Last Friday, I was in a classroom full of 10th graders. Prior to class, the teacher pulled me aside and asked me to work closely with a student with an IEP. For those of you who don't know, IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. This usually means a student needs adaptations/accommodations to help them learn.This is NOT unusual; however, it was my first experience working closely with a student that needed accommodations.
When I was first introduced to his research topic, graphics novels in the classroom, I was overjoyed. Last fall, I spent an entire semester defending the literary value of graphic novels in the classroom. After spending the period hopelessly looking through his articles, I realized he was having trouble comprehending the material because his resources weren't useful. I went to his teacher after class and explained the problem: as he looked defeated, he threw out the articles and said, "We're gonna have to try again".
When I was first introduced to his research topic, graphics novels in the classroom, I was overjoyed. Last fall, I spent an entire semester defending the literary value of graphic novels in the classroom. After spending the period hopelessly looking through his articles, I realized he was having trouble comprehending the material because his resources weren't useful. I went to his teacher after class and explained the problem: as he looked defeated, he threw out the articles and said, "We're gonna have to try again".
After mulling it over on my way home, I decided I had the perfect article for him: a visual representation of graphic novels in the classroom. I sent a PDF of the article to his teacher, whom I just met that day. He was very grateful, and ultimately, I knew the visual representations of graphic novels would help accommodate him. Below is a screenshot of the article:
Please take a chance to consider a time where YOU went the extra mile and share with me in the comment field!
When we were assigned the document design project, I decided to contact a nonprofit and to make some brochures for them to help their cause. That is something that I consider to embody "going the extra mile". It is so much more enjoyable to finish something you worked extra hard on, so maybe that will help me to make better choices in the future!
ReplyDeleteGreat job with helping your student out, you will probably have a positive impact on him/her. :)
Wow, that was a great thing to do for that student! I don't have anything quite on that level, but I was part of a fundraiser once where one of the goals was if we beat the previous year's total, I would get my head shaved, which they did. (This was at the end of October. November seemed extra cold that year!) I also got my arm stuck in a vending machine once trying to help someone get their stuck Twizzlers out, but I'm not sure if that counts.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy looking through your blog. There were a couple of time that i went an extra mile, but majority the time its for a person. One of them was driving down atlantic city, New Jersey to help a friend of mine that need it a ride home because he didn't have enough money for any sort of transportation.
ReplyDelete