Reading Assignment #5 Including Students with Special Needs in Writing Workshops

After reading this article I was impressed by how the teacher Nancy was able to incorporate changes in her classroom to no longer make students with special needs fall academically behind or be socially isolated. I particularly liked how she kept a record for one-on-one formal conferences that all the students had with the teacher on a regular basis. I thought that this was a great idea because it doesn't single anybody out in the classroom. Oftentimes when you are in a classroom with a few struggling learners you'll consistently see the teacher calling over a select few children. Before you know it, rumors are being spread about that child not being able to keep up. In an atmosphere like that, it isn't hard for a child to be socially isolated. However, in a classroom where the teacher is attending to every student on a regular basis and students never felt like they were being singled out.

I enjoyed reading about the way Nancy was able to help Michelle become a better writing. I've always believed that seating arrangements made a big difference in the classroom but feel that it matters most when it comes to writing. In the article, Michelle was encouraged by her classmate, Alyson, to "just write the way you talk. Don't worry about anything." Even though Michelle was struggling I feel that Nancy made the correct decision by sitting back and trying to let Michelle overcome her obstacles.

Although I stated that I agreed with the way Nancy handled Michelle's writing situation, I think that it would be tough for new teachers to do something similar. New teachers are surely to be under a lot more stress than Nancy. I don't know if I'd be comfortable with letting Michelle try and work out her problems if I felt that she was really struggling. What if she never worked out her problems? Then I would feel as if I just wasted two weeks. Aside from that, how would an administrator view me in my first few years if I told them I was letting Michelle have time to play with her word, get out her frustration, and reach a comfortable place in the classroom. I'm not sure if every district would be lenient on a matter like this.

I felt like one of the more important things that Nancy did was encourage her students to take risks. I remember being a young writer myself and purposely avoid words that I may have liked to use because I was unsure of how to spell them. Most of my teachers throughout my elementary school career would take off for spelling mistakes so I would make sure to only use words I was sure I could spell right. This resulted in my writing consisted of many simple fragments. I think it's important to take risks and let your students know it's okay to be a little messy.