What are the most effective ways of teaching students with emotional and behavioral problems?
The teacher should approach instruction keeping three things in mind: (1) most ED/BD students are “turned off” by school becuse they have a history of failure; (2) the program must be adapted to the student, not the student to the program; and, (3) many students will show initial resistance to even the best teachers and instruction. It is most important that teachers “stay the course” and maintain reasonable expectations. Young students need a predictable, structured approach to instruction. Innovative techniques may capture the imagination of middle and high school age students, and with many an informal classroom environment proves beneficial. Learner-centered methods that draw upon the knowledge and understandings that ED/BD students possess work better than those that are teacher-centered. Constructivist strategies permit students to demonstrate what they have already learned (often in the “school of hard knocks”) and to gain new perspectives on their experiences.
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