Chapter 6 Reading Response: Responding to Student Needs

When we respond to student needs, we help build the student's sense of self-worth. When work is scaffolded to their current ZPD, the student finds themselves succeeding at things they didn't think was possible. How do we ensure this is happening for all students? This chapter provided clear steps and instructions on how to do so. Student work needs to be:

1. important
2. focused
3. engaging
4. demanding
5. scaffolded

A child is most successful when they feel affirmed, and that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. A student will feel like work in important when we connect their academics to their own lives, work becomes engaging and important, in their mind. When work is accommodated based on learning tiers and language development, it is focused on their individual capacity. Additional strategies suggested are:

• Focus student product around significant problems and issues
• This can be in the school, community, etc. 
• Use meaningful audiences
• Help students discover how ideas, and skills are useful in the world
• Provide choices that ensure focus
• Look for Ways to present and explore ideas

How do we make work demanding and scaffolded? 

This is often a question teachers ask themselves, especially with a wide range of readiness and ability levels in their classroom. The book suggests quite a few strategies, butI will only discuss my favorites.

• Aim High
• Provide tasks that we genuinely believe to be beyond them, and then set out to ensure their tasks. All tasks require serious thoughts. 
• Ad long as you develop a community where the students know that YOU believe in them, and that they believe in themselves, I truly believe academic miracles will take place. 
• Help students realize success is the result of effort. 

The last is my favorite: "Help students realize success is the result of effort." Our society is one of entitlement. Those members of society who work hard, will be the most successful. I cannot control anything, except for what happens in my classroom. I will make sure that ALL students will reap the benefits of working hard, and will see that as long as they put in the effort, they can accomplish anything.