1
Ayala
Rolando Ayala
READ 3349
Professor Jansky
5 May 2014
Case Study
Introduction
As a practicing student teacher, I had the opportunity to work at Ojeda Middle School. Located in South Austin, Ojeda is part of the Del Valle School district. I did not know very much about this school prior to working there, and did not know what to expect upon arriving on my first day. During the spring semester of 2014, I spent two days a week interning in Mrs. Ramos’ 7th grade Texas History class. In the classroom, I was able to observe both Mrs. Ramos’ teaching methods as well as the students in the class. While I worked with the class as a whole, I focused my observations on two students, Corey and Topanga. Both students were very different in terms of their behavior in the classroom, however they seem to share similar needs. While I did not know much about the school initially, I was able to learn a lot which helped me develop strategies that could be beneficial for the students.
Corey
Who is Corey?
When I first met Mrs. Ramos’ and explained to her what I would be doing in the classroom, her first response was that I should work with Corey. Mrs. Ramos stated that he was a very sweet boy as well as a good student. I found both of these descriptions to be true. When I asked Corey if he would mind if I observed him, he seemed very calm and comfortable with his response of “not at all”. Corey is quiet in the classroom, although he does actively participate during lecture and class discussion. He is a diligent worker who was always on task. Corey is a student who enjoys school, as he looks forward to learning new things and continuing on to the next grade level.
While Corey does not seem to be struggling academically, through my observation I found that he does not seem to have good relationships with his fellow classmates. On most days, Mrs. Ramos would give the students in assignment and ask them work in groups or pairs. I never saw Corey join a group or work with another student. He would remain at his desk and complete his assignment alone. I wanted to work with Corey, as I was interested in the fact that a seemingly confident student would also be very introverted.
Method
The majority of my time in the classroom was spent observing. I was also given the opportunity to perform a few mini teaches. I was able to gain the most understanding through a one-on-one interview as well as working with Corey individually in the classroom. These experiences gave the opportunity to learn about Corey in different situations, all of which helped me understand him and develop strategies that would be useful for him.
Individual Interview
During our one-on-one interview, I asked Corey a series of questions ranging from what his favorite subject in school is to what he likes to do at home. I was able to gain new information regarding his strengths and weaknesses as well as his likes and dislikes. Below are a few of the questions and responses from the interview.
Q. How do you feel about school in general?
A. “I think it’s great. I don’t have any stress in school. I enjoy coming to
coming to school everyday.”
Q. What do you think you are good at?
A. “Well, I’m really good at remembering what the teacher says. I never
really zone out in class. I am always paying attention.”
Q. What do you like about how your teacher teaches this class?
A. “I really like that she gives a lot of examples. She always gives us a lot
of information. I would say that I really like her and the way she
teaches.”
Q. Do you do any extracurricular activities?
A. “No, I’m not a sports team or anything. I usually just go home after
after school. I would be interested in doing robotics, though. I don’t
know if they even have anything like that here.”
Through this interview, I was able to learn that Corey is a very confident young man. He was able to look me in the eyes every time he gave me an answer, and he did not seem to struggle with coming up with a response. I also learned that Corey is pretty confident in his abilities at school. He sees himself as a good student and does not really have any concerns about school. Corey did also state that he does not participate in any extra curricular activities at school, and that he usually just goes home after school. I believe this is related to the lack of interaction Corey has with the students in his class.
Class Observations
As stated previously, the majority of my time spent in the classroom I was observing the students. Everyday that I would walk into the classroom, I would say hello to Corey and ask him how his day was. He would always respond by saying “good” then go to his seat and wait quietly for class to begin. This was definitely not the norm, as most of his classmates would be wandering around the classroom conversing with their friends. Once class started, Corey would pay attention to the teacher’s lecture, sometimes asking questions or offering answers. Corey sat alone at the front of the classroom in a row with three other desks. When group work was assigned, Corey would not try to work with other students, nor would they invite him into their groups. This did not seem to affect his work, as he was able to stay on task and complete his assignments. I would usually sit with Corey for a few minutes while he worked on his assignments and he did not seem to be stressed or experiencing difficulty.
Findings
Strengths
Corey is definitely a confident student. He believes he has the capacity to learn and enjoys the process. He looks forward to going to class and is a diligent worker while in the classroom. Corey was always on task and always completed his work on time. During lecture, he would participate by asking questions, offering answers, and volunteering to read aloud. I believe this confidence is visible in his schoolwork and will continue to help him achieve his goals of continuing his education.
Room for improvement
While it does not seem to be hindering his academic abilities, I believe Corey’s lack of interaction with his fellow classmates has the potential to cause problems in the future. Learning to work with others is an essential skill that will be put into use as he advances to high school, college, and into the job world. Developing social skills is an important process that should take place during this time, and school is the perfect place for this.
Strategies
I think it is important to ensure that Corey is validated for the work he does in the classroom. This will help him continue to value school and learning as the years go by. In Choice Words, Peter H. Johnston discusses the importance of noticing and naming. Pointing out the thing that a student is doing well can have a powerful impact on that student. Not only does it give them the opportunity to see what they are doing right and learn from that, but it instills confidence and creates a more comfortable learning environment. For a student like Corey who already has a passion to learn, I think it is important to find ways to promote the continuation of that passion. If a student is struggling and the teacher lets them know they understand what they student was trying to do, it will push them to continue to try. Acknowledging a students’ work can go a long way.
In order to help Corey begin to work more with his fellow classmates, I would do things differently when assigning group work. When the teacher gives the class an assignment, she often suggests that the students work in pairs or groups, but does not force the group work. Every time I have been in the classroom and this has happened, Juan is the only student in the class working alone. While I do not think this affects Juan academically, as he often shows that he understands the material, I do still think it is important for him to socialize and to learn how to work with others. An effective way to get students into groups without the anxiety of having to choose their own group, would be to simply number the students off. If a student is a number one, they would work with the other number ones in the classroom, so on and so forth. This would force Juan to work with a group without having to worry about where to go. I would also ask Juan to help the other students in the class, as he is often done with his work early. Juan seems to be confident with his academic abilities, so I think interacting with other students in this context would help him feel more comfortable and therefore make him more willing to work with the other students. In Friendships In Middle School: Influences On Motivation And School Adjustment, Wentzel, Barry, and Caldwell stated that while friends’ academic accomplishment had little influence on academic motivation and participation, there was a correlation in terms of emotional development. As previously stated, Juan does not seem to be suffering academically, but I would like to ensure he develops in all areas, rather than just in class.
Topanga
Who is Topanga?
One of the first things I noticed on the first day of observation in Mrs. Ramos’ class was the number of Spanish speaking students. Many of the students would speak to each other in Spanish, and then switch to English when addressing the teacher. I found this pretty fascinating, as it is a skill I wish had. One student, Topanga, actually asked me if I spoke or understood Spanish. I said yes, she laughed, and then went back to talking to her friend. I am still not sure if Topanga was just curious, or if she wanted to know what she could get away with saying. I think this is a pretty good representation of Topanga, a friendly and talkative 7th grader. Sometimes, this talking can get in the way of her paying attention in class, which can be reflected in her schoolwork.
When I mentioned to Mrs. Ramos that I would be observing Topanga, she stated that she actually did not know that much about her, as she had recently transferred from an AP class. I believe another reason she may not have felt like she really knew Topanga, was due to her lack of participation in class. While she did not disrupt the class, it seemed as though she had difficulty paying attention and staying on task. Often while the teacher was lecturing, Topanga would be staring off into space or looking down at her desk. I wanted to work with Topanga to see if I could find ways that would help her stay on task and become the student I know she is capable of becoming.
Method
The majority of my time in the classroom was spent observing. I was also given the opportunity to perform a few mini teaches. I was able to gain the most understanding through a one-on-one interview as well as working with Topanga individually in the classroom. These experiences gave the opportunity to learn about Topanga in different situations, all of which helped me understand him and develop strategies that would be useful for her.
Individual Interview
During our one-on-one interview, I asked Topanga a series of questions ranging from what her favorite subject in school is to what she likes to do at home. I was able to gain new information regarding her strengths and weaknesses as well as her likes and dislikes. Below are a few of the questions and responses from the interview.
Q. What is your favorite class and/or teacher?
A. “My favorite class is P.E. I really like Coach Reese. I like that we get play
play sports like volleyball. That is what I like to do at home too.”
Q. What is your least favorite class and/or teacher?
A. “My least favorite class would probably be Reading. I think it is really boring
and I have a hard time paying attention. I just do not really like to read.”
Q. What do you like about how your teacher teaches this class?
A. “I like that she gives us enough time to work on things. In the AP class I was
I wasn’t able to keep up with the pace of the class. Mrs. Ramos is cool. I think
Texas History is kind of boring, but I like her.”
Q. What do you after school?
A. “After school I go home and I usually play with my brother. We play soccer or
volleyball. I like going outside, but sometimes we play on the playstation too. I
try to get my homework done at school so that I don’t have to do any of that at
home. I like it better that way.”
Through this interview, I was able to get an idea of what really interests Topanga. It seems as though she really enjoys activities that require her active participation and engagement. For example, Topanga likes to play sports, like soccer and volleyball, because she is always moving around and participating in some way. Conversely, she finds reading boring and therefore does not read very often. I also got the impression that Topanga is not all that interested in school or her schoolwork. She mentioned that she does not do much work at home and tries to get it all done in school. Topanga does not share the same passion for learning as Corey, and I attempted to find strategies that could be used to help her find that passion.
Class Observations
Most of my initial thoughts from our one-on-one interview were solidified throughout the time I spent observing Topanga. While she did not cause any disruptions during class, I got the sense that she was truly disinterested. Topanga would not be very focused during lecture, and was often looking somewhere other than the board or the teacher. I began to see how this was affecting her work. When the students were assigned work, Topanga would usually have to ask her peers for help, and sometimes even for the answer. Due to the fact that she was not paying attention, Topanga would not get the information she needed and thus would not be able to complete the assignments on her own. I would usually sit with Topanga and her friend for most of the class in an attempt to keep her on task. While I was sitting with her, she would usually be pretty quiet and at least pretend to be paying attention
Findings
Strengths
Working with Topanga, I get the feeling that when she is passionate about something, she really works at it and tries her best. For example, she would talk about how she really enjoyed playing all different kinds of sports. Topanga even tries her best to finish all of her homework at school so that there is not anything that will interfere with her time to play those sports. While I do believe she should spend more time at home studying, I think the principle behind that practice really shows that she is willing to work and plan things out in order to reach her goals. I was also very impressed with the level at which she can speak both English and Spanish. This is a skill that will come in handy for Topanga for years to come as she continues her life into the working world. Therefore, I think this is something that should be embraced and encouraged.
Room for Improvement
While Topanga does seem to work hard for the things she is passionate about, unfortunately is does not seem like school is one of those things. Topanga’s lack of participation in the classroom can negatively affect her learning experience. If she does not pay attention to the lectures and presentations, she will not be able to gain the new information she needs in order to be successful both in and out of the classroom. Topanga is usually unable to complete her assigned work without the help of her classmates. I do think it is a great that she has such a great rapport with her fellow students and has the ability to work with others, but I would like to see Topanga take the leadership role and be the one to help others in the class.
Strategies
Topanga is not a student that will typically speak out in class unless she is asked to do so by the teacher. While there are times when Topanga is on task and working on her assignments, I have also observed a lot of time where she is either talking with a friend or just not paying attention during lecture. I do not feel as though Topanga feels any kind of connection to the material, which probably affects her level of interest in the class. In order to engage her more in the class, one thing I would Topanga be a group leader. This would mean she would have to pay attention in class in order to know what is going on so she can communicate this to her group members. Adding this responsibility may motivate Topanga to be more interested in the material, as she will be held accountable for this. For example, if the class is asked to have group discussions about a reading they have been assigned, I would ask Topanga to speak to the rest of the class about what her group talked about. I also think this will help her confidence overtime, which has the potential to shift how she views the class. Rather than thinking it is boring, she may look forward to going to class as she will hopefully become more comfortable. In Increasing Motivation of Elementary and Middle School Students through Positive Reinforcement, Student Self-Assessment, and Creative Engagement, Kobus, Maxwell, and Provo found that creating ways for students to be more engaged in the class led to the students having a more positive outlook on school. I believe this intervention has the ability to do just this.