EFFECTIVE LESSON PLANNING

To implement an effective lesson plan for all learning styles, educators must create ways adapt the lesson and teaching style for all students. Today’s classrooms are filled with students with a diverse range of needs and learning styles. To ensure a quality learning experience for all children it is necessary to incorporate variety. Educators need to plan their teaching, materials, content and assessments with creativity and flexibility. Each lesson should involve as many different means of learning and expression as possible. A lesson plan full of imagination will engage the greatest number of students.

Students As Exceptional Learners Who are they? How Can we Identify Them? Life Lessons Treat every child like you want your child to be treated. Reflect then React or better yet Respond These children will one day rule the world  ….What do you want them to remember about you? What is fair is not always EQUAL. Teach little people to Make an Effort not an Excuse Appropriate Support = High Expectations = Accountability

21 Ways to show some LOVE... LOVE is a VERB

1. Say "I Love You" a LOT. 2. Always pay attention to them when they are talking to you/babbling/cooing or whatever! 3. Make sure you are smiling at them and have a pleasant tone of voice while interacting with them. 4. Hold, cuddle, and love on them as much as possible. 5. Smile at them when they first wake up. 6. Dance with them. 7. Sit them in your lap to read stories. 8. Sing to them . . . even if you have the worst voice in the world. 9. Be excited about every new development and discovery. 10. Let them get messy. 11. Play in the sprinkler together. 12. Let them wear their Superman cape to school. 13. Tell them you trust them to make good choices. 14. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!! 15. Be happy to see them when they come into the room! 16. Say sorry when you're wrong. 17. When your toddler reaches for you to take his hand, do it--every time!--no matter how dirty, wet, or sticky it is. 18. Cook with your toddler and never mind the mess. 19. Make up songs (you can use nursery rhyme tunes) to go with your child's activities... 20. Put down what you're doing to listen to your child when they're talking to you, and make eye contact. 21. Take the time to explain why something is wrong when you have to discipline your child, and that they understand!

It is necessary to be a good influence in all children’s lives. Being a positive role model doesn't take fancy techniques or a psychology background. What it does take is time, patience and courage. There have been many individuals throughout my life that took no shortcuts in the time they spent with me. Each one looked at life as a journey. Everyday was utilized to provide opportunities to teach major life lessons. The positive influences and role models in my life allowed me to recognize my courage in trying, and I was reminded they had the confidence in my ability to succeed.

Personal Childhood Web Great Grandmother: Caring, loving, supportive and fun. Demonstrated strong family values and amazingly kind. Many memories of baking and cooking Italian treats. 4th Grade Teacher Encouraging teacher with a gift to demonstrate an open mind for all children. A teacher who found the best in each child and educated each child to their learning own unique style.

The Teenage Brain Why they do what they do, if they do it at all. Facts About the Teenage Brain (quoted) What we now know about the teenage brain may surprise you. It is definitely a work in progress. The study of the brain (neuroscience) has made great strides over the past decade due to the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that provides accurate pictures of the living, growing brain and of molecular biology. We once thought that the brain was fully formed by the end of childhood, but research has shown that adolescence is a time of profound brain growth and change. We now know: Between childhood and adulthood the brain’s “wiring diagram ” becomes more complex and more efficient, especially in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. The greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for impulse-control, judgement, decision-making, planning, organization and involved in other functions like emotion, occur in adolescence. This area of the brain (prefrontal cortex) does not reach full maturity until around age 25! Adult response to stimuli tends to be more intellectual, while teens’ is often more “from the gut.” The fastest growing group for suicide is youth aged 10 to 14. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death of adolescents. http://teenagebrain.blogspot.com/

Kids say the BEST things.....

One of my little friends gave me a hug today and said, "I knew I smelled something delicious. You smell like pancakes!"

:)

A story of mine from September 2012...

Best night ever!! I talked to TIMMY. What an amazing shock to hear his voice on my voice mail and then get to spend time talking with him on the phone. He started to cry and when I asked him why he was sad, he said “I just don’t want you to feel left out Mrs. Riskas because I love you and you have always been so nice to me.” What a conversation we had and let me tell you…This is what it is all about. We made a deal to talk every other week so he can tell me all that he is learning at his new private Christian school in Prescott. Anxiety is high. I had a fantastic conversation with his grandma. Too much to write but she is a strong and amazing woman. Mr. D…..Timmy wanted me to be sure to tell you that he said “Hello”. For those of you that don’t know who TIMMY is… He is my favorite kid ever. A 16 year old boy with Asperger’s who had been my student since he was in the 4th grade. What a gift. How lucky am I.

How Fight or Flight Affects the Learning of Children

An article in the Fall 2001 issue of "Childhood Education" names grades, social pressure, excessive homework, conflicts with teachers and tests as significant stressors in the classroom. These stressors are felt by children as early as kindergarten or first grade, a situation the article says makes "the concept of a carefree childhood nearly obsolete." http://www.livestrong.com/article/156872-how-fight-or-flight-affects-the-learning-of-children/#ixzz2BGkDn2O4

http://www.livestrong.com/article/156872-how-fight-or-flight-affects-the-learning-of-children/

Understanding Learning Styles

The best approach for an instructor to take is to address a variety of learning styles with their teaching plan. It is also helpful to encourage students to understand their preferred leaning style. http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/ClassroomTips/Learning_Styles.htm

Introduction to Blog

http://criskas.weebly.com/

Speech and Language Developmental Milestones
http://campbell.k12.va.us/tes/msisk/media/articulationnorms.pdf

http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34:ages&catid=11:admin&Itemid=117


Speech and Language ActivitiesThe following links provide information and activities to encourage speech and language development in the home.
http://www.speakingofspeech.com/Materials_Exchange.html
http://www.speech-express.com/helping-at-home/helping-at-home.html

http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/parent-stim-activities.htm
http://www.wcs.edu/studentsupportsvc/speech_language/home_practice.pdf

Information on Autism  http://www.autismcenter.org/contact_us.aspx
http://www.autismspeaks.org

AZ. Department of Education Speech and Langauge Impaiment Defined
http://www.azed.gov/wp-content/uploads/PDF/DR12.pdf

Speech-Language Therapy

*Speech-language therapy in the schools is a support service for children with communication delays or disorders which negatively impact social, emotional, academic or vocational functioning.

*Speech-language therapy is provided to students with documented needs in the areas of language, articulation, voice, and fluency.