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Message board > A problem with a student
A problem with a student
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Kate (kkcat)
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A problem with a student
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Dear colleagues,
I have a group of students, adults. Their level: elementary, middle of it. Not many people, just 6. There is a girl who finds it very diffiuclt to memorize even simple words (difficult because she simply doesnt learn them)and alwasy keeps asking everyone in the middle of saying something: Sorry! I forgot the word! Tell me what it means! Sometimes she doesnt do her HW and when we check it with everybody she keeps on doing it slowly and asks to repeat words she didnt hear at least 3 times. We do not do it fast, we do it at a normal pace but she will always begin to panic and say loudly: "Repeat, repeat. Help! I didnt write that" Everybody begins to feel frustrated. At first it was funny for other students and they kept calling her in a kind way: "you are such a slowpoke" but now I feel that it distracts everybody �s attention...All the time endless interuptions no matter what we do. I �m sorry it may sound as if I am complaining but I simply do not know what to do, how to behave in such situations. I always say: "Dear, please wait, do not interrupt, let another person finish" but my words always get lost on her. Are there any ways I can cool her down and make her respect people around her?
Thank you. 
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20 Jun 2009
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libertybelle
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This could be an area of learning disabilities.
Not all teachers are trained for special education and not everyone
has the capacity for learning a new language just as some people have trouble
learning math.
Some people are more visual and others learn better by hearing.
With my slow students, I use a memory game and much repetition.
I know there are many memory games here at ESL.
You could copy them and have your student play them at home to reinforce words.
These words should be nouns that are relative in categories,
foods
things in the kitchen
transportation
and so on.
They should also include images to help her remember.
We have to remember that this could be a big problem for her just as much as for you and the class. Perhaps she doesn �t belong in that class at all.
Children and adults for that matter often interrupt because they don �t understand what is going on around them.
A picture book with a CD naming all the nouns could also help so she learns both visually and aurally. (hearing)
Hope this helps
L
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20 Jun 2009
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cheezels
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Hi there.... I am going to give you my experience as a student who has incredibly bad short term retention....
I am also a visual learner so I need pictures, charts etc to help me retain the new language I am learning, (Swedish). Two years ago when I first came to Sweden I attended classes for 3 1/2 hours every morning for 10 months. When class was finished I came home and worked my way through Swedish grammar books for 2-3 hours also. I expected with the amount of work that I was putting in that I would be fluent in no time. I have never failed at anything in my life and was always an "over achiever" and in school and uni did very well.... It has been a long hard road and I have a very very long way to go....It was hard for me to come to terms with the fact that I just completely pathetic when it comes to learning another language!
What shocked me was that I came to realise that I have little to no short term retention of anything that I was trying to study. If I have the grammar rule in front of me or picture cues then I am ok.... but even though I spent hours trying to memorise rules and new vocabulary they would not stick. I felt incredibly depressed and felt like I was stupid and an idiot as everyone around me was doing less and progressing further. Although in class work I always was first finished and it was always correct - but you see I had the rule etc in front of me....
I need to hear and use words hundreds of times before I retain it as secure knowledge. Now I am ok in reading and understanding but my speaking is much lower and often grammatically incorrect... I can �t think of what to say, but can understand it when reading and when other people are talking....
She is probably coping the best that she can. What I suggest it that she has word lists and she translates them and has them with her. I made my own in Swedish for all the topics we were covering and it took me hours but you must have some helpful english word lists that she can do to make her own set?
Visual cues are great, charts etc for quick reference.
Marking homework, why not photocopy the answers and give her a copy so that she does not need to interrupt for an answer she has missed? Not everyone will be at the same level in any class... so it is up to you as the teacher to ensure that all of your students needs are met the best that you can.... and sometimes it will be more difficult in some classes than with others.
I guess what I am trying to say is that in every class peoples needs and learning styles are different. She also needs to feel valued and not mocked by the others as while it may not show in class I know that if my classmates had done that to me I would be really hurt.
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20 Jun 2009
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libertybelle
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and to add a littlePS to Cheezels reply:
It is your job as a teacher to make sure she is not mocked or mobbed.
Like Cheezel and I wrote - there can be thousands of
different reasons why this person is having difficulty in learning
and the best you can do is trial and error.
If one idea doesn �t work - try another.
L
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20 Jun 2009
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cheezels
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Actually it is true...I felt acutely aware that I was not retaining new knowledge and I became incredibly self concious which is why it has taken me so long to be able to feel comfortable using swedish in everyday conversation. Even now I feel very panicky when I first speak to someone new... whether it is a bus driver, someone in a shop or a friend...
If I had been made fun of in class that would have added to my own personal insecurities about how I was progressing....
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20 Jun 2009
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Kate (kkcat)
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Thank you very much for your advice, Libertybelle and Cheezels. I will use your tips next week and will talk to her about the tips and give her some extra memorizing games. It �s a great idea abotu coping the answers for the HW, I think it will help.
As for other students who found it funny at first - she was ok with that because she is very good friends with other girls in the group, they have become friends and meet with each other outside the class. Luckily, she always feels free to speak and has no hesitations about it.
But when they called her "slow" (even if they did it with kind smiles on their faces and never meant to hurt her) I asked them not to do it because I always do everything to avoid even little conflicts or personal misunderstanding between Ss in class.
Also she once told us: I �ve been learning English since I was 3 and always gave up after 2 months of learning because simply forgot things too fast.
She has been studying in this group for about 9 months now and when she has a desire to learn she makes progress.
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20 Jun 2009
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manonski (f)
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Would it be possible for you to give her a headstart? I mean, if she had the texts before the others or the vocabulary before you start teaching it, she would have a chance to look it over and start studying it. That way, when you start teaching it, she might be less panicked or at least she �d have an idea what you are talking about.
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20 Jun 2009
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Kate (kkcat)
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Manonski, I will try that way too and see how it works. Thank you very much, have a good day!
I really want that girl to succeed in her language learning, I will try my best to help her and other students to avoid any further frustration from their side about that problem we �ve had.
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20 Jun 2009
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manonski (f)
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You know, the problem might be "medical". Some students have dysphasia, dyslexia, etc and they �ll have to live with that most of their life. As teachers, we can provide them with as much support and tips we can but in the end, some situations will remain difficult and they have nothing to do with how we teach.
Good luck! |
20 Jun 2009
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mariamit
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Kate, I am not trained in special education but I think your student most probably has a learning disorder. It may be dysgraphia or ADD (attention deficit disorder). My nephew has the second one and the symptoms you mention are almost the same. Take a look at this checklist and see if your student has any of these signs. http://www.ncld.org/images/stories/Publications/Forms-Checklists-Flyers-Handouts/ldchecklist.pdf
If this is the problem you can only support her so much. As Manonski says as teacher we can support and encourage but in the end she will need special education courses to reach her maximum learning ability. |
20 Jun 2009
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Kate (kkcat)
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Thank you very much for your replies!
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20 Jun 2009
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