Observation-Reflection #5 Students (10 Points)

Knowing Your Students: Individual Leaners and SPINs

(Strengths, Preferences, Interests, Needs)
The purpose of this activity is to practice getting to know your
students. Choose one student to focus on and obtain the following
information. In order to maintain confidentiality, please change the
students name.
Part I. Observation
1. Students present level of performance (PLOP): Strengths &
Needs. What can the student do, what is the student still learning
to do? What are the students personal, cultural and community
assets?
INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING and PSYCHOLOGICAL
PROCESSING STRENGTHS/DEFICITS: Student will be a fifth
grader this upcoming school year. His overall cognitive and
adaptive skills appear to be within the range that would be
typical for a child from 0 to 9 months of age. He remains
dependent on adult care in all aspects of his day-to-day
living.
COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: Student has
been served in the Speech Impaired program this past year
for 1.0 hour a week for direct communication services. He
will use the one-touch device for greetings without any
prompts except making sure he knows where the device is
that he needs to push.
GROSS/FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT: Physical Therapy/
Gross Motor Present Level: Student received 120 minutes
a physical therapy a month during this past school year. He
currently functions at a GMFCS level V and is dependent for
all mobility and positioning needs.
2. Rationale for the Individualized Education Plan (nature of the
disability)
Due to the student's cognitive deficits and physical
disabilities he requires one to one instruction that cannot
be supported in the general education setting. He needs
specialized instruction through the adaptive curriculum
classroom. He will benefit from small group setting,
physical therapy, and speech/language therapy. He also
will be supported by occupational therapy and adaptive PE.
He is considered to be legally blind and will receive

consultative vision services. These services will be

provided when school is in session.

3. Academic goals and benchmarks listed on the IEP.

Goal 1: Student will explore various tools/textures with either
hand during fine motor activities (art, sensory play, and
grasp/release objects)
Goal 2: Student will participate in classroom activities while in a
variety of positions to include weight bearing, side lying, prone,
supported sitting and supine; to promote range of motion for
ADLs, GI, respiratory health and comfort for classroom
participation. Student will tolerate 3 out of 4 positions with full
physical prompts.
Goal 3: Student will make choices in the school when given
multiple opportunities per day in the educational setting using
an AAC device. A. With full physical assistance. B. With partial
physical assistance
4. Non-academic goals
N/A
5. Special accommodations/modifications in the learning environment,
instruction, or assessment required by the IEP.
Instructional Accommodations include:
o Extra time for response
o Provide immediate feedback
o Avoid undue movement while instructing
o Gain students attention before addressing him
o Repeat directions as needed
o Access to assistive technology
o Wheelchair adaptive seating
o Paraprofessional support
Classroom Testing Accommodations None
Supplemental Aids and Services
o Audio Resources
o Assistive Technology
o Adaptive Feeding Equipment
o Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
Devices
6. Any related services the student receives (speech, OT, PT, etc.)
Speech
Vision
PT
OT
Adaptive P.E.
7. Transition statements and support services or procedures that support
transition from one setting to another.
N/A
8. Student behavior plans if applicable
N/A

FERPA: (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) considers students enrolled in
teacher education programs to have full rights of access to student documents and
files, the same rights accorded to teacher. Schools or teaches who have concerns
should contact (202) 260-3887 (v), or use the federal Information Relay Service at 1800-877-8339 for TDD calls. As a student in this special education licensure program
you have these rights to access files and information.

Part II. Reflection: Write a one-page reflection answering the

following questions:
1. Why is getting to know your students so important?
2. What surprised you and what was the most important thing you
learned about getting to know your student?
3. How will you use this information in the future?
Getting to know your students is a crucial part in their learning process,
especially working in a moderate to intensive classroom. So much of what
we do is dependent on students individual needs and varies from child to
child. While working with one child you might include many sensory tools,
but for another student using these same tools and tricks could cause a
sensory overload. It is important not only to know your students and their
disabilities, but also to simply know them as kids. Working in special
education is very different in almost every way possible, but at the end of
the day you are still working with students that are picky eaters, have
likes and dislikes, music and tv shows they are interested in, and who all
learn in different ways. It is so incredibly important in a room like this to
know these fun facts about each of your students. To know who likes to
be touched and held and who likes their personal space. To know who
enjoys lots of lights and sounds and who cant be around loud noises. To
know who gets along with one another and who doesnt. You cant expect
to be an effective teacher if you dont really and genuinely know the
students you are working with on a daily basis. Some things that surprised
me as I observed and worked with various students was the various levels
they are all on. In this classroom in particular, there were students
working on a large scale. I think quickly learning what level your student is
on was the most important thing, along with his/her ticks. My student was
adorable! He is blind and loves one on one attention. His favorite thing is
for someone to hold his had and just sit and talk to him. This student
understands cause and effect and loves to make people laugh. Knowing
these little things about him help to form his routine and daily schedule. I
gained lots of insight with working with various disabilities; I have picked
up tons of tips and tricks throughout my field experience to take into the
classroom. Working with younger students I have noticed the more hands
on and textile you can make a lesson, the more responses you get out of
your students. Using bright colors, magnets, and Velcro are MUSTS in my

future classroom.along with tons of soap, tissues/paper towels, and

Clorox wipes! At these young ages, the students love singing and
dancing!! They clap along and bob their heads to the music and lets be
real-- who doesnt love a fun little song to learn the days of the week,
months of the year, and how to count? Sticking to the same routine every
day is also a huge deal for these students, so starting the day and ending
the day with a hello/goodbye song is a fun reminder that school is starting
and then that it is time to go home!