Students' Needs

It’s the first day of school and every student that walks through that door has different needs that need to be met. They all have some needs in common though, they want to feel: safe, important and that they are capable of accomplishing things, like they are fully functioning members of class, like they understand and are good at things, they need to be given a purpose for what they are learning, and like they are able to overcome challenges. Making your students feel positive in all of these aspects will keep them coming back to learn more. They are not concerned with what they are going to be learning in your classroom, they are concerned about feeling like they belong. That first impression you make on a student is CRITICAL. Make sure you are warm and welcoming, make them feel like your classroom is a safe place for them to learn and grow. Most importantly make sure that they know you care for them and are there for them no matter what. It is so important in the classroom that you are telling your students the purpose for what they are learning and please, please, please make connections to the real world! Students need to understand that they are not just learning things to know for a test, they are learning things to help them grow and succeed in life. Once you become aware of your students needs you can begin to effectively differentiate. This basic understanding helps you as a teacher to realize how different experiences in the classroom affect and meet the needs of your students. You need to be aware that students come from all walks of life and bring many things into the classroom that will directly influence their learning and how you teach. Sometimes you cannot meet the individual needs of every student. Unfortunately, you will at times need to take a “snapshot” of the class and determine who is understand a concept and who is not. If most of your students are getting it, great! You may have a few stragglers that you will have to plan to address at a different time. This part stresses me out a little because, being an overachiever, I want to help ALL of my students 100% of the time. That isn’t always possible though. There just isn’t enough time in the day to stop in each lesson and adjust for those who aren’t getting it, but that doesn’t mean you give up! You will just need to find some time to get the students together and discuss with them the missing chink in their understanding of a concept, then find a way to move them past it. You should never stop trying because you may be the only advocate and resource for learning that those children have. When you don’t reach them all, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again.