in need of unique strategies and intensity. Not all students
with disabilities will need the same amount of assistance or instruction for each activity
or lesson. A unique approach is vital to each student’s success.
2. “Teachers who use explicit instruction bring a laser focus on only selecting the most
critical content a student needs to know.”( 2:24) Educators must focus on providing
meaningful learning experiences to the most crucial areas. Explicit instruction takes away
the confusing and overwhelming fluff that can be present in everyday education.
 3. “A trained special educator or similar specialist is responsible for ensuring data that is
carefully collected and monitored, and drives instructional decision making.” (17:37)
Through these videos, I have begun to understand the high importance of collecting data
in my classroom. Data allows educators to see the progress of each student and respond
accordingly. However, the data you collect must be correct and meaningful. Incorrect
data can have long term harmful effects on your learners.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Provide clear models and explanations of content. Instruction should always include the
use of models. However, from day to day the role of modeling changes depending on the
goals of each lesson. This process may include teaching new content, connecting to
previously learned content, or helping students see and hear your thinking.
2. Provide multiple opportunities to respond and add appropriate feedback. Questions asked
should always range in difficulty tied to a logical sequence. The level of your questions
should vary based on the level of your students. These responses can be verbal, written,
or performed. Appropriate feedback is specific and personalized.
3. Provide a range of examples and nonexamples in order to highlight the content being
taught. Examples should always be clear and illustrative while nonexamples should never
introduce confusion.

HLP: 20- intense instruction (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. DBI is a research based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions through
validated intervention programs, progress monitors, diagnostic data, and intervention
adaptation.
2. How should I decide if a student is in need of intensive instruction? Are the specific signs
or data I should be alerting to the special education specialist or team?
3. Who is a part of my team? Where should I go to to receive further resources and support
to further assist my students in need of intensive instruction?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Intense interventions means students receive many opportunities to practice skills or
other areas of need; while also receiving individualized feedback” (2:57) Intensive
instruction is a detailed process that will change the progress of highly struggling
students. As an educator, I will have to focus my attention on the student’s patience,
engagement, and motivation. Most importantly, the student should not fall any further
behind their classmates.
 2. “Students with intensive needs and those with disabilities may need 10-30 times more
practice to master a skill compared to their peers.” (3:27) Through my time inside of
several classrooms, I have watched students struggle to understand specific concepts. I
have witnessed amazing educators take the time to further their instructions and pull
aside specific students; this process was always done in a safe and comfortable
environment/ students never felt singled out from their rest of their classmates.
3. “Teachers should focus on areas of student struggle most likely to result in performance
gains in priority areas.” (12:03) This concept builds off of the idea of going off of
students' previous and individualized strengths. Growing on what students already know
will allow them to succeed in crucial areas while also providing them with the necessary
confidence, motivation, and engagement.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Add instructional time to target and address a specific area of deficit. Intensive
instruction is the most effective when used with the addition of high quality instruction.
2. Integrate academic and behavioral supports by utilizing strategies and tools provided in
tier 1 or 2. This process may include the validated intervention package used in DBI.
3. Regularly monitor each student’s process. Identify areas of learning where the student is
struggling.

HLP: 15- scaffolding support (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. What are some common challenges or pitfalls associated with scaffolding? How can
these challenges or pitfalls be addressed?
2. How can technology be integrated into scaffolding to enhance learning outcomes? Can
technology be considered harmful?
3. How do I ensure that scaffolding is responsive to individual student needs and learning
styles?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Supports teachers can provide in the moment when students are learning new skills.”
(2:29) Personally, I also learned how to water ski the same way the video explained. My
dad carefully took the time to move me from an inflatable, to a connector, and then
finally to normal size skis. The way my dad scaffolded this skill has always made me
eager to learn and celebrate my small success.
2. “Teachers add scaffolds when they notice students are not responding to instruction.”
(3:13) Scaffolding has the ability to provide students with specific instructions that will
 allow them to succeed through a unique and different process. Not all students are able to
succeed with the same methods of instruction.
3. “Simply providing students a scaffolded support is not the same as explicitly teaching the
student how it is used.” (5:03) Scaffolding requires more than just giving support; it
necessitates explicit instruction on how to effectively utilize the support provided.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Explicitly teach students how to use scaffolds. This process may include the inclusion of
clear cues and language, providing OTR’s and feedback, modeling specific scaffold use,
providing guided opportunities, and having students practice individually.
2. Evaluate the impact or effectiveness of the scaffold. As an educator I must provide each
student with multiple opportunities to practice under different conditions in order to
receive proper feedback. The scaffold should always align with the student’s learning
goals.
3. With the support of driven data, fade supports when the time is appropriate. Students
need lots of opportunities to practice with and without support.

HLP: 11- goal setting (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. Long term goals: focus on broad outcomes that are essential for educational programming
(social, emotional, behavioral, or academic - usually measured on an annual base)
a. Short term goals: assist in helping educators develop lesson plans and
individualized instruction for students (focus on target or foundational skills)
2. How do I monitor students' progress toward their goals and provide feedback along the
way?
3. How do I celebrate and recognize students' achievements as they reach their goals?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “Teachers prioritize what is most important for students to learn and access to benefit
from the general education curriculum.” (2:02) Teachers identify key learning objectives
essential for students to understand in the general education curriculum. By prioritizing
each child’s goals, educators ensure access to essential knowledge and skills. Students
will be more likely to engage meaningfully to receive the maximum benefit from their
educational experiences.
2. “Educators use relevant state standards and grade level benchmarks to develop goals.”
(3:58) Educators should rely on state standards and grade-level benchmarks as
foundational guides for crafting instructional goals. By aligning student’s goals with these
 established criteria, educators ensure that their curriculum addresses essential
components and meets academic expectations.
3. “Large, positive effects on achievement when teachers set specific, challenging goals.”
(6:02) Through class readings and discussion, we know students are more likely to
succeed when they understand the steps that will lead to their success (goals). Clear
objectives provide direction and motivation, encouraging students to strive for success.
Precise targets, empower learners to focus their efforts and persist through challenges.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Use the IEP team and components in order to develop goals and objectives for each
student. A collaborative team will most likely result in the best short term and long term
goals.
2. Allow students to be involved in their own progress and learning! Motivation,
engagement, and confidence will improve when students have taken the front run on their
own progress.
3. Use IEP monitoring, formal progress data, summative data, and classroom level data in
order to understand the students' learning needs. Data will usually show the success and
challenges the student is facing.

HLP: 19 - assistive technology (instruction domain)

What are my questions/future learnings that I don’t want to forgot about this HLP:
1. How do I assess the suitability of assistive technology for individual students and their
unique needs?
2. What are the potential limitations of using assistive technology in the classroom?
3. How do I ensure that assistive technology tools are used ethically and responsibly in
educational settings?

What connections to other texts, classes, personal experiences, or what you know about
schools did you make? (3 quotations with connections):
1. “A wide range of tangible supports, from pencil grips to sophisticated communication
devices are considered AT(assistive technology) (3:03) Assistive technology enhances
accessibility, promotes independence, and supports diverse learning needs, fostering
equitable and inclusive educational environments. Educators may use interactive
whiteboards, graphic organizers, adaptive keyboards, pencil grips, electronic math
manipulatives, or text to speech devices.
2. “IT is commonly used in content area classes and is most impactful when combined with
best practices for differentiating and personalizing learning experiences.” (6:11)
Instructional technology (IT) is frequently integrated into subject-specific courses,
achieving maximum effectiveness when paired with differentiated and personalized
 instructional approaches tailored to individual student needs. This process may include
educational apps, mind mapping, interactive whiteboards, digital storytelling tools,
adaptive learning systems, and digital textbooks.
3. “SETT helps students, families, educators, and other stakeholders work together to
identify concerns and consider tools that lower barriers to achievement of goals.”
(11:20) SETT (Student, Environment, Tasks, Tools) collaboratively identifies concerns
and selects tools, fostering cooperation among students, families, educators, and
stakeholders to mitigate barriers and achieve educational goals effectively.

What common characteristics of children with disabilities, strategies, and adaptations did
you find? (3 or more):
1. Consider multiple assistive technologies when creating an IEP for a student - this
technology is a part of their right to a free public appropriate education.
2. Ensure digital accessibility inside of the classroom in order to promote independence and
participation. These should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. (POUR)
3. Use Universal Design learning inside of the classroom in order to provide flexible
learning experiences which address variability. UDL allows educators to provide
effective instruction, creativity, and measure the impact of learning.