Essential Bulletin for Educators
March 2023
It’s important to remember how powerful brain breaks for students can be!
The main benefit of a brain break is that it can improve a child’s overall well-being and positive mental space. Studies have shown that physical activity reduces stress, increases energy levels, and improves mood. When students are given opportunities to take breaks and engage in physical activity, they are better able to manage their emotions and cope with the demands of the school day. In “Research-Tested Benefits of Breaks,” author Youki Terada explains some benefits of implementing these regular breaks throughout the day.
Click the link below to learn more about these quick activities to try with your students to relax their brains and refocus their attention:
- Spot the difference
- Movement
- Brain teaser puzzles
- Short walk
- Alone time
- Marble Run Videos
Courtesy of Rebecca Kay-Lewis, LearnersEdge.com
Active Supervision Increases Student Engagement
The process of active supervision involves monitoring learning and performance in the classroom or any school setting, that incorporates moving, scanning, and interacting with students.
Tips for Implementation:
- Periodically move and supervise when providing individual or small group instruction; use your body positioning purposefully to ensure student engagement.
- Continuous movement and proximity with all students makes your presence known and heightens students’ attention to tasks and the expected behaviors.
- When you are circulating, keep moving and avoid spending the majority of your time in any one location.
To learn more, click on the link to the PDF below.
Courtesy of Eva Allen, PaTTAN West.
Stoplight: A Prioritizing Strategy for Students
What is it?
When making a to-do list, it can be difficult to know where to start. Stoplight prioritizing is a way for students to divide their to-do list into three categories: red, yellow, and green, to help them prioritize which should be done today, tomorrow and next week.
How does it work?
- Make a list of all your tasks.
- Use the color-coding system above to sort your tasks into three categories: red, yellow, and green.
- Start with the items on your green list.
- When you’re ready to stop working for the day, look ahead at your yellow and red lists, and move some of the items onto your green list for tomorrow.
- Finally, look at the red list - can you break any of the red list tasks into smaller sub-tasks? If so, try to put some of those sub-tasks on your green list for tomorrow. Keep moving items to your green list and breaking larger tasks into smaller sub-tasks until everything is complete.
To see a graphic organizer of the 3 levels of tasks, click the link below.
Courtesy of J. Pusateri, CAST
Hola! We are excited to announce HUNE is hosting our 3rd Spanish Youth Conference: Abriendo Caminos Exitosos on May 16 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Andy Arias will be the keynote speaker. ASL and Spanish interpreting will be provided for select sessions. Act 48 credit will also be available.
HUNE is currently seeking Spanish/English bilingual presenters. To apply, please see the attached presenter request form.
Learn ways that Local Education Agencies and Institutes of Higher Education are engaging secondary and post-secondary students in working with students with disabilities.
The Developing Future Special Educators grantees have designed a variety of learning opportunities including Unified Sports, after-school tutoring, and field trips for students to experience what it takes to be special educators.
Visit the APR Repository to learn more about the grantees’ work to inspire the next generation of special educators. Be sure to visit the grant page often as additional grant opportunities will be announced this Spring.
Questions to Guide Student-Teacher Discussion:
- What parts of learning are easiest for you?
- What is something in class that you do well?
- What parts of learning are most difficult for you?
- What is something you did in class that is hard?
- Do you use [insert accommodation name] during instruction? Is it helpful?
After-Test Questions
- Did you use [insert accommodation name]?
- Was it helpful? If so, how was it helpful?
- Were there any difficulties with the accommodations? Are adjustments needed?
- Should this accommodation be used again?
Excerpt from Lazarus, S. S., Fleming, K., Ressa, V. A., & Ghere, G. (2023, January). Suggestions for involving students in selecting and implementing accommodations (NCEO Brief #30). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local educational agencies to serve students who receive special education services.