Mary Diehl

Standard #2: Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual

differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning
environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Case Study
Student will be referred to as A
A is in 6th hour Spanish 1(9th Grade)
Observation

Interpretations

Hypothesis

Curricular
Decisions

Reflections

9/18/14

9/18

9/18

9/18

A began making sounds

like a cow/loud
moaning during
instructional time

Perhaps A is
seeking approval
from his peers,
their laughs seem
to encourage A

If I ignore the
behavior then it
will go away

I focused on
helping other
students and I
made a point to
praise those who
were on task

The more I ignored A

the louder and more
disruptive he became
so I clearly misjudged
his need for attention
and for a couple days
my other students
suffered for it.

9/19
9/19
A began pretending to
throw grenades at
another male student
9/26
A has not turned in any
class work or
homework

A is probably still
seeking to solidify
his social standing
among peers, A
might be feel
pressured by other
student to continue
the game during
class

10/2
9/26
A is tardy to class for
the 8th time this
semester

It is possible that
A does not know
how to do the
work

9/19
If I stand near A
and hand A a
pencil then A
will start doing
the work
10/3
If I speak
directly, and
privately with A
then we can
come up with a
plan of work
together to
eliminate
problems
10/16

9/19
I stood at As desk
and waited for him
to begin work.
Whenever A was
off task I walked
over and silently
handed A his
writing utensil
10/3
Pulled A into the
hall and showed A
his test, asked A to
explain what was

Each time I came over

and eventually I only
needed to make eye
contact with A to
motivate A to do his
work but he never
seemed to grasp an
intrinsic motivation to
complete assignments
or stay on task. If I did
not have a C.T. it
would be nearly
impossible for me to
stay in such close
proximity to one
student as consistently
as I could this

Parent and counselor

independently and
notified of As behavior feels
and tardiness via email uncomfortable
asking for help
10/3
10/2
A receives failing grade
on an assessment
Initially the
tardiness may
have been caused
A is quiet at desk but
by unfamiliarity
not participating in
with the school
class work
building. Perhaps,
A enjoys the class
10/9
attention when
arriving during
As seat has been
moved from the middle instructional time
to the back of the
10/3
classroom and A no
longer sits next to any
As quietness
student
might be attributed
to a sense of
10/16
shame over the
failing grade.
A is on time with
necessary materials for Perhaps the failure
to do the work is
class
coming from a
sense of
10/17
inferiority.
A completes class work
10/9
without additional
prompting
The move might
allow A to focus
10/24
on the work and
not on impressing
A receives A- on an
peers
assessment
Behavior continues to
improve
10/31
A receives report card
with failing grade for

10/16
Perhaps A wants
to do better and
being away from
peers gave A the

If I make a point
to welcome A
each time A is
punctual then A
will be more
likely to be on
time to class
10/31
If I inform A of
the grade on the
report card
before they are
passed out and I
reiterate how
proud of As
progress I am,
then A will not
be as
disappointed or
as likely to fall
back into bad
study
habits/behavior.
11/21

the cause of the

grade and to
brainstorm how we
could prevent
another grade like
it in the future
10/16
From that day on
each time I saw A
enter class I made
a point to speak
with A and
welcome him to
the classroom
10/31
Quietly spoke to A
at his desk to
prepare him for the
grade, reminded
him that As grade
was much higher
for the second
quarter and that he
should be proud of
where he is now

If I ask A the
cause of As
11/21
relapse then we
can work
When asked A
together to figure
refused to provide
out another plan
any answer as to
why A had
reverted back to
old habits

semester.
A gave his word that
he would begin
submitting
assignments and I
reiterated my
willingness to provide
assistance when he
was confused/unsure
about a concept.
While A was still
hesitant to ask for
help, occasionally A
would ask questions
for a better
understanding of
material.
A was not late and
rarely unprepared after
I began greeting him
specifically. I think it
made him feel
welcome and
important to the class
in a positive way.
A was not shocked by
the grade on the report
card but seemed
appreciative of my
praise for his
improvement in the
second quarter.
I think having so
many seminars to
attend impacted my
ability to continue to
build a rapport with A.
Overall, I feel that a
majority of my
interventions were
unsuccessful because
ultimately A reverted
back to his original

the semester

courage to try.

11/13

10/17

A is reintegrated into
classroom i.e. seat
moved next to a
successful female
student

It is possible that
the positive
attention received
from doing the
work has inspired
A to continue
down a path of
improvement.

11/20
A is on time,
completing class work
and submitting
homework
11/21
A begins moaning
during instructional
time, needs additional
reminders to complete
work
11/27
A is on time but
missing necessary text
for class
A is not participating in
class or responding to
direct prompting
12/4
A is on time but
unprepared, quiet but
non-participatory
12/5
A is on time but
unprepared, has not
completed any warm-

10/24
Steady
improvement
suggests that A
enjoys the feeling
of academic
success
10/31
A did not react to
the Report Card
which suggests A
was either
prepared for the
poor grade or
might have felt
discouraged
11/13
A was pleased to
regain his peers
which might
impact behavior
negatively due to
the possible desire
to please others
around A.
11/20

disruptive behavior
and poor academic
performance.

ups for the week and

sits with head down on
the desk

Perhaps A is
determined to
continue
improvements
because of past
success
11/21
A is showing signs
of possibly being
too invested in
entertaining those
seated around A
11/27
Perhaps old habits
are difficult to
break and the
material has
become more
difficult for many
students
It is possible A
still does not feel
comfortable
asking for
additional help
with material
because I was
missing from the
classroom for
multiple seminars
12/4
Perhaps A feels
frustrated with
their inconsistent
academic success
A was also
informed that
tomorrow would

be my last day and

A might feel
abandoned
12/5
With the holidays
approaching As
attention might be
elsewhere
The class is As
last of the day
perhaps fatigue
influences As
performance
negatively

The student I selected is a male, 15 year old freshman student. He has one older brother
and his mother is raising him without the help of a father. I was informed by my C.T. that A was
mirroring behaviors similar to his older brother, whom she had years prior. A is capable of doing
the coursework when it is presented to him on a one-on-one basis. He seems to need to be in
control of what and how the information is presented but even with the limited amount of class
work completed A was able to assist other students around him with concepts. The main concern
I had for A is his lack of perseverance, when a concept is difficult A shuts down almost
immediately rather than risk trying and failing. Another concern is that A routinely seeks
approval from his peers by way of acting as a class clown. When separated from other students
A was able to focus and perform at a much higher level.
Besides individual, informal conferencing with A I tried to separate him from other
students during instructional time. It was my idea, supported by my C.T., that A be moved to sit
by himself. I believed that without an audience to distract him he would feel more empowered to

actually complete the work without fear of judgment. In order to circumvent any feeling of
isolation I sought to include A when it came time to share answers with the class. I would look
over his shoulder to ensure that the answer was correct before calling him to write the answer on
the board or share it orally. In this way, I wanted to encourage participation by ensuring success
and positive attention each time A volunteered. I also tried to gear lesson plans away from group
work because I knew he worked best individually. I used to COE CSF as a reference for how to
begin my case study. By beginning with objective observation and easing into what I
hypothesized could be the cause/solution to problems I avoided becoming too emotionally
invested. Similarly, having a separate area to chronicle the success/failure of different types of
interventions kept me thinking introspectively throughout the semester.
A made small improvements throughout the semester, according to my C.T. even when I
was not in the classroom she noticed an increase in responsibility exhibited by A. However,
these improvements did not persist and A relapsed into old habits my last week there especially.
Despite my attempts to include him in participation there were days when he merely refused to
do the coursework.
I learned that as a teacher sometimes you have to accept the small victories with difficult
students. A may not have internalized the necessity to remain on task but he did cease to be
tardy. Likewise, while he may not be an honor roll student but he currently has a passing grade in
the class. As previously stated, I think the COE CSF is a good organizational tool that may
eliminate some of the pitfalls of biases because it calls for so much objectivity. I still do not
know why this student refused to do his work, or why he made cow sounds during class (why not
duck?). If I had more time with this student I would want to sit down with him, along with his

mother and counselor, to really uncover the root cause of his behavioral issues and lack of effort.