Pam Gattis, 2nd-grade teacher and administrator at Quest Academy Charter School in Raleigh, North Carolina, realized the benefits from the Schools Attuned Program
Managing a classroom of more than 20 second graders where each student learns differently can be quite challenging. The Schools Attuned program from All Kinds of Minds helped Pam Gattis, 2nd grade teacher and Administrator at Quest Academy Charter School, meet the needs of all her students, especially one particular student, Steven, who was expected to fail and was struggling with learning.
'Wait Until You Get Steven…'
School began, and there sat Steven. He came with a warning label: "Just wait until you get Steven," was the chant from his previous teachers. I'd observed him in these classrooms, and he appeared to be continuously perplexed and confused with the routines and the required work in each grade. His desk held every piece of paper given to him; his school supplies were hidden deep in his desk or scattered all over the floor; and his face mirrored confusion. I knew he was extremely bright, but just couldn't figure out this school thing. Without Schools Attuned, Steven and I could have traveled the same well-worn, frustrating path. Thank goodness I needed the renewal credit, because now Steven and I are very successful.
The first week, I observed Steven in all aspects of his day and only facilitated his work enough to keep him hanging on. He was not expecting a great deal of success from himself, but his frustration in trying to complete an assignment began to sadden him. His self-fulfilling prophecy was coming true. That's when I went into action.
I spread out my notes from the workshop, opened the books and began to look for Steven. Under "Attention," I saw him. I sorted out his strengths and weakness and began to develop a plan for both of us. I had long conversations with his parents, explaining what I had observed about his academic behaviors and my plans for restructuring his program. Steven needed our consistency in working both at school and at home.
I broke down his tasks into smaller increments, gave him sequential steps for completion, and carefully monitored his work. It has been seven months now and Steven is doing great! It was difficult to give myself permission for Steven to be given less work than his classmates. It was difficult to maintain two somewhat different programs and to closely monitor Steven throughout the day. But it was worth it!
I now look at all the children truly as individuals. Every one of them has a bit of Steven tucked away. I recognize the differences between their strengths and weaknesses, and spend lots of time finding strategies that bring a smile to their faces and success to their eyes.