Rosa Galindo

EDUC 486
11/08/2015
Modifications
Originally, when I heard the words 504 and IEP, I used to assume that the needs of these
students might actually be made obvious by either the student's behaviors, or the teacher's
approach to the students' needs. After being in my class at Thompson Valley High School, I now
realize that the needs of these students can go unnoticed unless directly informed of such
modifications. By simply observing my class, it cannot be determined which students are in need
of modifications; all the students do the exact same assignments and activities. It wasn't until the
second week of observation that I noticed a few modifications, and now, over a month later, I
feel that I am much more knowledgeable as to whom is in need of which special
accommodations and modifications. I must mention, that the needs of my students are not only
so that they can be included to better learn the material, but I do have a student who is a heritage
speaker who demands more challenging material. Even though, I have not yet been told
specifically of every student who is in need of modifications, I do however know of a few
modifications that are made in order to best reach these students. Before I begin to explain the
modifications, I must first give a description of the students in the class to provide the setting.
Description of the Students
The majority of the students in my classroom are Freshman. There are few sophomores,
and a Senior who has repeated Spanish 1 a total of three times, making this year her fourth year
taking the course. Although there is a slightly higher number of female students in the class,
there is generally an even number of male and female students. With only two exceptions, none
of the students have taken a Spanish class before, or have been significantly exposed to the

language resulting in improved language acquisition skills. The few exceptions would be one
heritage speaker, and the senior who has repeated the course a number of times. Because the
class is truly a Spanish 1 class, the instructor is able to treat the class as an introductory course
and introduce the material for the first time without having to build her lesson plans upon
material that students already know. When presenting material, I have learned that the instructor
will differentiate her methods in order to reach all needs and preferences of the students.
Ways to Meet Student Needs
When presenting material, or any activity handout, Miss Bollinger will instruct and
deliver the directions in both oral and written forms. She will read the instructions on a handout
so that students can both hear and read along with her as she explains the directions. She does
this so that those students who prefer to read, can do so, and those who prefer auditory deliveries,
can listen to Miss Bollinger explain the information. Despite the delivery methods, there are a
few accommodations that Miss Bollinger has in place for certain students needing the extra
assistance. For example, there are two students whose IEPS state that they are required to sit at
the front of the class, and accommodation that I would never have guessed was in place. By
sitting these students at the front of the class, these students are able to learn the material and are
better held accountable for staying focused. Two other students in my class are assigned a Para
Professional to help these two students with their assignments, or walk them through any
activities with more attention. These two students' accommodations are perhaps the most obvious
by simply observing the classroom, but even still, these students have modifications that extend
beyond the obvious.
As mentioned previously, it cannot be determined which students are in need of
modifications by simply observing the class; all the students do the exact same assignments and

activities. The modifications are made known when addressing the extent to which students
complete the assignments, or how they are asked to complete an exam. The two students who are
assigned a Para Professional, as well as one of the students who must sit at the front of the class,
are required more time to do examinations. For example, last week when the instructor issued an
oral exam, she took each of these students into the back room and gave them a significantly
longer time to complete the exam. It was explained to me that when they are issued a written
exam, the same accommodation is implemented; time is extended for these students, and they are
required to take the exam in a separate room away from the rest of the students. Another
accommodation for the two students with the Para Professional, is that on any given assignment,
they are not required to complete the entire assignment, rather, they are required to do at least
half of the assignment since it takes these students significantly longer to complete an
assignment. Miss Bollinger instead stresses the importance of showing at least one example per
activity on a multiple activity sheet, that way these students do not get overwhelmed but yet still
demonstrate what they can do with the language.
Examples of How I have Met the Needs of Students
Granted, I was still unaware of all the accommodations of each student in my classroom
when I delivered my first lesson, I did my best to accommodate for the students whom I knew
needed accommodations. For example, there is a student who needs directions to be explained
thoroughly through example as well as oral instructions. In order to meet the needs of this
student, while meeting the needs of the entire class, in my lesson I was certain to differentiate the
delivery if my instructions to the activity. For example, I had written the directions of the activity
on the PowerPoint slide, explained orally the directions of the activity, and finally, I asked for
two volunteers to join me at the front of the class to help me demonstrate how the activity

looked. By incorporating three methods of explanation, I simultaneously met the needs of that
one student, as well as those of the other students.
In efforts to accommodate for another student's needs, instead of having him say and
write as many sentences as he could with his group, I asked him to say at least one sentence and
that he write at lease one sentence, but that he listen to his partners for any errors and suggest
corrections when possible. By having him listen for errors, I was making sure that this student
was still participating in the group activity, while eliminating any anxiety he might otherwise
have if I had asked him to create as many sentences as possible.
Even though I have a class with a variety of needs, I do not believe that it is impossible to
meet the needs of these students everyday. Although it may require slightly more planning, I
know that I am able to assign the entire class the same activity, so as to not isolate certain
students, and make slight modifications to ensure that each student is exposed to the same
learning activities and are held accountable for demonstrating to me what it is they can do with
the language. After all, when it comes to language, it should not matter how much repetition a
person can do, rather how well they can do it.