This student can't...

Hearing “this student can’t” or “this student will never”, is so disheartening.

It’s hard, frustrating and overwhelming to try to meet the needs of all the students in a class. This quote is a good reminder to reflect on the classroom environment and see if adjustments can be made so that everyone’s needs can be met.

Universal Design for Learning is a good example of this. As the saying goes, what is necessary for some, is good for all. Here are a few suggestions on how we can try to meet the needs of all learners while not putting in too much work.

• Provide choice on how students will demonstrate their learning.

• Use technology to level the playing field by using text-to-speech and speech-to-text applications.

• Make self-assessment a regular part of your practice. This allows students to set their own individual learning goals and move along at their own pace.

• Along with the above suggestion, providing regular feedback also helps students see what they’ve learned and what they need to work on.