Mike – Instructor
To assist with the French language learning the teacher would allow the use of a bilingual dictionary to allow the student to review low-frequency words and meet their needs. As with most individuals we have multi-intelligences, (Unit 2 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory) and having the student listen to podcasts or lessons on tape while they carry out other activities may help with the less frequent words and phrases (1 pg 53). These podcasts and tapes often have a component of repeat phrases to help with pronunciation. Then finally to have the student read news articles of books in the language being learned will help them understand how it is written.
Rafeek
Rafeek’s cultural heritage can be a challenge for the teacher to manage. Everyone comes with biases and sometimes the feelings toward a specific culture can be very negative. Often these feelings are born out of fear and lack of understanding. The teacher can help mitigate this challenge by having the students introduce themselves and “share information about your family and where you are from” (2). This sharing by the class will not single anyone out, and help other students understand each other’s culture and family.
Steve
The first step for society to embrace diversity and inclusion is education. This is especially important for a teacher, the better they understand the various communities they will have in their classroom the easier it is to keep personal biases in check. Our biases are based on our upbringing, our values and our past experiences with a different community. With the LGBTQ community understanding will assist the teacher to make their classroom safe caring and inclusive for students like “Steve” (Gonzalez).
The next step for the teacher would be to set the tone for the class, a tone of respect and inclusion for all involved will help these students reach their full potential in the course. Not everyone from the LGBTQ community wants to be exposed in a public forum (citation needed). This can be because of previous experiences when they have been exposed to ridicule (DiPietro). Setting the tone of the class may be something simple such as having introductions and including everyone’s pronouns (Killerman). This shows respect for the individuals and allows them to understand that the environment is safe for them to express themselves. Once a learner feels they will be respected they will be more open to approaching the teacher when they are having difficulties in the course or their life that may lead to absenteeism.
Once the class environment is set to display respect and inclusion the teacher can help model how the students should be addressed. The teacher can avoid terms such as “hey guys”, although this is an easygoing way to address a group of people, it can be seen as a term of exclusion and is often used to refer to individuals that do not consider themselves “guys”.
Daisy
‘Daisy’ has unmet physiological needs, mainly sleep. This is considered a high-priority need, which “must be met before a person will try to satisfy higher-level needs” such as learning something new (https://www.eln.io/blog/maslows-hierarchy-needs-learners). While it is slightly more difficult to assist meeting the need for sleep, the instructor can take steps to assist the subject in finding resources available to them. For example, the instructor can recommend a meeting with an academic advisor, who can guide the subject to balance the demands of successfully completing the program against personal issues. This not only serves as a source of information for the subject, but also a listening ear through which she can take comfort. (http://www.singlemoms.org/going-to-college-as-a-single-parent/). On a more immediate scale, the subject and instructor can privately discuss an arrangement for more flexible studying, such as providing class recordings for the student to listen to on her own time. Further arrangements can be made for extended assignment deadlines and assigning group projects where possible so that the workload is evenly distributed. Another solution is to make simple changes to the classroom such as providing adequate lighting, space, a cool temperature, as well as allowing water and bathroom breaks. (https://ontariolearn.desire2learn.com/d2l/le/content/32800/viewContent/1563697/View). Another more applicable technique would be to find out the subject’s learning style from Kolb’s matrix of learning styles. Understanding this will allow the instructor to discover how best to effectively convey the material and engage the subject in the classroom activities effectively. (https://www.eln.io/blog/david-kolb-learning-styles)
Hillary
Communicate with the learner to understand the type and frequency of seizures they may exhibit. The learner and the teacher should complete a “Seizure Action Plan” (2) that will contain instructions in the event of the patient experiencing a seizure. This is an important step in the solutions for this learner to keep them safe and engaged in the learning process. Seizures can take many forms and knowing what to expect with a typical seizure (1 pg 7) will help the teacher remain calm during the situation. The main consideration for the teacher will be to protect the student from physical harm. The teacher may have to time the seizure and understanding what is normal for the student will help the teacher to recognize a medical emergency. During the discussion with the student about their seizure condition, the teacher can reassure them that there are accommodations for the student, and they are committed to their success in the class. This may help with the student’s anxiety about the class and the support they can expect. For the student the support they receive may help them to manage their absenteeism due to their medical condition.
The teacher should discuss with the student a plan to communicate with the other students (1 pg 15). This can be done in a sensitive way to ensure respect and dignity for the affected student and help the remainder of the class understand what is happening and if needed how they can help. The help from the other students will likely be in the form of taking a break and allowing the teacher to manage the situation.
The other conditions that this student has is a slight hearing deficit and they require glasses for vision. Both these conditions can be mitigated by ensuring the student is seated toward the front of the classroom and they have clear line of sight toward the teacher and the presentation (3)