Rethinking Delivery to Reach All Your Learners

Author: Shannon Lauffer

When it comes to teaching, my soul, my passion, it’s teaching to reach every learner. I was an art teacher and a special education teacher. I fell in love with special education in my first job, and honing that skillset was the best thing I ever did.

I like teaching students who are differently-abled because it challenges me to think outside the box. I have to be intentional and flexible. I have to plan and fly by the seat of my pants.

Before we get into delivery, get clear about your teaching objective. Determine what your students need to learn (and why it’s essential that they understand it). In what ways can they reach the desired outcome? What choices are you providing, and how can you scaffold the process for students who need more? What does teaching look like for accelerated learners?

Rethink your delivery.
I hate to say it, but if you talk a lot… you just got to stop.

Get creative. How else can you communicate?

Provide written instructions. Make sure they are clear. Remove every unnecessary word. Use bullets, lists, and formatting.

Show it on video. Make your videos engaging and show it – don’t just say it. Set up space so you can record drawing, writing, planning. Look for apps where you can record your screen. Keep your videos short and sweet and based on a single objective.

Why else is video so great? It takes away visual distractions. It provides a literal frame around the learning – for students who struggle with visual processing, audio processing, or attention, this is a perfect solution!

Find somebody who teaches it better. Whether you’re online or in-person, use content that’s already been created and produced! Don’t reinvent the wheel; collect great resources that teach students the concepts they need. Then, you can spend your time creating content for small-group reteaching and 1:1 intervention.

Create visual schedules. Use photographs or PECS to show the steps. Students can follow along and self-monitor their progress. You’ll help them build independence and build skills for following multi-step directions.

Use prompts and hand-over-hand. If you find yourself repeating the same verbal directive over and over, pair it with a physical prompt (a point, a tap on the table). Show the student through “I do, now you do.” Or, use hand-over-hand to help them access a concept.

Limit your talking as much as possible. Challenge yourself to try out one of these strategies in your delivery.