Teaching Treasures™

Some days I receive emails that frustrate, or at times, infuriate me. Then again, after reconsidering its content I can see the humorous side of things... I think. Other days the emails are simply adorable, not a word out of place and the flattery has my head spinning 80 miles per hour... can't be good for anybody's health! (but I like it :-)

On occasion I receive one of those 'rude' emails where my head is put through the shredder, spat out and ground into the dirt. I don't have a clue who the person might be or what they are talking about, maybe it wasn't even meant for me - although strangely enough my name appears at the top. Then there are those short emails, you know - the two sentences type, these require days of heavy thought processing, hours of research and thousands of words to communicate an appropriate answer, only to be meet with a no-response. Did I write something wrong!

Once in a while there is an email that has my brain going in full scramble, and all over one tiny sentence! What do I know about that? So I sit and think.... sit and think a bit more. Nothing wrong with that - but after several sits and thinks - something like days - I must answer it or I'll go bananas!! Here's an interesting one sentence email.

How do I manage children with SLD, EH and ADHD in the classroom?

At times like these I wish there was a one sentence answer to this problem. My response was as follows after several days of thinking, reading, researching, web site hunting and the agonizing "What will I say" syndrome.

Dear ...(name withheld for privacy reasons) Thanks for your inquiry about SLD, EH and ADHD resources and help information. I read that the best way to teach children who have a learning disability is to present worksheets and projects a little below their age level. The trick is to present worksheets and activities that don't talk down to the students.

I have found that a lot of worksheets do so and this appears to be very frustrating to these students. I would recommend to search through our worksheets at the different age levels and print the ones that appeal to you and your students. You should know what your students can cope with. There are also many online activities suitable for your students and if they know how to handle a computer, these would be ideal. Our online interactive activities check answers automatically, leaving more free time for you to spend with other students. I suggest that you have a good trawl around the web site. If your students are capable of using a computer I suggest you utilize some of the online activities, these are fast loading, easy to navigate and very suitable for your students needs.

I am not an expert but I can make a few suggestions on how to manage children with ADHD in the classroom with my own limited experience and after completing my research utilizing some web sites and books that deal with this issue.

• If possible, sit the child with the worst case of ADHD in the front of the classroom to minimize distractions.

• Consider playing quiet, soothing music (I suggest classical) during class work time. Sometimes it can help children tune out distractions if there is music.

• Keep the learning time structured and have clear and concise rules so that all students know exactly what is expected of them.

• Establish eye contact as often as possible during the lesson to keep each child’s attention.

• Develop a sign with the students, walking past their desk and placing your hand lightly on their shoulder may be a signal to them to focus on the lesson.

• Use simple instructions, one or two at a time rather than a list of items to complete.

• Set limits and make sure all children understand what is expected and what is acceptable behaviour.

Here are a few tips about how to stop a child from continually disrupting the class, the same principle may be applied in a home learning situation.

• Sitting still for long periods of time can be hard for any child and a child with ADHD is no exception to that rule. Schedule learning time so that the more intensive subjects with the most sitting down work occur early in the morning. If possible ask the parents to reduce the amount of sugar given to the children before school. High sugar foods makes children hyperactive.

• For younger children, have a break time in between subjects so they can stretch and move about before there is a need to sit down again for further study.

• Walk around the classroom as much as possible and avoid standing in one spot at the front of the room.

• Praise children as you walk around, letting them know that you see they are working hard.

• When you spot the ADHD child doing something right, praise him or her for staying on task.

• In between each subject have children stand up and stretch for one minute.

• Read as much as you can about ADHD and strategies for the classroom from web sites, pamphlets, community groups, parents and professionals.

  
  

• Follow the ADD/ADHD links to some informative and supportive web sites that deal with this issue. Go HERE >>> ADD / ADHD Sites

I hope this is helpful and I wish you all the best with your teaching challenge. Thank you for your supporting vote at Sites for Teachers & Teach-nology

So... did YOU like my response??? After several days of thinking, reading, researching and the agonizing  "What will I say"  syndrome, the above is what I voiced. I guess I could and should have written more, there is no end to writing, luckily for me there is an end to another day. I tuck my PC into bed for the night and join it. (It's in my bedroom!) After several minutes I hear its final tick and buzz as it cools down, a little groan is my response to it as I say Good Night Buzzer

Before I leave I will share a couple of email messages with you:

Message: I was surfing on your site. When I went to your tall ships link, it took me to a stripers site. Just thought you might want to know.

My thoughts: Hmm! What's a 'stripers' site?

My discovery: Oops! Adult strippers!

Answer: Thank you for letting us know about the link, I will be removing it immediately. Porn sites use many unused web domain names and redirect all traffic to their undesirable web site. The only way to check that sort of problem is to manually check each link which we do from time to time but there are thousands of links on our site and it is very time consuming, once again... thanks!

Message: Subject Perschool teacher
Hello i haev my work exsperince, coming soon and i really wanna be a perschool teacher, is it possibel if you cold send me some leaflets and info, to my house please write back saying yes
yours faitfully
My thoughts: Maybe my kids can crack the code on this one!

Answer: I'm sorry but due to high costs we do not send any material through the post. You will find many helpful and interesting articles on our web site at http://teachingtreasures.com.au I wish you all the best with your future teaching career.

Message: Are the answers on the worksheets?

My thoughts: The kids would find it helpful !!!

Answer: For most worksheets we provide a teacher answer key. This is a separate printable sheet that has the answers to the worksheets. You will find the links on our worksheets page. Our Teacher Assistant software has answer keys to most of the worksheets and also provide helpful suggested activities as well as related web site links.

Message: I would like some new ideas!

My thoughts: So would I!

Answer: Have you checked out everything on our web site? If there is nothing new or original left for you to choose from try our links page for other educational web sites.

Thank you for your support, vote at Sites for Teachers & Teach-nology & Other Articles

Proverbs 22-6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.