Action Plan
Goals:
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Improve peer to peer communication both during instruction and outside of the classroom
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Improve self regulation skills for students to cope with a variety of emotions and be able to identify the effects of their actions and words on their peers in order to adjust to stress
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Improve conflict resolutions skills so students can identify what they and their classmates are feeling in order to process through how to resolve the situation
What was implemented?
Social and emotional skills instruction with the purpose of improving peer to peer communication, self regulation, and conflict solution strategies were implemented. Skills were intended to improve classroom behaviors and overall peer dynamics.
This study took place over the weeks of January 15 to March 6, 2020. Instruction was based off of the Sanford Harmony Programed with written lessons in order to address the specific skill areas the observed classroom struggled in most. These ares were tracked over this time frame to determine if growth was shown through qualitative and quantitative means.
Students took a personality quiz to determine what argumentative style they most closely relate to. They then engaged in an activity to better understand why their peers in other categories may react physically and emotionally in a charged situation.
Students took a personality test to determine what personality type they most closely relate to based on a questionnaire on personal views and opinions. They then grouped with peers who fell in the same color personality group to complete an activity about the reactionary responses they may have compared to their peers.
Students reflected on personal experiences and wrote one thing they want to be remembered for as they move towards the end of their elementary careers.
Action Plan
Diverse Learning Needs
The diverse learning needs were taken into consideration, and accounted for through the use of outside individuals who performed observations, delivered instructional interventions, and implemented strategies with a desired goal to improve student and classroom educator positive communication techniques. I used classroom tools including chrome books, whiteboard visuals, accommodated power points, and a variety of logs to monitor growth over time. Based on student need for hands on lessons in which they can parallel their experiences to these coping skills, daily intervention was conducted to apply the skills being taught. Strategies included movement to engage the learners with one another and to improve peer to peer communication.
Culturally Responsive Practices
Based on the diversity of families that make up the classroom population, several instructional decisions were made to make the strategies being implemented more accessible to all students. One example was the parent participation homework with the Sanford Harmony program. The kit provided worksheets and parent letters for the start of each skill being focused upon. The homework was designed to get families at home involved in the progress their students were making. Based on a general stance of socioeconomic status, the observed students fell within the middle to lower socioeconomic status; this designation is based on guardian income and occupation. Of the classroom population, three were living in a single parent household; four individuals were living with their birth parents; eleven students were living in a divorce household, all in blended family situations. It was due to the socioeconomic status that an understanding was had that often, the household guardian worked late hours giving those students a disadvantage at work completion based on their economic standpoint. It was decided that the exclusion of homework was necessary to provide universal accessibility.
To support the student who was currently enrolled in the English language learner program, it was deemed necessary to create slides to display our daily question and activity. The slides provided a visual for that student so she could read through and process what was being asked of her. The discussion questions had also been altered slightly to simplify the complexity of wording this student needed to process in order to participate. For example, instead of asking “what career path they wish to pursue?”, It was rewritten to translate easier for that student to “What kind of job do you want when you grow up?".
Another strategy that promoted culturally responsive teaching was my morning meeting discussions. The scheduled twenty to twenty-five minutes of morning meeting time followed a routine of opening question, whole group discussion, small group activity or game, and closing session. The selected topics drew upon student experiences and cultural perspectives. Morning meeting time was dedicated to honor these perspectives and acknowledge them as unique opportunities to learn from one another. These perspectives were highlighted, honored, and appreciated in both whole group discussions and small group discussions. Of these perspectives, several were often discussed with general curiosity and used to compare cultural practices between countries. For example, one student in the room immigrated from Egypt; he often spoke of traditional holidays and compared everyday American practices to his experiences. This included food, music, movies, and everyday activities. Other perspectives include the skills students have learned, foods, languages spoken, traditions, music, and art.
Lastly, it was based on the students' lack of effort in writing that an alteration was implemented to the strategies that were being observed. The Sanford Harmony program required several written responses leaving the English language learners and the remaining thirty percent of the students that fell below grade-level in their written abilities at a disadvantage. Responses remained mandatory, but the option of drawing a response was given. This choice expanded the response method and engaged students in their efforts when providing a response.
Student Samples
During instruction, personality quizzes were used to group students based on similar results. They participated in short discussions, games, and other related activities. Several examples of student responses are shown.
These are several examples of student responses during instruction time.