WHAT CAL STATE AND SPU STUDENTS SAY ABOUT MY COURSES

“It is important for students with disabilities to have teachers who understand their situations and are equipped to work with such students effectively. Using the research-based strategies from the course text and DVD segments, I am optimistic about working with students with disabilities and collaborating with other professionals to help them achieve success.” (Christie C.)

“My knowledge from this course will enable me to interact with, manage, and teach a variety of students with disabilities (particularly those with AD/HD and/or LD) more effectively.” (Charles Q.)

“Not only has my sense of these kids turned a corner as a result of this course, but they have come to hold a special interest for me. In addition to wanting to teach them well, I feel bound to advocate better on their behalves, and bring some of my newfound information to the rest of our staff.” (Catherine S.)

“This course has put me on track and motivated me to try many different tactics to help my students with behavior problems.” (Patricia C.)

“The information in this course has allowed me to evaluate my teaching and make changes, so my students have better access to the material I am presenting. I have already seen progress with my students by implementing some of the instructional and organization strategies I learned .” (Ruth G.)

“I am excited to start a new year armed with a wealth of information on how to appropriately and effectively meet the needs of the students I serve.” (Deanna B.)

“This course is jam-packed with practical, easy-to-implement strategies that will help me reach students who struggle to learn. Perhaps what I most appreciated about this course was not just learning new strategies and techniques, but where the students were coming from.” (Hillary S.)

“The text presented a multitude of strategies to help these students. The DVD presented these strategies using real classrooms, students, and teachers. I learned so many answers to the question I ask as a teacher: what in the world can I do to help this child learn what I need to teach?” (Michelle J.)

“All that I have learned through this class will help me think about why a specific student diagnosed with a disability or not is struggling with a particular subject or lesson. I will now be able to look at the specific subject and see how I can adapt the lesson to accommodate their needs.” (Kayla V.)

“Some of the practices I use in my classroom were reinforced through the course readings and DVD, but I definitely learned many new approaches to teaching that I am looking forward to trying out with all of my students. I can see how all of the supports, strategies and interventions are necessary for students with AD/HD or Learning Disabilities. But I also see the value of these when used for all learners.” (Tricia D-S.)

“This course encouraged me to look at my students in a brighter light, as far as those with disabilities are concerned as well as the entire student population. Visions of those kids who are writing at a much more slow pace than the rest of the class, or those who become frustrated or act out when trying to solve math problems come to mind and I’m saying to myself ‘why didn’t I recognize the symptoms before this moment?” (Stewart R.)

“As part of my responsibilities as a teacher, I meet bi-weekly with a group of seven grade level colleagues and the assistant principal. One goal of these meetings is to discuss early interventions for struggling students. I plan to share many of the strategies & information I have learned from this course with my colleagues at these meetings with the goal of improving instruction for all students.” ( Susan M.)

“This course  provided me with the necessary tools to help parents and fellow teachers gain a new and clearer picture of their student, and provide strategies to help.” (Marla N.)

“If all general educators had access to the strategies shared in this class their lives would be a whole lot easier and the learning outcomes for all of their students would be profound. I have had the luck of working with many cooperative and communicative teachers, with whom I would be happy to share many of the readings from this class.” ( Lara W.)

“As a result of taking this class, I have learned much about ways to teach, challenge and motivate students with LD and AD/HD.” (Steven P.)

“I found this to be one of the most valuable classes I have taken because I can use everything I learned directly with my students. I feel much better equipped now to help my students with ADHD. All the information was extremely useful in helping me to understand this condition better, as well as providing me with strategies I can implement to help these children.” (Leslie R.)

“This course strengthened my resolve to continue becoming a better teacher of students with special needs. It also imparted some valuable teaching strategies that I plan to share with my colleagues and others.” (Eliza M.)

“After learning about how and why kids struggle academically, my commitment to serve these young people has blossomed; and I feel personally responsible to help explain their situations to others.” (Lisa B.)

“This course really allowed me to develop a further understanding of some management strategies that I was aware of, but only knew a little about, and gave me a lot of practical information and tools to take back with me to the classroom.”  (Jeremy W.)

“This class has refreshed me as well as enhanced my ability as a teacher. The strategies that I learned and incorporated into my classroom will benefit my students and help my class run smoothly.” (Lillian D.)

“Moving through these materials has been touching, painful, and transformative. I find myself thinking about students I have taught over the years, and what I could have done differently to help them. I find myself thinking that it is these very students whom I most want to serve – especially at the secondary level wherein they are most likely to get lost, give up, drop out, and careen down the wrong path.”(Catherine S.)

“This course has been directly applicable to my classroom and teaching. In everything I read and viewed on the DVD I readily saw myself and individual students. I found practical ways to think about and respond to students and specific actions that I can take today to improve learning for all students.” (Sheryl R.)

“Since this course, I am more open to the idea of adjusting the curriculum and am now better prepared to adjust curriculum on the “fly” if I have to. I can now make the instructional adjustments because of strategies, helpful resources, and user-friendly web sites that was the other piece of information that I learned from the course material.” (Cynthia V.)

“This course has already helped me provide a more effective education for students with learning disabilities and ADHD, and as I implement more strategies, I look forward to seeing a continued benefit.” (Kimberly M.)

“I plan to share some of these new tips with my colleagues as we take time to discuss what’s working and not working in the classroom. I feel like I have a brand new repertoire to test out with my students. I am excited to try them in my classroom and share these new ideas with other teachers.” (Tracy D.)

“The materials from this course are giving me a stronger set of skills and understandings, and will help me develop more effective teaching practices, with compassion.” (Larry B.)

“The abundance of ideas and strategies presented here will be a great resource  for me as well as the paraprofessionals who work with me.” (Sharon R.)

“I feel this course has given me a lot of ideas and suggestions, and I look forward to helping general education teachers get the most out of their students. I am so excited to share this knowledge and to be a resource for the general education teachers.” (Stacey D.)

“The course materials offer so many excellent and concrete strategies for helping struggling students.” (Jennifer W.)

“I learned an immense amount from this class that will help me throughout my career.” (Ralph B.)

“After reading through the course materials, I am genuinely excited about applying what I’ve learned in the classroom. I know I am a lifelong learner, so I love to learn about and try new teaching strategies.” (Elizabeth B.)

“This course was a very rewarding learning experience. I learned a number of strategies that will help students with ADHD or LD to stay on task, focus, and learn to their full capabilities. Also, as a result of the information from this course, I feel better able to integrate accommodations, instructions, and interventions to make learning easier for students and head off disruptive behaviors.” (Gayle D.)

“This course strengthened my commitment and gave me the confidence to teach these students more effectively. I now feel more armed with the tools and strategies to do so.” (Mike S.)

“Students, regardless of disability, have a right to the general education curriculum. This course has given me several tools to use to aid students with accessing that curriculum.” (John S.)

“This class and the course materials included with it will serve as an invaluable resource to me as a special educator.” (Dina B.)

“Now with this new information I learned in the text and video my students and I will benefit from pre-emptive management strategies and dignified, constructive direct intervention techniques.” (Caryn C.)

“This course has given me a plethora of additional ideas and strategies to add to my teaching repertoire to use with my students now and in the future.” (Pamela O.)

“I’m looking forward to putting into place all the wonderful strategies, techniques and interventions you’ve shared through this course in order to assist my students to achieve school success.” (Rosa K.)

“Educating students with AD/HD and hidden brain disorders is both complex and demanding because it often requires an individualized approach. However, with the countless number of resources available to educators, and the newfound awareness I have from this course, I am confident that my teaching will not only improve, but that it will continue to improve throughout my career.” (Sandra B.)

“I shared the course DVD with my team of teachers over the course of a few days during our team meeting time to reinforce some of the strategies and procedures that we have implemented with our special education population. They were pleased to realize we were already implementing many of the strategies in the classroom daily. They were also energized, as was I, to implement some of the other accommodations in their classrooms to encourage more student engagement and reduce behavioral issues.” (Mark S.)

“Nearly everything I’ve read in this class will impact how I manage students with mild to moderate disabilities.” (Brian H.)

“The writings from this course provided an excellent, user-friendly, dense and specific reference guide to so many classroom issues.” (James S.)

“I have learned many techniques and strategies through this course and I can’t wait to put them into practice. I’m also excited to include more effective ways of collaborating with parents and colleagues to implement these strategies consistently.” (Carolyn V.)

“This course has provided a variety of strategies and techniques to utilize in the classroom to improve student engagement, motivation, behavior and ultimately learning.” (Chris S.)

“The course materials offer so many excellent and concrete strategies for helping struggling students.” (Jennifer W.)

“Probably the most important thing I learned/was reminded of from this course was the reinforcement in me of a desire to refocus and look more closely at the behaviors exhibited by some of my students and re-evaluate why they are engaging in those behaviors.” (Sean R.)

“I have been sharing ideas and strategies from this course with my colleagues. My fellow teachers so far have been extremely impressed with how simple these strategies were to incorporate and expressed their gratitude once I shared these with them.” (Ella B.)

“This class has provided me with several examples of methods, tools, accommodations and modifications that to date I haven’t even thought about, much less tried. Along with providing me with new ideas and insight on how to help my current and future students learn, this class has also provided me with reassurance. To see and read examples of things that I am doing and knowing that they will have an effect, encourages me to keep on keeping on.” (Jonah R.)

“This class has provided me with a great deal of information and has helped me to become a valuable resource for my co-workers.” (Susan S.)

“My management of my students will be positively affected by this course. I’ve learned many new strategies, and have been validated in a number of my current practices. I have gained a renewed sensitivity to who my students are and why they have their special needs. (Linda P. )

“This course helped reinforce and refocus what I do in the classroom, and give me a new perspective on my students and their disabilities.” (Helen B.)

“This course offered very valuable research, techniques, tips, and insights.” (Fernando B.)

“I wish I would have had a class like this one six years ago when I began my teaching degree; I would not have struggled so much with how to reach & teach students.” (Christina H.)

“I learned a great deal in how to teach students with brain disorders (and all students in general) in many academic areas, including time management, organizational techniques, and memory boosting strategies. I look forward to implementing the techniques I learned from this course in the years to come.” (Fran L.)

“This course brought to light a myriad of the latest research findings, and practical resources ranging from relevant web sites to instructional aids and tools. The material offered wise, practical advice for parents, teachers, and anyone working with students – especially those with special needs.” (Lisa D.)

“So often I’ve sat in the staff room, listening to teachers complain that they feel unequipped to handle the needs of certain students in their classrooms. There is absolutely no excuse for me not to share what I’ve learned in this class with those teachers, hoping to make their teaching experience a more positive one for them and their students.” (Kirsten Q.)

“I am so impressed with the sheet volume of ideas and strategies that you have put forth in this class. Thank you.” (Carissa R.)

“I’m excited to not only share what I have learned through this course with not only my fellow colleagues, but with parents as well.” (Rebecca C.)

“I have been empowered with great knowledge throughout this course. I have been a special educator my entire teaching career (all 30 years). I was able to sit back and “smell the roses” during this course. It slowed my thoughts down about what does and does not work. It has also given me new ways to think about and teach all students that walk through my door.” (Kara D.)

“I feel I have greatly benefited from this course and it will definitely inform my approach to teaching not only students with ADHD and LD, but all of the students with whom I work in the future.” (Angela P.)

“The things I have learned from this course reinforce my aspiration to teach individuals with disabilities. First of all, the knowledge I have gained gives me confidence because I have more tools at my disposal…Finally, as the need for teachers trained in special education continues to rise, I feel proud to be developing my ability to help these students.” (Jackie C.)

“This course has helped me to not only validate my efforts and strategies, but more importantly to add to my toolkit of resources I can offer to aid students in reaching their potential.” (Sara R.)

“Now that I have all of this knowledge from this course on strategies to use in inclusion classrooms, I can share this with my colleagues at a faculty meeting or a focus group.” (Lucy W.)

“This course was extremely beneficial for me for many reasons. I re-learned information that I thought I knew and taught me numerous new techniques and strategies to implement.” (Jessica Z.)

“This course provided an abundant inventory of valuable tools for teachers.” (Rebecca J.)

“Both the text and the DVD gave a variety of strategies and information on how to adapt to help individual students learn.” (Jenna H.)

“This course has been an enjoyable, thought-provoking, reflective learning experience.” (Kyle B.)

“I found all of the information in this course to be very interesting and useful. I plan to refer back to it often in my teaching. There is a wealth of helpful tools and techniques that I look forward to using.” (Valerie C.)

“I would love to give a presentation on what I’ve learned in this course to my colleagues, showing them examples from the checklists/text and DVD in order to extend everyone’s ability to teach more effectively in the inclusive classroom.” (Heather F.)

“What I liked most about this course was the implicit challenge to stop whining and start enjoying teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities.” (Jennifer S.)

“As a result of this course, I feel I much more confident and better informed to talk with parents about their child’s disability or difficulties, and when collaborating and consulting with other teachers about a student.” (Julie C.)

“To me, what this course has validated over and over again is the true meaning of the word ‘teacher’. Teaching is an ongoing process and should be for any educator. It involves trying different strategies and adjusting curriculum until students are succeeding in whatever they are learning.” (Irma H.)

“Thank you for offering a course that truly helps me continue to grow as a teacher.” (Sandy R.)

“I came into this course looking for ways to specifically help my students with learning disabilities. However, as I read through the course materials and watched the video, I came to the realization that the best of those strategies would benefit all of my students.” (Ricardo O.)

“This course affirmed some of the strategies I used in the classroom, while providing many more ideas to work with. As I return to teaching, I am excited to have this resource to turn to instead of feeling ‘stuck’”. (Laura M.)

“This course was a very informative and practical one in which I found reinforcement for strategies being used in classrooms across our district, as well as giving me many new ideas and valuable information.” (Mary Beth W.)

“I feel that I have learned so many new strategies for my classroom that it may take up to five years to implement them all.” (Angelina D.)

“I have asked my building principal to show the course DVD to the entire staff at an inservice meeting. I believe there are powerful tools within the video to help regular education teachers understand what they need to be doing in their classes to ensure that all of their students, special education or not, are academically successful to the fullest extent of their ability.” (Mitchell C.)

“The course video, written sections and additional resources were of invaluable assistance in increasing my understanding of the learning process in general as well as how learning is supported in the special needs field.” (Paula B.)

“I think all of the useful adaptations that were provided in this course and important strategies for teaching reading, writing, and math would benefit all teachers even if you do not have students with disabilities.” (Renee W.)

“This course has rejuvenated my desire to respect all of my students for whom they are, and helped me add some vital structural, organizational, and management strategies to my tool kit of classroom management.” (Brianna R.)

“The information in your text can easily be used in writing an effective IEP that is not only teacher-friendly (general and special education), but also parent-friendly, and student-friendly.” (Jillian R.)

“It is beyond my comprehension how a teacher could complete this course without a feeling of renewed hope for each of the children they are privileged to serve.” (Karen H.)

“I appreciate the excellent materials provided for this class. They were informative and highly motivational. I plan to retain them for future reference and look forward to reading more in your published works.” (Miriam S.)

“With all the information I have learned throughout this course I feel as though I have a better understanding of children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities, as well as concrete strategies and tools to help them succeed.” (Erica M.)

“As a teacher, faculty member, and private tutor, I will benefit (as will my students) from what I have learned in this course, and what I can share with others.” (Megan C.)

“After reading and reviewing the text and materials in this course, I am full of exciting ideas to work into my special education program!” (Lisa S.)

“This course has provided me with great resources that I will refer to often, whether I get a full time job as a regular education classroom teacher or a special education teacher.” (Miriam S.)

“Thank you for such a carefully conceived, well-planned course. (Jason G.)

“I believe the most valuable asset I have attained from taking this course is the new repertoire of ideas, techniques and strategies I can share with the general education teachers in my building.” (Greg M.)

“As I begin to plan for this coming school year, I feel a sense of renewal about my ability to understand and meet the needs of all of the diverse learners in my class.” (Diana S.)

“This course gave me valuable information that I can apply immediately to the teaching setting as well as in working with my own son.” (Margaret W.)

“Students with disabilities are not the only kids who will benefit from the techniques taught in this course. Making your classroom more engaging and student-centered is best for all students.” (Arlyne M.)

“Near the beginning of this class, I had an epiphany. It concerned our son, now in his late twenties…Wherever I end up when I’m teaching again, I know I’ll have more compassion, understanding, and a desire to make learning successful for my students because of what I’ve lived through in my life, both with my beloved son and my own disabilities. Thank you for a course that is packed with ideas, strategies and resources to make that possible.” (Jacqueline F.)

“After watching the course video, I became more confident in my ability to teach students with ADHD and Learning Disabilities. A lot of the tips that you gave were concepts or ideas that I either use on a daily basis or will be implementing soon. Your video/DVD has gotten rave reviews from my principal, as well.” (Shawn B.)

“The content in the section on the causes of behaviors, strategies to prevent or minimize behavior problems and strategies to manage “at risk” and ‘tough kids’ is incredibly useful and will aid me  immensely.” (Wendy B.)

“This class was extremely helpful with giving me ideas to use in my own classroom. Since I currently do not have a classroom of my own, I can’t wait to try some of the ideas out that were given throughout the readings and video.” (Susan R.)

“This class and the course materials included with it will serve as an invaluable resource to me as a special educator. I am excited to start a new year armed with a wealth of information on how to appropriately and effectively meet the needs of the students I serve.” (Diane B.)

“I very much appreciate the material your course has presented and I have learned much from it. Of course, the students are the center of it all, and I am sure they will benefit from what I learned from your course as much as I will.” (Steven R.)

“This class has given me a greater understanding of the characteristics and needs of children with mild to moderate disabilities, as well as providing me with a multitude of strategies to help them succeed.” (Alicia A.)

“This course has deepened my understanding of the need to have tools at my fingertips that can help students with disabilities. First and foremost, I printed out two copies of the course readings and will keep one on my bookshelf in the classroom and one in my desk at home.” (Kristen H.)

“This course has provided me with wonderful detailed information about how to approach students with self-control issues as well as students who have neurological disorders. “ (Jessica K.)

“I am unsure as to what type of class I will be teaching next year, but I have every intention of utilizing many of the instructional strategies I learned in this course.” (Laurie M.)

“I have learned a great deal in this class. Being that I currently work in a self-contained environment with students with severe behavioral disabilities, this class provided me with a better foundational understanding of students with disabilities, and also many more strategies and interventions to employ.” (Amos R.)

“Thanks to this class I now have a new bag full of strategies to help me be a better teacher for ALL of my students.” (Kim G.)

“The class gave idea after idea on how to help these kids. I plan to have the class text pages in a notebook so I can look at it when I need to. I am excited about sharing what I learned with other teachers as well.” (Dennis T.)

“While many of the ideas presented were not new to me, many had slipped off my radar screen during the day-to-day process of teaching. Bringing them back to the forefront of thought has allowed me to be more creative in addressing learning issues with many of my students early. More importantly, I believe it is allowing me to be proactive in creating a rich environment for kids to be successful from the beginning, instead of trying to remediate discouraged students and parents as the year progresses.” (Diedra H.)

“I really started to think after starting this class over the summer about how I can make small changes into what I presently do.” (Karl A.)

This course offered a wealth of information that was immediately applicable to my current job as a coach and as a parent. I appreciated the specific examples of how these disabilities impact children and exactly what we as educator can do to support them. The information that I learned in this course will help me be a better coach which will help the teachers support students with disabilities better, which will make a difference in the lives of a child, a child like my son.” (Stacey L.)

“I have found this course to be extremely informative with tips on how to teach all students including those who have been identified with mild to moderate disabilities.” (Marcy S.)

“This course covered a great deal of material that will positively influence my teaching and my interactions with students, especially those with disabilities as I create an environment and develop strategies and accommodations that aid in their success.” (Marcus J.)

“Having all the information from this class is a reference that I can continue to use. I now have resources at hand to use when different problems arise.” (Patti C.)

“I have shared the information from this class with several educators, and they all were impressed with the material. Additionally, the video sparked lively academic conversation concerning special needs students and what methods best assist them. I look forward to more in this series of study.” (Henry B.)

“I will definitely keep the readings from this course on hand so that I can refer back to them for ideas when a struggle comes up in the classroom.” (John S.)