Hold on for One More Day (tips for when your students are struggling)

It was Monday.  Four out of our five caterpillars had made their chrysalises and been in them since Friday.  Our little Allie just hadn't made it to the top yet.  I told my students that we needed Allie to make her chrysalis by Tuesday or we were going to have to set her free outside so we could transfer our other chrysalises over to the butterfly garden.  She could go eat leaves, get bigger, and find a branch or twig so she could make her chrysalis in her own time.  My students, being so sweet and caring, asked if they could read her a book for encouragement.  So they pulled up chairs in front of the cup of caterpillars and began reading.  We kept our fingers crossed that she would make her chrysalis by Tuesday afternoon.  Tuesday morning at 8:30, she was in her j shape.  By 8:45 she was wiggling and we all sat around the cup quietly watching her make her chrysalis.  The kids wouldn't let each other talk because they didn't want to scare her.

This got me thinking.  Sometimes we just have to wait for our students to shine.  We want them to "get it".  We feel pressured that they need to "get it" by a time frame set forth by others.

We have all been there.

When a student struggles, we need to ask ourselves some questions:

1. How could we present the information in a different way?  Could it be the language we are using? Would saying it in a different way help?

2.  Is there something impeding my students' ability to complete the task?  Is something getting in the way of my students' ability to show what they know?  Do they struggle with copying at a distance?  Are fine motor difficulties getting in their way?  Do they need more processing time or struggle with attention?

3.  Can you research another way to teach them the material?

I have a great example from this year.  I had a few students who were struggling with blending onset and rimes.  They were either guessing based on the first letter or getting stuck on the last letter and putting that in the beginning.  I tried everything I could think of to help them with blending.  We tried using our arm, using slinkies to stretch out the words, using elknonin boxes, using magnetic letters to take them apart and put them together, etc.  It just was not working.  I was so frustrated perplexed.

I had to pick up a book from the library for a friend.  While I was there, I walked over to the teaching section to look at their teaching books (I have an small obsession).  I stumbled upon a phonics book that changed everything! I can't remember the name of it right now, but when I do I will share.  It suggested that my students were struggling with working memory.  They were holding that last letter in their head, but forgetting the previous ones.  The book suggested sequential blending and it worked!!

Good Luck and Happy Friday!