Teaching In The Inclusive Classroom Using Choices to Teach Responsibility

Summary

The video showcases a kindergarten lesson at Hongan-ji Mission School, where teacher Ashley Teixeira integrates Dr. Glasser’s choice theory and Buddhist philosophy to teach students about decision-making and behavior. The lesson involves sorting, counting, and graphing different candies, with an emphasis on teamwork and responsibility. Students are encouraged to collaborate, solve problems, and make choices that impact their results. The approach emphasizes autonomy, personal responsibility, and developing social skills, fostering an environment where children learn through hands-on activities and shared decision-making.

Takeaways

• 😀 Dr. Glasser's Choice Theory emphasizes that behavior is chosen based on the internal need for love, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.
• 😀 The lesson at Hong Kong G Mission School focuses on teaching children responsibility by offering them choices in their behavior and decision-making.
• 😀 Ashley Tex Chara, a kindergarten teacher, integrates Dr. Glasser's psychological concepts and Buddhist philosophy in her teaching approach.
• 😀 Students work in small groups, sorting, counting, and graphing candies, which provides hands-on learning and fosters collaboration.
• 😀 The key steps in the lesson are sorting, counting, and graphing, and students are encouraged to collaborate to complete the tasks together.
• 😀 Children are given the autonomy to choose their candy type for sorting and counting, reinforcing the idea of making choices and accepting results.
• 😀 Ashley's goal is to teach students not only math skills but also decision-making, teamwork, and social collaboration.
• 😀 Reflection on the lesson reveals areas for improvement, such as modifying the way students record their counts to avoid confusion.
• 😀 Students are encouraged to support each other, with peer collaboration helping those who may have missed the previous lesson or struggled with the task.
• 😀 The use of the 'smart choices' chart in the classroom helps students consider the consequences and rewards of their decisions, reinforcing responsibility.
• 😀 The lesson's success was noted in how students worked well together, shared information, and showed problem-solving abilities, fostering a positive learning environment.

Q & A

What is the core concept of Dr. Glasser's choice theory as explained in the transcript?

Dr. Glasser's choice theory posits that our behavior is driven by internal choices, not external forces. We choose behaviors that we believe will best fulfill our basic needs for love, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.

How does Ashley Teixeira incorporate Dr. Glasser's choice theory into her teaching approach?

Ashley teaches her students to make decisions and accept the results of their choices. By giving them the freedom to make decisions during the lesson, such as choosing how to sort and count candy, she aligns with the principles of choice theory.

What specific teaching goal is emphasized at Hong Kong G Mission School?

One of the key goals at Hong Kong G Mission School is to teach students to become self-directed learners by helping them apply and test concepts in real-life situations.

What are the main activities that the students participated in during the lesson?

The students engaged in sorting, counting, and graphing candy. They were divided into groups and worked together to sort different types of candy, count the pieces, and graph the data.

How does the use of candy in the lesson help the students learn?

The candy serves as a tangible and engaging tool for sorting, counting, and graphing. It makes the lesson interactive and fun, while also helping students understand mathematical concepts in a real-world context.

What did Ashley Teixeira observe about the students' behavior during the group work?

Ashley observed that the students collaborated well, sharing the task of sorting and counting. They also worked through challenges, such as correcting mistakes and helping each other when necessary.

How did the students demonstrate teamwork in this lesson?

The students demonstrated teamwork by collaborating on the sorting, counting, and graphing tasks. They also helped each other solve problems, such as correcting mistakes with the colors and numbers on their graphs.

What challenge did Ashley encounter during the lesson and how did she address it?

Ashley encountered a challenge when students were confused about writing numbers on the plates. She reflected that in future lessons, she would provide paper for students to write the numbers on, rather than writing directly on the plates.

What role did the students play in solving problems during the lesson?

The students played an active role in solving problems. For instance, when one student made a mistake with coloring, he used his problem-solving skills to come up with a solution, such as coloring over the mistake.

What did Ashley hope the students would take away from this lesson?

Ashley hoped the students would develop problem-solving skills and learn how to make smart choices. She wanted them to understand that they are responsible for the decisions they make and that they can learn from the consequences of their actions.