Consistent Alternatives

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Consistent Alternatives

  • January 20, 2021
  • Posted by: Caitlin McCallum
  • Category: Wow Story
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Wow Wednesday Stories from the Classroom

You might think “consistent alternatives” would be a contradictory phrase, but it’s something that we at LSEM strive for. We want to make sure we are meeting the unique needs of each of our students, and to do that we have to consistently think outside of the box. What works for most children, or even one child, may not work for another. So we adjust out thinking and our methods and our measurements accordingly. Teaching looks a little different, and success looks a little different for each child. The following is an example of a unique success for one of our students.

“We have been blessed in many ways at St. Paul Lutheran School in Catonsville, Maryland. As of November, we have been instructing in person five days a week, while the county public schools are online.  This has benefited all our students, but especially the ones that have academic and behavioral needs.  One student, in particular, has made some wonderful progress with his behavior.  When he first came to St. Paul he had multiple incidents that involved him throwing things when he became frustrated. Once, he even knocked over his desk because he was frustrated and didn’t know how to verbally express himself.  Initially, there was a question whether this student was going to be able to stay at our school.

Through the dedication of all  his teachers working together, alternate behaviors taught to him, and a small reward system put in place in our resource room, he has slowly changed his reactions.  In fact, his mother recently sent an email to his classroom teacher that shared the student has internalized these alternate behaviors so well that he is teaching another family member how to do the same.  Other students who knew this child before he went to St. Paul have mentioned how much his behavior has changed for the better.  This is an example of how involved teachers who work with a student consistently can bring change into not only their lives but the lives of those who know and love him.”

– written by Darcie Bowers, LSEM teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Catonsville, MD