BellaOnline Forums Education Teaching LDS Classroom Success Stories

Sorry for the late post - the forum has been experiencing "growing pains."

Anyway, here is my classroom disaster turned success story:

Shortly after being called to Primary as a teacher/worker, I was assigned to a class that had a little girl who had Down's Syndrome. She was 6 years old at the time. No other teacher could handle her. She wasn't difficult, just mischievous! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue2.gif" alt="" /> She would climb on hte furniture or under it. She would suddenly DISAPPEAR!

I had never taught in Primary before and had only toddlers myself, so I felt a little overwhelmed when I heard about the class and the problems with this little girl.

I decided that I could not teach in the traditional schoolroom method. I had to do something to get this little girl's attention so that everyone in the class would have a good experience.

I designed my lessons to be mostly hands-on. AND, I kept the little girl in my lap. She was happy as a lark sitting there with me, holding the book I was reading, or reading my notes, or just ... sitting.

Ahhh!!! Success!

Now it's your turn. Tell me your classroom distaster turned success story.

I had a boy who was a bit of a boy to a disabled child. I put him in charge of that boy, asking him to protect the child from the "other' children (sort of taking a tip from President Monson.) The bully loved having such an important job and was fiercely protective. His own behavior and self-confidence improved as well, because he realized I trusted him with the task.

Oh gosh! I just lost my post. Problems, problems, and still ... more problems! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, I think your story, Terrie, is a wonderful example of how we can empower children and to help them take responsibility for their own actions. I also believe that we can use this in other areas of the classroom - not only to take the load off of ourselves, but also to allow the kids to feel IMPORTANT and NEEDED. We can allow them to take attendance, pass out supplies, be a buddy - there's an infinte number of possibilities.

Thanks for sharing!

I was teaching a Beehive class on Genealogy. Before I even started the teachers warned me about this girl who had ADD and was so hyper she disrupted their classes. With this knowledge and already having a pedigree from her parents ahead of time, I asked her to fill out her own pedigree to show the class at the end.

While I taught she busily copied with only a comment now and then about her ancestor or how to read something. At the end of the class, believe it or not she had been listening to me teach. She asked the most excellent questions of all the girls and was so into the family history while some of the girls seemed just to tolerate this "Old Lady" who came to teach them about "Dead People". Her mother told me a few weeks later she would go online to look up family as I had told them how to google their ancestors. I was very glad she was in my class!

Having a child who is ADHD, I know all too well that they learn better when they are busy. Go figure - you'd think that the opposite would be true! <img src="/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

I don't know why more people don't appreciate their ancestry. Although I do not know much about mine (I have been told it's none of my business), <img src="/images/graemlins/wall.gif" alt="" /> there are many people who have kept diligent records of their lives and I truly believe that their stories, their histories, are fascinating!

Maybe that could be a great way to begin a class. Tell a fascinating story of a relative and talk about how you found out about it. Similar to reading a mystery novel!