Context: Clara is often seen restless or unfocused in class. She also has troubles following instructions and skips activities when left unsupervised.
Action Taken: You had a conference with her parents and found out from them that Clara was diagnosed with a learning disability.
How will you modify the instructions for Clara to keep her focus on classroom activities?
Reflection:
A learning disability is not a mental illness; rather it is neurologically based and results from faulty wiring in specific areas of the brain. These disabilities will impact an individual’s ability to succeed with reading, writing, Math, and other learning tasks (Silver, 2021). Students with specific learning disabilities have average to above average intelligence but may have difficulties acquiring and demonstrating knowledge. Hence, teaching students with learning disabilities is quite challenging but with sheer passion and dedication to facilitate quality instruction to these kinds of learners, teachers indeed serve their best purpose in the educative process and there are no students who would be left behind.
With the premise said above, students with learning disabilities give teachers the opportunity to do the following:
a. diagnose students’ learning disabilities using teacher-made materials and refer diagnoses to parents and experts;
b. call for parents' conference to impose learning disability follow-ups and monitoring at homes; and most importantly
c. strategize, apply and facilitate learning activities and instructions that would fit and suit the learning abilities and needs of the learners who have difficulties learning.
Clara’s case in this narrative showed how a parent conference is indispensable in ruling out a learning disability. This will address that mere presumption of a learner’s patterned unusual behavior is not enough nor helpful in meeting the special needs of the learners.
With identified learning disability of Clara, the importance of addressing her learning need should not be dismissed. As a teacher, I am challenged to understand her as different and a little unique that I need to attend for my collective effort to attain the class contents and performance standards in DepEd.
My learning of the principle of individual differences and approaches through differentiated instruction shall be maximized. Carla should also be assessed based on her learning styles. Even if she has a learning disability. Clara’s learning styles should be identified whether she’s a kinesthetic, visual, auditory, or tactile learner. With this identification, she can be given suitable differentiated instruction through activity sheets and modules aligned to the objectives and standards.
Giving Clara extra time for monitoring, follow-ups, instruction, and assessment is a priority. I will allocate time for her so she would be guided as to what and how to accomplish her tasks. That’s why it could be stressed here that teachers should not be given overload subjects for this case is a special treatment that requires enough time. Moreover, it is also important that Clara should not feel the isolation in class. Giving her the time and the feeling to be understood is essential for her social development.
Clara’s case is an example of a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Her signs showing restlessness and getting usually unfocused when left unsupervised is a challenge where the teacher’s proximity and presence near her is crucial. She should not be left out. She should be attended to. Given her top learning styles, I will design activities for her; and in group activities, she should be with a group that does not bully her and gives her the opportunity to give her best. That’s why assessment of her learning style is important.
On the other hand, DepEd has already established schools where parents can decide where to put their children with disabilities. Depending on the child’s severity, parents should help and not be in denial as to the special needs of their children who they know the character better than the teachers. As a teacher, I will explain this matter to the parents as well.
Teaching is always a challenge. It is a matter of transforming the lives of every unique child, one after the other. This case of teaching learners with learning disabilities is part of our solemn oath to public service, hence teachers bearing one of the noblest professions.
Abby Nalzaro, 2022
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