Teaching Appropriate Reactions to Situations

Ever had a student explode with profanity (or tears) over a minor situation? Seems to happen every day in special ed, so I made this lesson for my kiddos. It's a visual that shows the strength of our reaction to various situations. The meter starts at "Flatlands" (every day nothing occurances) and goes all the way up to "Volcano" (the worst possible situation). During the lesson, we discuss various situations and what the proper reaction may be. Maybe a person accidentally bumps me in the hall. That's a tiny anthill of a situation and I can handle that myself. Perhaps someone is hurting my friend. If that's the case it's a mountain situation and I need to see the school counselor.

Click on the picture below for a larger view.

Given this starting lesson, there are countless lessons that can follow. You can take situations that have really happened and place them on the meter; then see how the situation should have been handled. For students that have daily issues with improper reactions, it can be useful to give them a copy of the meter to carry around as a reference when needed. It's very important to first use the meter when a student HAS acted appropriately, so they are able to understand it clearly, without the clouded judgement that behavior brings. Then, once they know how to use it, introduce it during a time when they've had an inappropriate reaction.

E-mail me at sara.kerbs.r@gmail.com if you would like the ActivInspire lesson that accompanies this.

Adaptive PE

I've found over the years, that the classroom teacher is usually responsible for creating and implementing all aspects of an adaptive PE program. So, when these opportunities come along, it's a great time to start thinking creatively. In my hopes to create a fun, stimulating program, I bought my classroom a Wii. There are endless possibilities for physical education (as well as just plain fun). For anyone familar with WiiFit, you can instantly see adaptive PE applications. Each student can keep their own profile with weight, body mass index, as well as their "Wii Fit Age". They can play exciting balance games, run with friends on-screen, do ski-jumps, along with dozens of other fun activities. Each month it seems they come out with a new fitness game geared at getting people healthy through gameplay. The kiddos enjoy it, it creates an awareness of overall healthy, and it's such a hoot! And when the kids aren't doing PE, the other games increase hand-eye coordination, help with fine and gross motor movements, and increase balance.. My students' favorite is Wii Bowling. Everyone can participate and have a wonderful time. If you're thinking that this sounds all to expensive, you're right. A new Wii console costs between $150-200, with games extra. In our class, we sell Otis Spunkmeyer cookies to buy classroom items (but that's a blog post for another time). Some schools will allow you to take this expense from your classroom budget, if you present a valid argument. If not, throw a fundraiser. I assure you it's worth it.