Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Questions: Meeting Students' Needs

I've been thinking about the best questions to consider as we try to meet students' needs with strength. Here are a few. What would you add?
  • Is the student happy at school? Or, when is the student happy, and when is the student not happy? What is true about the happy times, and what's happening during the unhappy times? What trends do you notice in this regard? 
  • Are the child's basic needs of clothing, shelter, health care, and good nutrition being met? If not, why not and what can be done to change that?
  • In what areas is the child meeting grade-level expectations, and in what areas is the child not meeting grade-level expectations? 
  • Does the child have at-home academic support? If not, should we compensate for that in some way in school?
  • Does the child have what she/he needs to complete home study assignments?
  • Does the child have the right amount of support at school? Does he/she have to navigate too few or too many teachers, assistants, or classes?
  • What does the teaching team feel are the child's greatest needs? How can we begin to better meet the student's needs by prioritizing efforts, supports, and time?
  • Does the child have voice? Do we ask the child what he/she needs to succeed and how he/she feels we can provide greater support?
  • Does the learning team work together to meet the child's needs in a timely, responsive manner?
  • Does the child have adequate time to practice the skills taught?
As we entertain the needs of many children during our upcoming Professional Learning Community (PLC) meeting, I will be thinking about the questions above. I will also be listening to the other questions posed by educators on the team in order to develop a more comprehensive list to consider to as we work to teach every child well.