Another student, Blake, has caught my interest. Blake has Asperger's Disorder, a severe speech disorder, and has been retained in kindergarten. Throughout the day, Blake often gets frustrated and stops speaking and resorts to grunting. Additionally, Blake can often become violent toward the teacher or paraprofessional working in the classroom. Academically, Blake is doing well, but he doesn't get along well with his peers although at times he can be incredibly friendly. I can connect this to what we have discussed in my Educational Psychology class about linguistic disorders. In this case, Blake is having difficulties articulating what he want to say.
Another thing that I have observed in the classroom is that my teacher is always building knowledge off of what the student's have previously learned. I can connect this to what we are currently learning in educational psychology about Vygotsky and scaffolding. Mrs. Lowry, reminds the students about what they have learned, then introduces a new topic, provides support, and then she gradually removes support until the students are able to work independently.
Reflective Questions
What can I do to help keep Blake calm in the classroom?
What can I do to help Australia's grow confident in reading?