Shira Kronenberg
Professor McIntyre
Observation Paper- SPED 751
 

 I conducted  my observation at Yeshivat Noam, a private Jewish day school in Bergenfield, NJ.  The children I observed were four years old and in a general education class. All the children I observed showed characteristics of ADHD.

 The school does not use a formal curricula/ program that deals with the affective or interactive domain of student development.  However, they do use an informal program that is built into the schools Judaic studies curriculum.  The school has a set curriculum of what is to be covered in each grade in regard to teaching both the Jewish Holidays and secular studies.  Within the curriculum, they have specific concepts that are conveyed to the children.  During certain Jewish Holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a major concept that is to be brought out is the way we treat our friends.  During this time, social skills are brought in to the curriculum.    While the curriculum is not formal, in that the teachers are not told how to teach, or given a specific book to use, the social skills concepts must be taught.  A major theme that is brought out in Holidays, and other areas of Judaic study, is the importance of how man treats man.  Whenever these concepts are being taught, the teacher teaches these concepts by teaching social skills.  Social skills are taught through role-play, social stories written by the children, or social stories the teachers read to them.  Besides social skills being taught within the curriculum, social skills and anger management are also taught throughout the course of the day.  Whenever issues come up during the course of the day, the teacher sits with the child or children and helps them figure out ways to resolve their issues.
 
 The children are assessed in different ways.  One way is during circle time, the teacher may have a circle time where she will role -play friends treating each other nicely on the playground.  The teachers will then elicit from the children what they would do on the playground if their friend wanted the toy with which they were playing.  The teacher would also run a circle time teaching the children how to ask to play a game with their friends, while their friends are already in the middle of playing a game.  The children will then use the writing center, with the help of a teacher, to write social skills story based on what they have been taught.  Many times, one will find these skills reinforced during playtime when a child is having a difficult time.
 
 I found that the teachers really worked well with the children.  I found that unlike other schools, food was not used as a reward system.  The teacher told me she did not feel that the children are like animals in the zoo.  She expressed if there are other ways to increase good behavior, why would one use food?  However, the teacher did use “catch’ em being good.”  In the middle of my observation, the teacher started using “ promoting positive peer pressure.”  Since the children were having trouble sitting at the lunch table, this technique was implemented during lunch- time.  The teacher sets a timer for fifteen minutes and the children may not get up from their seats until the buzzer goes off.  The only exception that was made for going to the bathroom.  If the class remains seated, and there is good behavior, a marble is placed in a “jar”.  When the jar is full, the children get to vote on a special prize.  The only thing that I do not like about this approach is that these children are only four years old.  If they do not get the prize they wanted, it may deter them in the future from trying.

 In the classroom which I observed, another technique the teachers used involved a warning system.  Two warnings and the students is placed in a time out.  This method was used during free play.  If a child were using his/her hands the wrong way, the child would get a warning.  After the second warning, the child is required to sit in a time out.  Before the warnings and before the time out the children talk about what happened.  Before the child can go back to play, the child tells the teacher what ways s/he should use his hands.
 
 In Yeshivat Noam, the students do not have IEP’s.   However, there is a special ed. consultant on staff.  The special ed. consultant comes into the classroom, observes the children, and then sets up goals and behavior modification plans that will best suit these children.  There is both parents and teachers involvement.  During weekly meetings, unless needed earlier, the teachers meet and discuss how the interventions are working for both the child and the teachers.  If there is any need for modification, parents are brought back  or informed of the changes.
 
 While doing my observation, I observed a little boy named Sam.  Sam is a four- year old boy with ADHD, and has a lot of difficulty functioning in the classroom.   Sam loves playing and really enjoys free play.  However, Sam has a lot of trouble sharing with other children.  When Sam wants something, his first reaction is to grab.  Because of his difficulty with expressive language, many times even when he wants to play with other children, his play turns into parallel play.
 
One day while I was observing, Sam was very angry that he was required to sit out during free play.  This reaction happened after he received two warnings and had been physically abusive to another child during a game of rescue heroes.  Sam was so upset that he started yelling at the other children and they could not play the game.  The teacher explained to him that the other children were playing nicely and followed directions, so they could continue to play.  This chastisement got Sam so upset that he did not want to come to time out.  He could not understand that the reason he could not play “rescue heroes” like the rest of the children was because he was using his hands unlike the other children.  The teacher needed to hold him on her lap.  He was struggling so much, that she had to attempt to restrain him.
 
After two minutes, Sam was allowed to go back to play.   However as soon as he went back in, he started hitting the other children, telling them they needed to stop playing.  Sam was once again taken out of the game.  The teacher told him that she would not allow him to go back to play until he told her the correct way he would play.
 Sam also has a lot of difficulty sitting during circle time.  He gets up a lot and just starts talking about things that are off the topic.  He will play with his mat and twirl around.  This behavior becomes very disruptive for both the teacher and the other children.

 I had a child similar to Sam in my class last year, and found that sometimes simply changing the structure of the day could help.  Sam has a hard time sitting, therefore, I would have circle time after less structured activities like free play.  For a child like Sam, it is very hard to sit for long periods.  Having him sit for long periods of time is setting up a child like Sam for failure.  I would also try to have another teacher sit behind him during circle time.  She could give him a back rub.  At other times, a teacher could hold him on her lap.  At times, I would notice that Sam would respond very well to verbal praise.  I think it is very important to catch Sam being good and give him a lot of positive feedback.
 
 Sam loves stories and he loves being read too.  I would, therefore, use that interest to my advantage.  I would use social stories as a way to get across to Sam how he needs to act with other children.  I would try to read these stories before the times that tend to be more difficult for him.   I would also use situations with which he is having difficulty and have him write his own social story.  I would also try to set up a token system for him and then wean him off it slowly.

I think the most important thing to remember is that a teacher needs to really look at the strengths and weaknesses of the students.  One has to push the students to the next level without setting them up for failure.  As a teacher, I think it is important to always be willing to modify your techniques and realize that some things do not work every time.  The teacher must be willing to individualize techniques for each child.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Name: Shira Kronenberg