I am currently working as a resource specialist. The teachers and myself are very frustrated with differential standards. We are trying to figure out a fair system that will help with the resource students success in the general ed classroom and help to bring up their self esteem. How can we help them succeed better. Working with them one on one and requiring less isn’t working. They are realizing that the less they do the more we will accomidate to have less for them. They are capable of doing the work, but what can we do to get them motivated to do it. (Please don’t say reward charts…because they aren’t working!)
Re: motivating and accomidating.
I just took my son out of an inclusive class because of this. There were several issues. One was that he knew he was getting the easier work. He actually did poorly on the easier work and better on the harder work. I think he did not feel motivated to do work that was easier. There were very low expectations set for him in that class. The modification to the curriculum was to extreme. The teachers were resistant to giving him harder work so now he is in a regular class.
I think something that is missing is the sense that these kids are bright. Even if they may not always do well on the pencil and paper work they may have other gifts. It is extremely important that each child be given a sense that they bring something unique and important to the classroom. It is important that they are given challenges. Success is the only reward they usually need.
Think about how you can help each child find success. Maybe you have a few that are highly verbal that can work on something that uses those skills and present it to the class. (My son read and explained a very difficult poem, at my urging.) Perhaps a few artists can get together and create something amazing. Show your appreciation for their gifts. Don’t just focus on their deficits.
There is way too much emphasis on what these can’t do and way too little emphasis on what they can achieve.
There is no need to give false praise. I bet you will find something genuinely important in each child that deserves praise.
Oh, and from a parent, thanks for asking!
Re: motivating and accomidating.
Bravo! What a great response. If we keep lowering the bar, rather than helping kids get over the bar, they too will lower their expectations. Accommodations should include things such as dictating responses for the disgraphic, changing a test to multiple choice rather than essay format, extended time, use of a computer or other tech support, special text to speech software or texthelp-type software for writing, having a reader for tests, use of a tape recorder for taking notes or giving answers or reading journals, accepting an artistic or alternative expression of mastery of material. To motivate students in class to accomplish their work, you should help them structure themselves. Examine the assignment and have them work with you to set goals for what they feel they can accomplish during the class period. Write out each thing they must do to accomplish the goal (task analysis), making whatever accommodations in response modality are necessary (without watering down the assignment) and any modifications necessary (reducing the number of problems solved, but not the difficulty for math, perhaps). Then praise them appropriately (kids know when your faking enthusiasm) as they work and as they accomplish each step. This way, they own the work and the motivation comes from themselves.
Your post is a little unclear. Where does their lack of success lie? In tests? In homework?
Accomodating isn’t just a matter of requiring less or even working one on one. What are they not getting done? And what are their home lives like? Some students don’t have the kind of home that homework can be done in. What are these students’ general feelings about life? Are their families successful and do these students see a positive life ahead for them?
If not, motivating them to do work the reward of which lies only in the future will be hard. Homework hurts some students more than it helps.
But again, your post doesn’t really say if homework is the problem.
Whatever it might be, good luck.