They report a ripple effect from the process where the solutions developed in the meeting may be relevant to other problems. And the teachers leave the meeting feeling empowered and supported by their peers.
CASE STUDIES
The two case studies of actual problem-solving meetings provide specific details that illustrate the operation of a problem-solving team. The first is from an elementary school and the second is from a high school.
Case Study One: Amanda
Amanda is a nine-year-old student in Grade 4. She is having difficulty
in language arts. Though she likes books and expresses herself well
verbally, she is not a fluent reader and does not expess herself well in
writing. She is described as being very cooperative and anxious to succeed.
However, she lacks organizational skills, independent work habits and a
level of comprehension necessary for her to be successful.
She was referred to the school methods and resource teacher by her home room teacher. The methods and resource teacher completed a reading assessment and located suitable reading material for Amanda. Her teacher tried physically separating her from a particular student Amanda seemed to find distracting. The teachers also attempted to find something to praise her for every day. A problem-solving meeting was set up.
Stage 1: The methods and resource teacher, acting as the facilitator, welcomed the participants who included the referring teacher, the guidance counsellor, and three other teachers. She stated that the purpose of the meeting was to help the referring teacher find some practical suggestions to help Amanda in language arts class.
