Case Study
During my third field experience, I was taking a class called “Classroom Based Evaluation”. As one of my projects for this class, I was to do a case study on a child who might need extra help in certain areas. I was assigned to organise a plan for this child to help him/her succeed in whatever areas he or she might be struggling in. Here is my case study:
When I was asked to do a study on a student from my classroom, it was very hard for me to choose from all the amazing and interesting students of which I work with every day. I wanted to choose someone whom I felt that I could really help and make a difference in their lives. I chose to do a study on my sweet Amanda, because I felt a real connection with this little girl. This is not the first time that I am a student teacher in her classroom. I was also working with Amanda last May 2009 for my second field experience, which was for a three week period. Now that I have more time to work with her, I will observe her in many different settings to get a real idea of the support she needs, and to find strategies to help her to succeed in area in which she will benefit most.
Who is Amanda?
Amanda is a very shy little girl who lacks of confidence in herself. She is more than capable to do anything her heart desires. She comes from a very religious family, which I have learned from observing her, reading her journal entries and the conversations we have had. Also, during silent reading, she reads the Bible. She loves to run up to me every Monday morning to tell me what she had learned in church on Sunday. She has a very kind heart and is always willing to help her friends when they are in need. Amanda is someone who loves attention and will do anything she can to get it. For example: During silent reading, Amanda will cough many times before having a drink of water. I have noticed that she waits for me to tell her to have a drink of water (which she always has a water bottle present in the classroom.) Another example is that she constantly raises her hand while working on an activity. She repeatedly asks questions about what to do when most of the time; she already understands her assigned task. Also, she always seems to have something in particular wrong with her; by saying phrases like “Miss Jessica my stomach really hurts and I feel like I’m going to throw up, I got a paper cut and it really hurts,” etc. I am not saying that it isn’t true, but most of the time; it is for attention or because of her nerves. Amanda is a very smart girl who just needs to believe in herself a little more. When she continuously second guesses herself when doing an activity, it results in her falling behind and not being able to complete her work on time. Amanda is also very sensitive, so it is very important for the other teachers and myself, not to hurt her feeling while trying to help her.Furthermore, yelling and screaming at her will only make matters worse. Whereas if we are patient with her and show her that we believe that she could accomplish anything, in my opinion, this way she will definitely gain her confidence and bloom. From the way she behaves in class and in her work ethic in doing the assignments given to her, it is extremely clear to me that Amanda is a child who wants to succeed in school. She is very organized with all of her things and always tries her best. Her homework is routinely done in a timely matter and is always neat. I believe that all she needs is for someone to encourage her and make her see the very special and capable little girl that I see every day.
Amanda is a very shy little girl who lacks of confidence in herself. She is more than capable to do anything her heart desires. She comes from a very religious family, which I have learned from observing her, reading her journal entries and the conversations we have had. Also, during silent reading, she reads the Bible. She loves to run up to me every Monday morning to tell me what she had learned in church on Sunday. She has a very kind heart and is always willing to help her friends when they are in need. Amanda is someone who loves attention and will do anything she can to get it. For example: During silent reading, Amanda will cough many times before having a drink of water. I have noticed that she waits for me to tell her to have a drink of water (which she always has a water bottle present in the classroom.) Another example is that she constantly raises her hand while working on an activity. She repeatedly asks questions about what to do when most of the time; she already understands her assigned task. Also, she always seems to have something in particular wrong with her; by saying phrases like “Miss Jessica my stomach really hurts and I feel like I’m going to throw up, I got a paper cut and it really hurts,” etc. I am not saying that it isn’t true, but most of the time; it is for attention or because of her nerves. Amanda is a very smart girl who just needs to believe in herself a little more. When she continuously second guesses herself when doing an activity, it results in her falling behind and not being able to complete her work on time. Amanda is also very sensitive, so it is very important for the other teachers and myself, not to hurt her feeling while trying to help her.Furthermore, yelling and screaming at her will only make matters worse. Whereas if we are patient with her and show her that we believe that she could accomplish anything, in my opinion, this way she will definitely gain her confidence and bloom. From the way she behaves in class and in her work ethic in doing the assignments given to her, it is extremely clear to me that Amanda is a child who wants to succeed in school. She is very organized with all of her things and always tries her best. Her homework is routinely done in a timely matter and is always neat. I believe that all she needs is for someone to encourage her and make her see the very special and capable little girl that I see every day.
Recess
During recess, Amanda always plays jump ball with her friends Tamara and Adrianna. She really enjoys the game even though she is not that good at it. Although she rarely makes it past the first square, Amanda never hesitates to line up at the back of the line waiting for her next turn. She always tries her very best and always does it with a smile on her face. The trio as I call them (Amanda, Tamara and Adrianna) also love to practise their school dance that is coming up at the end of December. When I am on duty, they always run up to me and show me their moves that they are so proud of. In addition, since Amanda comes from a very close family, I often see her spending many recesses with her older sister who is in the 6th grade.
During recess, Amanda always plays jump ball with her friends Tamara and Adrianna. She really enjoys the game even though she is not that good at it. Although she rarely makes it past the first square, Amanda never hesitates to line up at the back of the line waiting for her next turn. She always tries her very best and always does it with a smile on her face. The trio as I call them (Amanda, Tamara and Adrianna) also love to practise their school dance that is coming up at the end of December. When I am on duty, they always run up to me and show me their moves that they are so proud of. In addition, since Amanda comes from a very close family, I often see her spending many recesses with her older sister who is in the 6th grade.
Terry Fox Run
On Thursday September 24th, for the first time at Greendale Elementary, our school decided to participate in the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. We did many things in relation to the project such as; research/presentations, fund raisers, etc. We also incorporated watching a movie about Terry Fox. One thing that stood out the most for me was the making of the posters for us to have when we are walking. It was so wonderful seeing all the special messages that the students wrote on their posters for Terry Fox, for example: “Let’s fight cancer”, “Help raise money for the cure”, “Terry Fox rules”, etc...But, it was Amanda’s message that touched me the most. On her poster very nicely decorated it said: “Terry Fox started it, we can finish it.” One of Amanda’s strengths is her way of writing and expressing her emotions. She has the ability of really connecting to the reader.
On Thursday September 24th, for the first time at Greendale Elementary, our school decided to participate in the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. We did many things in relation to the project such as; research/presentations, fund raisers, etc. We also incorporated watching a movie about Terry Fox. One thing that stood out the most for me was the making of the posters for us to have when we are walking. It was so wonderful seeing all the special messages that the students wrote on their posters for Terry Fox, for example: “Let’s fight cancer”, “Help raise money for the cure”, “Terry Fox rules”, etc...But, it was Amanda’s message that touched me the most. On her poster very nicely decorated it said: “Terry Fox started it, we can finish it.” One of Amanda’s strengths is her way of writing and expressing her emotions. She has the ability of really connecting to the reader.
Music Class
It is in music class where Amanda is truly in her domain. She loves to sing and plays the flute marvellously. She has a beautiful voice and definitely has a gift of playing with all different kinds of instruments. It is only in music class where Amanda does not feel shy or scared to express herself in front of the whole class. It is such a joy watching her perform because you could really see how safe she feels and how happy she is doing it. This is a clear example which illustrates that although we might have many students who are having difficulties in certain subjects, we have to keep in mind that we are all good in something. This is why it is so important to give children different ways to express themselves in the classroom. Giving them alternative choices to choose from, will help us teachers have more things to evaluate them on. This is the fair and right thing to do when evaluating a child.
It is in music class where Amanda is truly in her domain. She loves to sing and plays the flute marvellously. She has a beautiful voice and definitely has a gift of playing with all different kinds of instruments. It is only in music class where Amanda does not feel shy or scared to express herself in front of the whole class. It is such a joy watching her perform because you could really see how safe she feels and how happy she is doing it. This is a clear example which illustrates that although we might have many students who are having difficulties in certain subjects, we have to keep in mind that we are all good in something. This is why it is so important to give children different ways to express themselves in the classroom. Giving them alternative choices to choose from, will help us teachers have more things to evaluate them on. This is the fair and right thing to do when evaluating a child.
French Class
As of day one, all of the students are expected to write in cursive writing in their agendas. Amanda did not like writing in cursive, she felt very badly about having to do this and started to cry. Our very sweet little Amanda does not like doing things that she does not feel comfortable in doing, and in turn will react very badly to it. I spoke with the French teacher, and found out that the next few days, Amanda did not show up to French class. I am guessing that she felt sick, because of her nerves. Amanda has a very hard time coping with stress to the point where it will make her sick to her stomach. Madame Tulippe truly helped Amanda’s discomfort of writing in cursive because she wrote her homework for her in pencil and gave Amanda the job to go over it in pen. I also came up with the idea of giving her sheets with all the cursive letters, to give her the opportunity to practise at home. Amanda felt a lot more positive about the situation and appreciated the help she was getting. Every day she would run up to me saying: “Miss Jessica Miss Jessica, look at my writing! I’ve been practising at home with my mom.” Amanda always wants to do good and always shows excitement when she does succeed in something. A couple of weeks later, Madame Tulippe was about to write the homework for her in the agenda, but Amanda said: “No thank you Madame Tulippe, I could do it all by myself.” I was so proud of her at that moment. When you give her the time, confidence and tools, Amanda could do anything she puts her mind to. This is one thing that I think will help her. Once she gains that confidence, and knows that she has all the support she needs from her teachers, she will definitely succeed.
As of day one, all of the students are expected to write in cursive writing in their agendas. Amanda did not like writing in cursive, she felt very badly about having to do this and started to cry. Our very sweet little Amanda does not like doing things that she does not feel comfortable in doing, and in turn will react very badly to it. I spoke with the French teacher, and found out that the next few days, Amanda did not show up to French class. I am guessing that she felt sick, because of her nerves. Amanda has a very hard time coping with stress to the point where it will make her sick to her stomach. Madame Tulippe truly helped Amanda’s discomfort of writing in cursive because she wrote her homework for her in pencil and gave Amanda the job to go over it in pen. I also came up with the idea of giving her sheets with all the cursive letters, to give her the opportunity to practise at home. Amanda felt a lot more positive about the situation and appreciated the help she was getting. Every day she would run up to me saying: “Miss Jessica Miss Jessica, look at my writing! I’ve been practising at home with my mom.” Amanda always wants to do good and always shows excitement when she does succeed in something. A couple of weeks later, Madame Tulippe was about to write the homework for her in the agenda, but Amanda said: “No thank you Madame Tulippe, I could do it all by myself.” I was so proud of her at that moment. When you give her the time, confidence and tools, Amanda could do anything she puts her mind to. This is one thing that I think will help her. Once she gains that confidence, and knows that she has all the support she needs from her teachers, she will definitely succeed.
Insect movie
On Tuesday October 6th, both fourth grade classes
came together in the French class to watch a movie on
insects. Before watching the movie, Madame Tulippe was asking the students questions similar to: “If you are afraid of bugs lift up your hand.” I was watching Amanda’s reactions to the questions and felt as though she would have lifted her hand many more times if it wasn’t for no one else lifting up their hands. For example: Madame Tulippe would ask a question and she would look around class and see that no one had their hand up, but the minute someone would put her hand up, hers would simultaneously go up as well. It was clear that she was embarrassed to be the only one with her hand up. This is another clear example of how Amanda takes thing very seriously and really cares about what everyone else thinks about her. She never likes to feel left out and is more of a follower than the leader type. Also, while the movie was playing, she was hiding her eyes a lot because she was frightened by the bugs. She was one of the only students who was afraid of the movie. As you may have already realized, Amanda is a very delicate and sweet little girl.
On Tuesday October 6th, both fourth grade classes
came together in the French class to watch a movie on
insects. Before watching the movie, Madame Tulippe was asking the students questions similar to: “If you are afraid of bugs lift up your hand.” I was watching Amanda’s reactions to the questions and felt as though she would have lifted her hand many more times if it wasn’t for no one else lifting up their hands. For example: Madame Tulippe would ask a question and she would look around class and see that no one had their hand up, but the minute someone would put her hand up, hers would simultaneously go up as well. It was clear that she was embarrassed to be the only one with her hand up. This is another clear example of how Amanda takes thing very seriously and really cares about what everyone else thinks about her. She never likes to feel left out and is more of a follower than the leader type. Also, while the movie was playing, she was hiding her eyes a lot because she was frightened by the bugs. She was one of the only students who was afraid of the movie. As you may have already realized, Amanda is a very delicate and sweet little girl.
Language Arts
Language Arts is definitely one of Amanda’s strongest subject areas. She does not have a hard time expressing herself and loves to read and write. In every written assignment, she is always one of the students’ who has the most to write about. She has lots of ideas and is not afraid to share them with the rest of the class. Since she always does her homework and studies, Amanda gets very good on her spelling tests and written assignments. When doing a spelling test, she is in a setting where she cannot ask any questions, and always does great. In comprehension, she always knows the main ideas and never has a hard time summarizing stories or chapters.
Language Arts is definitely one of Amanda’s strongest subject areas. She does not have a hard time expressing herself and loves to read and write. In every written assignment, she is always one of the students’ who has the most to write about. She has lots of ideas and is not afraid to share them with the rest of the class. Since she always does her homework and studies, Amanda gets very good on her spelling tests and written assignments. When doing a spelling test, she is in a setting where she cannot ask any questions, and always does great. In comprehension, she always knows the main ideas and never has a hard time summarizing stories or chapters.
Oral Presentation
On Thursday the 1st of October, I planned a lesson on point of views. I am doing a unit on early settler children. My way of explaining the definition of what a “point of view” is, by also incorporating it with the pioneers, was by having them state their point of view from the two statements I had written on the board. “I would like to have lived in early settler times”, “I would not have liked to live in early settler times”. We have been doing many activities and have read many stories/texts that explain how the early settler children lived in the past. The students were asked to choose one of the statements that best suited their point of view and they had to give two reasons to support that view. I also made my first rubric that I have given to each student before they start their activity. I went through the entire rubric with them to make sure they were completely aware of the areas in which they would be evaluated on. Moreover, I made a photocopy of the rubric because I wanted each student to have the rubric while they were preparing their presentation. I wasn’t surprised to see that Amanda was one of the only students who would have liked to live in early settler times. Most students did not want to live in early settler times because there was no video games or television and also because there were too many chores to do. When it was Amanda’s turn to present her point of view in front of the class, she got very nervous and forgot everything she wanted to say. As I saw that she was feeling stressed and was borderline of starting to cry in front of the whole class, I told her that she could go back to her seat and practise some more. At her seat, she began to cry. I went by her side and reassured her that she will not get a zero or be penalized for this. I gave her the weekend so that she could practise her presentation at home, and so that she could feel more comfortable doing it next weeks. The following week, when it came time for Amanda to do her presentation again, I saw that she was much more relaxed and a lot less nervous to present her point of view to the class. I am under the impression that she practised with her family all weekend so that she could be ready to do it in front of the whole class. Her presentation started off a bit fast, but she looked and me and I told her to take a deep breath, and she did excellent after that. The way I adapted my evaluation to Amanda’s needs is just by giving her a little bit more time, so that she could feel more comfortable in doing her presentation. Sometimes, being a patient and reasonable teacher just takes a little bit additional care and understanding for each child’s different needs. If I would have forced her to do the presentation right away like the rest of the class, she would have been too nervous, and probably would have gotten a grade that she wouldn’t have really deserved. Whereas just giving her the extra time that she needed to feel more confident in herself, made her do a great presentation.
On Thursday the 1st of October, I planned a lesson on point of views. I am doing a unit on early settler children. My way of explaining the definition of what a “point of view” is, by also incorporating it with the pioneers, was by having them state their point of view from the two statements I had written on the board. “I would like to have lived in early settler times”, “I would not have liked to live in early settler times”. We have been doing many activities and have read many stories/texts that explain how the early settler children lived in the past. The students were asked to choose one of the statements that best suited their point of view and they had to give two reasons to support that view. I also made my first rubric that I have given to each student before they start their activity. I went through the entire rubric with them to make sure they were completely aware of the areas in which they would be evaluated on. Moreover, I made a photocopy of the rubric because I wanted each student to have the rubric while they were preparing their presentation. I wasn’t surprised to see that Amanda was one of the only students who would have liked to live in early settler times. Most students did not want to live in early settler times because there was no video games or television and also because there were too many chores to do. When it was Amanda’s turn to present her point of view in front of the class, she got very nervous and forgot everything she wanted to say. As I saw that she was feeling stressed and was borderline of starting to cry in front of the whole class, I told her that she could go back to her seat and practise some more. At her seat, she began to cry. I went by her side and reassured her that she will not get a zero or be penalized for this. I gave her the weekend so that she could practise her presentation at home, and so that she could feel more comfortable doing it next weeks. The following week, when it came time for Amanda to do her presentation again, I saw that she was much more relaxed and a lot less nervous to present her point of view to the class. I am under the impression that she practised with her family all weekend so that she could be ready to do it in front of the whole class. Her presentation started off a bit fast, but she looked and me and I told her to take a deep breath, and she did excellent after that. The way I adapted my evaluation to Amanda’s needs is just by giving her a little bit more time, so that she could feel more comfortable in doing her presentation. Sometimes, being a patient and reasonable teacher just takes a little bit additional care and understanding for each child’s different needs. If I would have forced her to do the presentation right away like the rest of the class, she would have been too nervous, and probably would have gotten a grade that she wouldn’t have really deserved. Whereas just giving her the extra time that she needed to feel more confident in herself, made her do a great presentation.
Mathematics
It is in mathematics where Amanda has lots of difficulties catching up with the rest of the class. Because she does not think she is good in mathematics, she constantly second guesses herself and takes very long to finish her work . She raises her hand constantly and when she is asking a question, she is actually explaining what she has to do. Therefore, most of the time, Amanda already knows what she is supposed to do. When she does not know, and I ask her a question, she answers right away before actually thinking of the right answer and just guesses different possibilities. Amanda is not poor in math, she is a very hard working student; I know that she is more than capable of doing well. My only true challenge, involved making her more confident and helping her to believe that she could do it.
It is in mathematics where Amanda has lots of difficulties catching up with the rest of the class. Because she does not think she is good in mathematics, she constantly second guesses herself and takes very long to finish her work . She raises her hand constantly and when she is asking a question, she is actually explaining what she has to do. Therefore, most of the time, Amanda already knows what she is supposed to do. When she does not know, and I ask her a question, she answers right away before actually thinking of the right answer and just guesses different possibilities. Amanda is not poor in math, she is a very hard working student; I know that she is more than capable of doing well. My only true challenge, involved making her more confident and helping her to believe that she could do it.
To help Amanda feel more confident and comfortable in doing math, I continuously went to see her after every one of my math lessons. I use manipulative techniques to help her visualize the subject matter that I was teaching about. As the weeks are going by, I have noticed that Amanda is in fact a visual learner, because when I do this, it really seems to help her relax and do well on her activities. When I use tools like base ten blocks or false money to help her understand concepts, it really helps her comprehend the concept and helps her work faster so that she could complete her assigned work on time.
First Math Test
On Monday the 5th October, Amanda had her first math test. She started her test normally and did not have a problem with it, until her nerves started to kick in. Half way through her test, she started holding her throat, saying that she couldn’t breathe and that she was losing her voice. She also was saying that she felt nauseous and wanted to go to the bathroom. I knew that I needed to have a talk with Amanda to calm her down. This is what I told her: “It’s ok Amanda, I know you could do it. You are feeling this way because you are nervous about the test, but don’t worry, you are doing really well. Just take a deep breath with me and continue your work.” After taking a couple of breaths with me, she was able to continue her test. Approximately, twenty minutes later, she felt the same way and started to cry, so I did the same thing over again with her, just to calm her down. Since she was almost done, I told her that after she was done she could go have a drink of water. So once again, she got back to her work and was able to finish her test on time. Amanda really needs to find strategies to know how to relax her own body and emotions. She needs someone to give her that confidence and show her that she is capable of doing great and that she is a very smart little girl. Amanda ended up getting 18 out of 20 in her test, which is evidently excellent. She was so worried about not doing well, when all along she knew what she was doing and even ended up doing extremely well in her test. When I gave her back her test, I took her aside and had a little talk with her. I wanted to let her know that she wasn’t the only one who gets nervous and feels sick about things, that I too get really nervous when I have tests or presentations. I did not want her to feel badly about it. I wanted to let her know how proud of her I was and how I knew she was more than capable of doing great all along. I told her that her new task was to believe in herself since there were no more excuses. Her test was the proof that she could do it, so she cannot say that she can’t do it. That same day, during the math lesson, I had asked a question to the class and she had volunteered herself. I was so shocked to see her volunteer in doing something that was completely new to the class and in my opinion, something that was very difficult. It was extremely brave of her to do so, since it was something we had never seen before because we were starting a new unit. At that very moment, I was assured that there was hope for Amanda. One day, she will believe in herself like everybody around her does. Furthermore, not only did she take that huge step and volunteer herself in front of the whole class, but she also got the answer right, which proves to her even more that she is remarkably smart. To encourage her in continuing to participate in math, I made the whole class applaud her, which made her face light up.
On Monday the 5th October, Amanda had her first math test. She started her test normally and did not have a problem with it, until her nerves started to kick in. Half way through her test, she started holding her throat, saying that she couldn’t breathe and that she was losing her voice. She also was saying that she felt nauseous and wanted to go to the bathroom. I knew that I needed to have a talk with Amanda to calm her down. This is what I told her: “It’s ok Amanda, I know you could do it. You are feeling this way because you are nervous about the test, but don’t worry, you are doing really well. Just take a deep breath with me and continue your work.” After taking a couple of breaths with me, she was able to continue her test. Approximately, twenty minutes later, she felt the same way and started to cry, so I did the same thing over again with her, just to calm her down. Since she was almost done, I told her that after she was done she could go have a drink of water. So once again, she got back to her work and was able to finish her test on time. Amanda really needs to find strategies to know how to relax her own body and emotions. She needs someone to give her that confidence and show her that she is capable of doing great and that she is a very smart little girl. Amanda ended up getting 18 out of 20 in her test, which is evidently excellent. She was so worried about not doing well, when all along she knew what she was doing and even ended up doing extremely well in her test. When I gave her back her test, I took her aside and had a little talk with her. I wanted to let her know that she wasn’t the only one who gets nervous and feels sick about things, that I too get really nervous when I have tests or presentations. I did not want her to feel badly about it. I wanted to let her know how proud of her I was and how I knew she was more than capable of doing great all along. I told her that her new task was to believe in herself since there were no more excuses. Her test was the proof that she could do it, so she cannot say that she can’t do it. That same day, during the math lesson, I had asked a question to the class and she had volunteered herself. I was so shocked to see her volunteer in doing something that was completely new to the class and in my opinion, something that was very difficult. It was extremely brave of her to do so, since it was something we had never seen before because we were starting a new unit. At that very moment, I was assured that there was hope for Amanda. One day, she will believe in herself like everybody around her does. Furthermore, not only did she take that huge step and volunteer herself in front of the whole class, but she also got the answer right, which proves to her even more that she is remarkably smart. To encourage her in continuing to participate in math, I made the whole class applaud her, which made her face light up.
Conclusion
I have used many different strategies to help Amanda succeed and I am very pleased with the outcome. I believe that because I connected with this student and because she did not feel alone, it really helped her progress. Amanda is a completely different student in the classroom, in addition she volunteers a lot more even in math. It is very clear that she has gained more confidence in herself and now knows that she is capable of anything. It is only in the last week that I have asked for Amanda’s I.E.P report, because I wanted to see if the strategies that I would come up with would work. I am very proud of myself because I feel like after reading her report, it is almost exactly the same strategies that I have come up with. Eg: Provide materials at instructional level, reduce quantity of assigned work, extra time to complete tasks, use of manipulatives. Amanda has shown real gratitude for the support and ways that I have helped her to succeed in school. It is also showing in her work. She has been showing improvement in all of her subjects, and I believe it is because she knows she can do it.
In the end, I chose to do my study on Amanda because I feel a profound connection to this student. She reminds me a lot about myself when I was her age. My nerves like hers would get the best of me in stressful times and make me sick to my stomach. I always thought that I was unable and incapable of doing anything. All I ever wanted as a child was for one of my teachers to really believe in me but I was never lucky enough to have that happen. I still suffer from not having enough confidence in myself today and it is still a work in progress. This is why I wanted to help Amanda now because I didn’t want her to live her whole life thinking she would not succeed. This is also the main reason why I wanted to become a teacher. Helping every child with their specific needs and helping them to succeed is what I want to be as a teacher. This is my goal and is what is keeping me going, making me work my hardest to help me reach that goal.
I have used many different strategies to help Amanda succeed and I am very pleased with the outcome. I believe that because I connected with this student and because she did not feel alone, it really helped her progress. Amanda is a completely different student in the classroom, in addition she volunteers a lot more even in math. It is very clear that she has gained more confidence in herself and now knows that she is capable of anything. It is only in the last week that I have asked for Amanda’s I.E.P report, because I wanted to see if the strategies that I would come up with would work. I am very proud of myself because I feel like after reading her report, it is almost exactly the same strategies that I have come up with. Eg: Provide materials at instructional level, reduce quantity of assigned work, extra time to complete tasks, use of manipulatives. Amanda has shown real gratitude for the support and ways that I have helped her to succeed in school. It is also showing in her work. She has been showing improvement in all of her subjects, and I believe it is because she knows she can do it.
In the end, I chose to do my study on Amanda because I feel a profound connection to this student. She reminds me a lot about myself when I was her age. My nerves like hers would get the best of me in stressful times and make me sick to my stomach. I always thought that I was unable and incapable of doing anything. All I ever wanted as a child was for one of my teachers to really believe in me but I was never lucky enough to have that happen. I still suffer from not having enough confidence in myself today and it is still a work in progress. This is why I wanted to help Amanda now because I didn’t want her to live her whole life thinking she would not succeed. This is also the main reason why I wanted to become a teacher. Helping every child with their specific needs and helping them to succeed is what I want to be as a teacher. This is my goal and is what is keeping me going, making me work my hardest to help me reach that goal.
My Last Day L
Today was my last day of stage, and I could not believe how much my little Amanda has grown. Today was my last Math lesson, and I wanted to make it fun for the children. I know they really enjoy coming up to the board and becoming the teacher, so I had them become the teachers today. I first explained my lesson on “Communicate About Ordering Numbers” and explained to the class that we will be working on using math language in our explanations. I showed the students the proper way of doing it on the board beforehand, and then wrote other examples on the board for a student to come up and explain it properly to the class. Amanda usually never likes to come up and write on the board, especially not in math. But, I was so excited to see Amanda volunteer to come teach in front of the whole class. This was a huge thing for her to do since she always gets so nervous under pressure. So I chose Amanda to come up in front of the class to teach us. This is what I said: “Everybody say hello to our new teacher Miss Amanda.” The students said, “Hello Miss Amanda” They really found it funny and I could see that Amanda felt really proud and happy to be up there. While she was teaching I was sitting in her seat pretending to be a student, so that she could really feel in charge of the classroom. I was so happy to see that she understood what she was suppose to do and knows how to properly explain her reasoning when solving a problem. When she was done, I asked the class, “Boy and girls, did Miss Amanda follow the steps in order?” “Yes!” “Did she incorporate enough details in her explanation?” “Yes!” “Did she show clear examples of her thinking?” “Yes!” “Excellent! So let’s give Miss Amanda a round of applause.” Amanda was so proud of herself and really enjoyed becoming the teacher. Before going out to recess she came up to me and said, “Miss Jessica I really want to thank you for helping me in math. I feel like I am a lot more confident. I’m really going to miss you.” She really touched my heart and made me feel more confident about myself. At that moment I felt like I have reached my goal in wanting to become a good teacher. Amanda has really bloomed in becoming a more confident student, and I am so proud of how far she has come since the beginning of the school year. I will miss her and my whole grade four class very much. The class prepared a special book for me and I have incorporated Amanda’s thoughts below.
Today was my last day of stage, and I could not believe how much my little Amanda has grown. Today was my last Math lesson, and I wanted to make it fun for the children. I know they really enjoy coming up to the board and becoming the teacher, so I had them become the teachers today. I first explained my lesson on “Communicate About Ordering Numbers” and explained to the class that we will be working on using math language in our explanations. I showed the students the proper way of doing it on the board beforehand, and then wrote other examples on the board for a student to come up and explain it properly to the class. Amanda usually never likes to come up and write on the board, especially not in math. But, I was so excited to see Amanda volunteer to come teach in front of the whole class. This was a huge thing for her to do since she always gets so nervous under pressure. So I chose Amanda to come up in front of the class to teach us. This is what I said: “Everybody say hello to our new teacher Miss Amanda.” The students said, “Hello Miss Amanda” They really found it funny and I could see that Amanda felt really proud and happy to be up there. While she was teaching I was sitting in her seat pretending to be a student, so that she could really feel in charge of the classroom. I was so happy to see that she understood what she was suppose to do and knows how to properly explain her reasoning when solving a problem. When she was done, I asked the class, “Boy and girls, did Miss Amanda follow the steps in order?” “Yes!” “Did she incorporate enough details in her explanation?” “Yes!” “Did she show clear examples of her thinking?” “Yes!” “Excellent! So let’s give Miss Amanda a round of applause.” Amanda was so proud of herself and really enjoyed becoming the teacher. Before going out to recess she came up to me and said, “Miss Jessica I really want to thank you for helping me in math. I feel like I am a lot more confident. I’m really going to miss you.” She really touched my heart and made me feel more confident about myself. At that moment I felt like I have reached my goal in wanting to become a good teacher. Amanda has really bloomed in becoming a more confident student, and I am so proud of how far she has come since the beginning of the school year. I will miss her and my whole grade four class very much. The class prepared a special book for me and I have incorporated Amanda’s thoughts below.
