The Pre-K classes were in the midst of a study of materials. I'm the kind of music teacher who likes to collaborate, so when the Pre-K kids came to my Music class, I had them search the room for metal instruments. They found triangles, glockenspiels, bells, and cymbals. I don't particularly like the clamor of lots of little ones playing metallic instruments, but it was an important exploration to build their understanding of the properties of metal.
Toward the end of the lesson, I pulled out the big metal instruments - a collection of three gongs; one small, one medium and one large. Each child had a chance to play each gong. About halfway through the line of children, I noticed one little boy who usually loves Music class looking very upset. He had tears in his eyes and was covering his ears saying, "Noisy! Noisy!" I immediately tried to check in with him, but he wasn't able to engage with me. I asked the rest of the children to hit the gongs very softly. The little boy slowly calmed down.
When the children were done playing the gongs and ready to head back to their class, I told the little boy, "I know those gongs were really loud. Don't worry. We're all done. No more gongs." I said to the teaching assistant, "He's really sensitive to noise. That really upset him. I have to keep that in mind."
The teaching assistant replied that he would just have to get used to it, that he can't pick and choose when other people make noise, that he makes plenty of noise and is never bothered by it, and implied that he was just spoiled. Now, (regardless of whether I think this kid has special needs or not), the noise was obviously stressful and overwhelming for him.
I told the teaching assistant that he clearly wasn't in control of whether the noise bothered him, that it might not bother him when he was creating it, but that, even so, we should be aware and work to avoid putting him in such a stressful situation again. I further explained that at 39 years old, I'm still stressed and overwhelmed by ongoing loud noises, like really stressed out. (Don't get me started on fire drills!) And, though I can tolerate loud noises, just barely, the stress they induce in me hasn't changed. And it likely won't change for him anytime soon.
Now, she didn't agree with me, and that's fine. But I want to put this out there:
My mother, principal and educator for thirty plus years, articulated this after hearing about the gongs. And she's absolutely right. Also, allowing certain accommodations to be selected by students means that the child you think really needs the accommodation doesn't feel singled out. Even better, children learn that different children need different kinds of support to learn, and that every child deserves what she needs.
Accommodations are often described as changes made to support children with disabilities, but I beg to differ. Every child benefits from being taught in the way he learns best. Children don't have to be diagnosed with special needs in order to be helped by changes in their classroom environment and/or routines.
So in honor of that idea, I'm sharing some accommodations I've made for individual children that ended up benefitting many more:
- Turning Down the Volume - As a music teacher, I play music over speakers in almost every lesson. I try to keep the volume at a reasonable level, but on occasion, I notice a child wincing at the sound of the music. I turn the music down, always, and check in with the child to see if the new volume is comfortable. Frequently, other children will note that they also thought it was loud.
- Standing Table - I got tired of telling a couple of children to sit down while they were working, lesson after lesson. I noticed that those particular children simply couldn't keep their bottoms in their chairs. So I searched out a table that was a good height for standing, and that table became an optional work area. Children who were more comfortable standing chose to work there. And that table was always used. Always. Many students, at various times, found that working while standing was more comfortable and productive. Since then, I've tried to make sure there's a space for working where children can comfortably stand.
- Flutter Free - I noticed some children (and I, myself) were frequently distracted by fluttering papers strung on clotheslines or not attached well to walls. So I got rid of them. Anything hanging was attached well by all corners, and anything unnecessary wasn't left hanging. Less distraction, more focus.
- Fidget Objects - Some kids move - a lot. Some of those very same kids can move less if they can fidget with their fingers - much less distracting than a whole kid wiggling. Aside from making sure we never ask children to sit for periods of time longer than is age-appropriate, my co-teacher and I introduced a box of fidget toys to our Year 5 class. Children were allowed to select one on their way to the meeting area. Many children picked up fidget objects on the way to meetings. Fidgeting fingers allowed for calmer bodies and more focused meetings. Small bits of Blu-Tack (that stuff you use to hang things on walls) and Silly Putty were absolute favorites and are also super quiet.
- Holding Hands - I was teaching at a school that usually had students walk in single file lines. (I don't know why, they just did!) One year I had a kid who frequently walked away from the line. Initially, I just held his hand, but I didn't want him to continue to be singled out at times he didn't need to be. So we switched to a double line with partners holding hands. Simple switch, and he no longer stood out as needing something different during those transitions when children were lined up.
- Little Jack Horner - A desk in a corner. I despise the idea of punishing children by making them work in a corner, or facing the wall. But when a corner or wall-facing seat is an option that children can choose if they feel more comfortable working there, it becomes an appropriate accommodation. One of my most social students often chose this seat because he felt it helped him to be more productive during certain lessons. I created this spot with another child in mind, but it ended up being the perfect spot for him.
- Spacers - Sometimes little ones (and some older kids) forget to leave spaces between their words. I'm sure this isn't my idea, but I've employed it with great success. I cut little cardboard or card stock strips, the appropriate size to make a space between words, and told the children they were "spacers." I made them for a couple of kids to help them remember their spaces, and suddenly every child wanted one. Why not?
- Guidelines - When children work to create posters or publish pieces, they sometimes want to work on unlined paper. As you know, some kids really need lines to help guide their writing. We photocopied dark lines and laminated these plain sheets. Children used them by placing them under their unlined paper and using the lines to guide them. Though they were created for a few children who really needed them, many children enjoyed using them.
- Dry Erase Scrap - Inserting a piece of plain card stock into a glossy plastic pocket makes re-useable scrap paper for trying out different spellings of words or performing math calculations. They fit right into folders. Again, created for a few children, but many children found them useful.
Use your imagination! As teachers (and anyone else who works with kids!) we should be doing our best to make sure children feel supported and competent so they can do their best work. Our goal shouldn't be making sure every child works in the same way! Our goal should be making sure every child can participate!
Do you have other ideas for accommodations to try out in the classroom? Share in comments below!
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