The presentations reinforced what I had learned in my reading of Lost at School by Ross Greene: kids do well if they can, not if they want to; therefore, we need to build or accommodate for lagging skills rather than use motivational strategies when we see discrepancies in achievement or behaviour. It struck me that anxiety is a common experience for students and is more severe and perhaps more frequent among students with OCD and ASD. A common strategy is to have a plan in place both to reduce or prevent exposure to anxiety triggers (e.g., level of social interaction, modes of communication, physical demands, length of time allotted, preparation for transitions, amount of information posted, having an organized environment, modeling expected behaviour or performance, etc.) and to allow students options or methods to relieve some of that anxiety (e.g., take breaks, find a quiet and semi-private spot, reduced lighting, relaxation techniques, positive self-talk, etc.).
One thing I plan to do in PSII is to address any unmet expectations (e.g., student is late, doesn’t do work, disrupts classmates, insults classmates, etc.) through problem-solving. I refuse to let my students play the victim card, to blame others, or to make excuses. I want to work with them to identify and recognize their concerns and my concerns, to brainstorm solutions (together and with others as necessary), to pick a solution that works for everyone involved, and to implement and monitor it. I plan to design or find a graphic organizer to assist with guiding, recording, and tracking.
Part of me feels really overwhelmed by the number of things I need to keep in mind when planning my assessments, instruction, and classroom setup, in addition to not knowing the students I’ll be teaching. The other part of me feels relieved that there are great strategies that can be used universally and built in ahead of time to prevent difficulties. As well, I can take comfort in the fact that I don’t have to have all of the answers or ideas: I look forward to taking input from, and bouncing ideas off, the students themselves, other teachers, educational assistants, parents, professors, and professionals. I think it’s important that I try, wherever possible, to put myself in my students’ shoes (as well as their family’s shoes) and feel/understand things from their perspective, and, where that’s not feasible, inform myself as much as possible through research and personal conferencing.