Student Academic Struggles

Brain Breaks
Situation: 

We have many double periods of math throughout the week. It makes it very difficult for some of my students to continue attending. What can I do to help them (and me) get through these times?

Visual Chunking: Math
Situation: 

How do I stop my student who knows his math very well, from screaming and head banging when he receives a math paper?

Acknowledging Student Difficulties
Situation: 

When I give my student any challenging or new work, he gets very anxious and starts saying, “it’s too hard.” When I try to tell him it’s not that hard and that he can do it, he only gets more anxious and insistent that it is impossible and sometimes starts having behavior problems.

IEP At a Glance
Situation: 

How do I know what accommodations/modifications I should use for my student’s upcoming assessments?

Strategies for Bringing Up Grades
Situation: 

I have a bright student with Asperger’s who is falling behind in his grades. When I talk to him about it, he doesn’t seem to understand what he has to do to pull up his grade. He doesn’t seem to care much about the work that is assigned.

The Classroom Calming Corner
Situation: 

I teach 2nd grade in a very busy classroom.  There is one student who has major difficulty with certain academic tasks and will melt down whenever he gets frustrated.  We don’t know what to do when he gets like that – it’s very disruptive!  Sending him out of the classroom isn’t the answer.  What can I do to help him calm down?

Alternative to Missing Recess
Situation: 

I have a student who tends to avoid starting independent work and will put it off even with several prompts. If the student doesn’t finish in the time provided, I ask them to stay in for recess to finish in hopes that this will spur on some productivity. Are there any alternatives to missing recess to help students focus and get to work?

High School Organization Binder
Situation: 

I have a student in my Algebra class who participates and can do the work but his organization and writing is so poor he has difficulty studying for tests. I’ve tried using the computer, getting him folders but to no avail, what can I do to help him?

Attention to Topic Transition
Situation: 

Sometimes I’m not sure if one of my students is paying attention. What can I do to ensure they are following the topic of the lecture?

Group Steps & Options
Situation: 

I have a student who has difficulty working in groups. He either moves away, tries to work alone or he is giving “orders” to everyone. Inevitably the group falls apart with arguments or work uncompleted. How can I help this student work positively in groups?