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TRANSCRIPT
Case Study of a Learner
Megan Lawrence
George Mason University
EDUC 613
Part I: Learner Profile
Maya is a student in my English 9 course at Woods Ground High School. I chose to use
Maya as my student of study for this assignment because of how quickly I was drawn to her. In
some ways, I felt that I could identify with her, and as such I sincerely wanted to help her and do
what I can to ensure that she succeeds. My first impressions of Maya as a learner and student
were that she was very nervous, and she did not want any attention focused on her. Because of
these characteristics, I found myself wanting to learn from her and from my interactions with her
case manager, social skills teacher, and family so that I could make her more comfortable in my
classroom and make it so that she felt confident enough to interact with her peers more easily on
an everyday basis. Additionally, I did not want her to feel that she was being controlled by her
anxiety when in my classroom. Furthermore, I know how paralyzing anxiety can make high
school for students, and I wanted to do what I could to ensure that she has a positive high school
experience.
For the course of this study, Maya has been observed as a member of her high school
English class. Maya is enrolled in Pre-AP English 9. The class consists of 29 students with a
variety of ethnicities. Maya’s classmates are predominately Caucasian but there are also a
number of African American students and a handful of Hispanic and Asian students as well. In
addition to the variety of ethnicities represented, students are at a variety of learning levels.
There are students who struggle and have accommodations for their needs, and students who
have been identified and receive gifted services.
The set-up of the classroom is mainly in rows. I have adjusted the room so that there are
three rows of four that extend from the front of the room to the back of the room. On either side
of these three rows are five rows of two that face the center of the room forming a sort of U
shape in the square shape of my classroom. Within this classroom setting, I have recently
implemented assigned seats; however, because Maya prefers a structured setting, I have not
moved her seat and try to avoid moving her seat unless she is given prior notification. My desk
is situated near the front of the room, just behind the desks on the left side of the U. Maya’s seat
is positioned near my desk, but slightly behind it so that she does not feel that I am constantly
observing or watching her while she is working.
Description of Learner
Biological and Other Traits: Maya is a 14-year-old female student. The student is
physically developed to the same degree as her peers. Maya does not have any physical
disabilities, nor does she have any physical heath diagnoses. Her motor skills and coordination
are at an equal or higher level than that of her peers. Maya has not been identified or labeled
with any learning disabilities or as a gifted student.
Maya has been identified as having an IEP for an Emotional Disability. She has been
tested for, but did not qualify for an autism disorder. The IEP has implemented a socioemotional
and social-skills goal as a means of helping Maya with her emotional and social struggles.
According to her IEP, the goal is meant to help Maya become more comfortable in social
situations, and be more confident in approaching her peers because the emotional and social
aspects of school that Maya struggles with lead to significant bouts of anxiety and cause
complications for her in school (See Appendix B).
Cultural and Societal Factors: Maya is a Caucasian student. Her family is of average
socioeconomic status for the school and area. The only language spoken in the student’s home
life is English, and aside from her foreign language course, it is the only language spoken by
Maya in an academic setting. In terms of important factors in her life, Maya ranks school as one
of the highest. She demonstrates this through her strong work ethic, as has been noted through
my classroom observations, and her acknowledgement of being disappointed in herself when she
does not do well on assignments in her mind mapping activity (Appendix C). Maya puts a lot of
detail and effort into doing well with her school work
Emotional and Social Influences: Maya’s parents are divorced, and her biological
father is not present in Maya’s life. Her step-father has recently adopted her and plays a
significant role in her life. Maya’s mother is very involved in her life. She actively participated
in ensuring that Maya is successful in all of her school work and in any extracurricular activities
she chooses to participate in, including her new efforts to make the school’s swim team,
something that will hopefully help her to overcome some of her social struggles and introduce
her to new people. In addition to her mother and father, Maya lives with her grandmother and
younger brother (Appendix C).
In school, Maya struggles in social scenarios and with making friends. Because of her
social struggles, her mom has had concerns of her becoming withdrawn. In the classroom, this is
evident in her avoiding working and being with others. When in a group setting Maya struggles
to make others feel welcome or comfortable, and worries about how to involve herself in the
interaction. Maya has identified that she is conflicted about having friends. There are times
when she realizes she wants them, but she doesn’t really understand how to make that happen,
which leaves her feeling neutral about even having any friends. Recently, she has moved to a
new home resulting in her losing the friendships she had created at the beginning of the school
year, which has left her eating lunch alone. As a result of these social struggles, Maya appears to
be left with an emotional struggle and inconsistent self-esteem. Her IEP has implemented the
goal of working on positive self-talk to encourage her to be more outgoing, and to realize she can
be accepted socially.
In the school setting, she has identified that she needs a safe space for when social
stresses are too high. She is aware that she is to seek out her counselor, case manager, or social
skills instructor should she have any concerns that need to be addressed in a timely manner.
Academic Performance: Maya has demonstrated that academically she is a very strong
student. She works very hard, and expects only the best from herself. This has been the case for
Maya since she was in middle school where she maintained B+ or A averages (Appendix D).
This strong work ethic has carried over to her high school career. During the first marking
period, Maya was able to achieve a score of 87 percent and as at the half way point through the
second marking period, he is maintaining an average of 90 percent. While this is not the type of
performance that she will be satisfied with, it is a fantastic starting point, especially in a Pre-AP
course, and most especially during her first few weeks in a new school. While her overall grade
was good, Maya has demonstrated that she is a thorough studier and a careful learner. She put
these skills to the test by achieving the highest score on our literary element and short story
exam, earning a 98 percent. Perhaps the area where she excels the most is in her ability to take
the feedback that has been provided to her and use it to make corrections for future assignments.
As a result of her social struggles, Maya prefers a structured classroom environment.
When the classroom is not structured, Maya becomes anxious. If lack of structure becomes a
consistent thing, Maya will be absent from school. While this has not been an issue this year, it
is an act that has been demonstrated in the past. Additionally, she prefers to work independently;
however, she is working to become more comfortable in social settings in the classroom,
especially with her peers, but also with her new teachers in high school.
The area where I see Maya struggle most with her academic work has to do with
organization and following directions. There have been a couple of times throughout the year
where she has forgotten an assignment on the day that it was due, or has not done them at all.
For example, one of the final assignments of our first marking period was to complete an
independent reading project. The project included reading a book of choice, then creating a
project, again of the students choosing. Regardless of the project that was done by the student, a
summary of the novel was necessary for accurate and complete scoring. Maya forgot to do the
summary portion of the project, and she therefore had an incomplete project and scored far lower
than she had hoped, and surely lower than what she should have scored.
Educational Strengths & Needs and Connections to Learning Theories
Strengths: Maya has demonstrated that she is able to take constructive feedback and
then implement it into future assignments. She demonstrated this during a Socratic Seminar.
This setting was one that she struggled with because it required her to interact socially with her
peers. She did not do well, and she was very upset at her performance during her first attempt;
however, when provided with the opportunity to re-do the assignment, she flourished. Before
the second opportunity, I communicated with her mom, so she knew what would be expected,
and I provided Maya with feedback from her first performance so she could be even more
prepared for her second attempt.
Additionally, Maya is very good with remembering information. She has demonstrated
this through her success with recalling vocabulary terms, both related to content and general
vocabulary. She demonstrates this by generally scoring high on vocabulary assessments and by
having scored a 98 percent on her end of unit short story exam. Furthermore, she is able to
connect information that she remembers from one unit to another, allowing her to see
connections between units, texts and subject matter.
Finally, Maya is a very gifted artist. There are occasions, however, that she does not use
this skill at the most opportune times, but when she is provided with the opportunity to
demonstrate her understanding through art, she is more than capable. There are times however,
when her drawing or artistic abilities interfere with her focus in class, which can lead to
magnifying some of her weaknesses, or needs.
Needs: Maya has indicated in her IEP notes that she needs additional supports in certain
areas of her academics. First and foremost, because she can be very anxious about her
performance with assessments she needs to receive additional time when necessary for test and
quizzes. Additionally, should the classroom environment be loud or overwhelming for her, she
is permitted to test in an alternative location. Furthermore, when she is struggling in a classroom
setting, she is permitted to seek additional support by means of a counselor, or case manager.
Lastly, she is privy to being dismissed early from class to avoid struggles with congestion during
class transitions. In order for any of these accommodations to implemented, Maya is responsible
for communicating these needs to her instructor, they are not adjustments that are made
automatically.
In addition to the needs identified in Maya’s IEP, she also needs assistance with peer
interactions. Maya has stated that she is afraid of pretty much anything social, and has
demonstrated this by choosing to work independently in class, even with provided with the
choice of working with a partner or group. Maya therefore, needs support, and opportunity to
work within a peer setting, and have success in that setting so that going forward she feels more
open to participating in interactions with her classmates.
Learning Theories: Of the learning theories discussed, many of the needs and strengths
of the student can be connected to Maya’s learning. The two that I have identified are the Socio-
Emotional Learning Theory, and the Behaviorist Learning Theory. The exploration of these
theories clearly indicate why the student struggles or succeeds as she does in the classroom
environment.
The Socio-Emotional Learning Theory applies to Maya most because of all of the
struggles that she has interacting with her peers, and her difficulties having confidence in herself
to have successful interactions. The theory focuses on being able to form positive relationships,
work in teams, and deal directly with conflict (Drescher, Nixon, & Shelton, 2016). Maya
significantly struggles to interact with her peers. Working with her to gain confidence and to use
her peers as resources to help her learn will make her an even better student than she is; however,
this is not an easy thing for her to overcome. In addition to pushing her to work on her
relationships, she also needs to work on recognizing her own strengths and limitations (Drescher,
Nixon, & Shelton, 2016). Maya is a very bright girl, and when she realizes that she can relax
and open up about the prior knowledge she can offer to learning, she will end up working more
successfully with her peers. The struggle that she has is with understanding others. While she
tries, this is the most challenging thing Maya deals with, and this is a significant part of the
Socio-Emotional Learning Theory.
In order to work on making Maya more successful in my classroom, I need to ensure that
the classroom environment that she is in is a positive one. It needs to be one where she feels
accepted and welcomed by her peers. This is something that I have been working to do with
Maya. With the new seating chart I implemented, I have positioned Maya near a couple of
students who I know are very open to friendships with anyone, and who will not exclude her or
make her feel like she is out of place. While the students who sat near her before were not
unfriendly, they were not as social, and therefore not as will to make the initial interaction that
Maya needs to begin a collaboration. Since this change, I have witnessed her have a couple of
social interactions or discussions about topics being studied, which was something that I found
very limited before. Additionally, I was beyond pleased when we she motioned to me that she
needed to leave early, which I already knew was for swim tryouts. When she acknowledged this,
she was given a number of positive comments from her classmates, including good lucks that she
makes the team. I am hoping that these interactions show her that she can have positive
exchanges with her peers and form friendships.
The second theory that seems to apply to Maya’s learning abilities is the Behaviorist
Learning Theory. The theory focuses on the idea that learning happens in a structured
environment where an individual learns to maximize pleasure and avoid pain. Because the
theory provides structure, and the ability to avoid discomfort, the theory becomes something in
which Maya needs and relies on to prevent her from feeling overwhelmed. This need is able to
be met for Maya through the Behaviorist theory because it offers the breaking down of
instructions, and making expectations clear for every assignment (Johnson, Kheradmand, &
Pakrul, 2016). Additionally, the theory applies to Maya in her need to receive clear feedback so
she knows where she can improve in the future.
Behaviorist Theory again connects to the type of classroom environment that is created.
For Maya, she needs a structured classroom where she knows what is expected, what she can
learn from prior experiences, and how she can apply this to new learning or opportunities. To
make this happen in my classroom, I need to be sure that I am providing support when she needs
it, and I need to make sure that all students are working on the tasks that are expected of them so
that she does not feel overwhelmed with the lack of structure and organization.
Part II: Goals for the Learner and Research Based Recommendations
Cognitive and Metacognitive Learning Goal: Encouraging Maya to think about her
thinking, metacognition, (APA, 1997) is the first area in which I created a goal for her. Based on
the observations that I have had of Maya, and on the Mindset and Multiple Intelligences Survey
(Appendix E) that I had her take, trying new things is a challenge for her especially when it
requires interpersonal skills. By encouraging Maya to think about her thinking, and about the
interactions that she has with her peers, she can use her experiences to dictate how these
exchanges may go in the future.
To make this work the best, I need to make sure that Maya and other students understand
that they are capable of developing their skills (Dweck, 2006) and that they are capable of
changing their thinking. In order to implement this into my classroom, Maya needs to be
provided with the opportunity to learn in different environments and see that she can have
success, even when out of her comfort zone. Once in these different learning environments, she
needs to be guided through, and provided with the opportunity to reflect on the learning
experience. By allowing her to see and think about the ways in which she thinks, she will be
able to move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset where she can see that by reaching
slightly beyond her comfort zone, she can have even more success. This will allow her to have
control over what and how she learns, while also allowing her to accept additional learning
contexts.
The primary task that I would ask Maya and her classmates to complete that would help
her in meeting her goals would be to complete a reflective questionnaire after each unit, or after
each learning opportunity, especially if the learning experience involves social interaction.
Including reflection into lessons positively encourages students’ academic and personal
development (Joseph, 2010). By providing students with the opportunity to learn from the
activity, or practice what they just engaged in, they will be able to connect their learning to their
prior learning, and to the future learning that will occur (Dewey, 1944). Additionally, by giving
Maya the chance to reflect on the interaction she had during each learning experience, she will
be able to use the reflection to guide her future learning experiences.
After reflecting on the scenarios that Maya has experienced for learning, I feel she would
benefit from one additional step, which would guide her thinking and learning going forward.
This additional step would be for Maya to create a learning or performance goal (APA 1997).
Because Maya learns best in a structured and organized manner, creating a goal for herself, and
then permitting her to track her progress toward meeting this goal will allow her to remain in
control of her learning and growth; she will be able to identify what she needs as a learner
(Joseph, 2010). Furthermore, learning to manage her emotions and behaviors is something that
is identified as a core skill within the Socio-Emotional Learning Theory (Drescher, Nixon, &
Shelton, 2016).
Beyond providing students with reflective questionnaires at the end of each unit or after
certain lessons, I need to work to provide more opportunities for students to practice and develop
their reflective abilities (Joseph, 100). To get Maya to think about this more naturally, I feel I
could help her by providing her with writing prompts, and making it a natural part of our lesson
to reflect on how the learning went, and what areas were capable of being improved in the future.
Motivational and Affective Learning Goals: Maya is a very bright student. The
grades she received in her middle school experience and state test scores reflect a thoughtful and
intelligent student (Appendix D). But, I find that she can have a very fixed mindset, which is…,
for how she can learn. Maya is very limited in the ways that she is willing to work, especially
when it comes to including social interactions. By having Maya complete the Multiple
Intelligences survey (Appendix E) and through my observations of Maya and her classwork, I
was able to learn that she struggles significantly with her interpersonal skills. Maya never
accepts the opportunity to work with a peer just for the sake of having someone else to talk to.
Therefore, the goal for Maya within the motivational and affective learning goal again focuses
on her ability to be motivated, even when she is presented with a situation that would make her
feel anxious or insecure (APA, 1997). Working to develop Maya’s social, emotional and
behavioral skills will help her to being more successful later in her life (Drescher, Nixon, &
Shelton, 2016).
The goal for Maya within this category is to not allow her emotions to control her
thinking and prevent her from performing at her best capability. While some anxiety can be
beneficial for learning, too much causes a student to struggle with learning and performing at
their best (APA, 1997). In order to overcome this struggle, Maya needs the opportunity to learn
that working with her peers will allow her to have success, and likely even more success than
when she continues to isolate herself.
In order for this goal to be met successfully, Maya would need additional help from all of
her instructors. In an effort to ease Maya’s concerns about social interactions, her teachers could
improve her learning by drawing on her prior knowledge, history, and attitude about learning and
school (Rosiek, 2003). Using the student’s prior knowledge, and allowing Maya to reflect on her
learning would allow her to reflect not only on how well she learned the content, but also on the
ways in which she was successful with social interactions, and hopefully leave her wanting to
experience these interactions again in the future (Hattie & Yates, 2014). Jerry Rosiek (2003)
offers a number of strategies for implementing emotional scaffolding into classroom instruction.
These approaches can be conducted both implicitly an explicitly. In Maya’s case, I feel she
would benefit from instruction that will connect subject matter to something the student find
familiar, or by drawing attention to the negative emotions that Maya feels, and assuring her that
it is not as bad as it seems (Rosiek, 2003). In implementing these tasks and goals into Maya’s
instruction, he will build her self-efficacy and realize that she is capable of interacting in new
situations and have success in these scenarios (Hattie & Yates, 2014).
Developmental and Social Learning Goals: Maya has very limited social interactions
with her peers. After communicating with her other instructors and parent who have more close
interactions with her, I am hoping to get her to see that the environment that has been created in
my classroom is one where she is safe, and she can learn from and with her peers. What they
bring to the table, which I have noted with observations, are additional insights, or offers of what
could be beneficial for her to succeed (Appendix B). If Maya is provided the opportunity to
practice interacting with her peers, she, and her classmates will begin to see that they are able to
use each other’s differences in ability, backgrounds, and interests to expand their individual
knowledge (Sharan, 2010, p. 310).
This goal may be the most challenging goal for Maya to achieve. Even so, I feel it is the
most important goal for Maya to achieve in order to be successful in the classroom. This goal
falls in the area of social influences on learning. The goal would be for Maya to be more open
and comfortable with her classmates so that she is able to work with them, and socialize with
them more easily. Currently, when provided with the opportunity to work with peers, Maya is
very hesitant and nervous. She has even acknowledged in her Mind Mapping (Appendix C) that
she attempts to avoid all social interactions, and that anything social makes her nervous. Despite
her feeling this way, when working with other people, and in a group setting, student learning is
known to improve. They additionally are able to reflect together on the new information they are
acquiring and the experiences they are having (Doel, Hasan, Quiroga & Rovinsky, 2016).
Working on this step for Maya will be challenging, but will lead to “healthier levels of thinking,
feeling and behaving” (APA, 1997). Not only will this help Maya to learn better in a classroom
setting, but it will also help her to feel more confident in all social settings. The strategies that I
suggest be implemented to improve Maya’s social skills and therefore overall learning are as
follows.
Maya needs to be provided with the opportunity to work in a variety of contexts,
including times where she is outside of her comfort zone. This means, Maya will end up
learning best if she is provided with the opportunity to work both independently, and in small
groups, or partner settings. By putting Maya in these different situations, her academic
achievement will reach a higher level of mastery (Brown, Roedeiger, & McDaniel, 2014). By
providing Maya with the opportunity to learn in different manners, in a safe setting, I hope to
allow her to have positive interactions with her classmates and see that she can have successes in
social engagements. By preventing students from working in multiple contexts, we as teachers
end up doing students like Maya a disservice because they feel that they are only capable of
learning in one style (Hattie & Yates, 2014). Because Maya tends to see herself as learning best
within, or at the very least not wanting to push herself beyond her comfort zone, she is leaving an
abundance of potential untapped.
In addition to allowing her to tap into additional academic knowledge, she will also work
to become more self-aware, socially aware, and work to improve her relationship skills as are
identified in the Socio-Emotional Learning Theory (Drescher, Nixon, & Shelton, 2016).
Meeting this goal will again help to make Maya more relaxed in a classroom setting when
working with her peers, and when in any social scenario.
Individual Differences Learning Goals: It is very evident that Maya has a preferred
learning style, especially in the areas of Introspection such as Visual and Intrapersonal
(Appendix E). Despite this, it is the job of the educator to show students that there are multiple
ways to learn and that they should examine their own learning habits, or in other words, show
students that they are capable of developing a growth mindset, rather than being confided to a
fixed mindset (Appendix F). Furthermore, “we do students a serious disservice by implying they
have only one learning style, rather than a flexible repertoire from which to choose, depending
on the context” (Coffield as cited in Hattie & Yates, 2014, p. 182). Because Maya has anxiety,
keeping things consistent for her is helpful to controlling her anxiety; however, it is not helpful
in permitting students to meet her fullest potential. By evaluating Maya to determine the mindset
that she has, I will be able to see how open she is already to learning in a new environment or in
different contexts. Once determining her mindset, I will be able to see what steps I can take to
assist Maya in expanding her comfort zone. Giving Maya with the opportunity to think about
how she has learned something, or what she could improve upon, will allow both the student and
the teacher will learn how, despite differences, she can adapt and learn in a variety of contexts.
Additionally, by allowing Maya to be in these different learning environments, she will be able
to reflect on and see that she is able to learn in numerous learning contexts.
Given that Maya prefers to work independently, her goal will focus on her ability to self-
assess. Maya needs to take the opportunity to reflect on and assess her learning when she is in a
scenario that is not necessarily the learning style that she would prefer. When she is in situations
that push her beyond her comfort zone, she needs to reflect and see what she can learn that will
help to influence her future. Because Maya struggles most with social scenarios, assessments
like a Socratic Seminar are significant stressors for her. However, she needs to assess how she
has had success completing an assignment like this in the past, and use that information to help
her see that she can have success in other assessment scenarios. By having Maya assess what
she did to have the success in the different social settings she encounters, she will improve her
own motivation and ability to continue learning independently (APA, 1997).
The practices that I would implement to allow Maya to develop beyond her preferred
independent learning style would be to continue implementing group work and different learning
experiences into the classroom setting. In order to help keep Maya from feeling anxious, I would
work to establish group goals, so that each member of the group is held accountable individually,
while still working together to reach a common goal (Homan, LaRoche, Smith, B., Smith, E.,
2016). This will allow Maya to work on her social skills, while still permitting her to remain
focused on gaining the knowledge that has been assigned.
Additionally, Maya would also benefit from taking the opportunity to see how she
interacts with her classmates. Much like we as teacher film ourselves for the purpose of
reflection, Maya would benefit from seeing how she appears to her classmates, and also to see
how her classmates react to her. Because she will stress over how she is viewed, or worry that
she is not saying things that are socially accepted, seeing what her class is really like by filming
and watching this back would help her to continue to be reflective in how she is able to learn in
different settings, while also allowing her to see that the preconceived notions she has may not
be as big a deal as she feels them to be.
Part III: Reflective Discussion
Reflecting on the learner: Over the course of the semester, I spent a lot of time
examining how Maya best learns, and how she thinks. By reflecting on the data that I collected,
and the information I learned about Maya, I feel that she confirmed a lot of the ideas I had before
I really dove into this assignment. She is very reserved and shy and needs to be prepared before
being placed in a social situation. Working with her peers is not something that Maya takes
lightly, or necessarily comfortably. And, while she is a bit more comfortable with her teachers,
if she feels she has too much focus on her, she can react negatively. Because of this, most of the
data that I gathered about Maya was observation based. Furthermore, I did not feel that I could
converse with Maya about the study because if she were aware of the study it would influence
the way that she acted in my class, and may push her to feeling so anxious that she would
become unable to attend class, or would be worried that I was paying too much attention to her.
In spite of all that she struggles with, Maya is a very bright and capable student, but she
has to open up to new ideas and situations at her own pace. I have discovered that she can learn
in other environments and is willing to go beyond her comfort zone when adequately prepared.
Without proper preparation, Maya is apt to feel ambushed. This will lead her to stress
significantly both about the work she is required to do and about the situation that she is in. As
such, I created goals for her that push her but that also push me to ensure that I am best meeting
her needs, and that she is learning the most that she can.
Because of the information and conclusions I was able to gain from observing and
studying Maya, I feel that the thing I learned most was that every student really does learn
differently, and meeting their needs is important in order for them to learn as well as they can.
Maya did show me that you have to be careful with how you approach your students in working
to make them comfortable with both the learning environment and with the learning opportunity.
While this does not mean that you should never push your students beyond what they are used to
or comfortable with, it does mean you should be aware, and really know and see your student so
that they can get the most from what you are teaching. If I had not studied Maya, I really think I
would take for granted the idea that all of my students are individuals and that they all come to
the classroom and table with different needs and preferences when it comes to how they learn.
While this is something that seems very obvious, it is something that tends to get overlooked or
forgotten once in the classroom, and once working toward covering material.
Generally speaking, the feelings I have toward Maya have changed some, but this is a
result of events from within the past week primarily, not so much the case study. Furthermore,
the change in the feelings I have may be a result of the adults allowing Maya to have an easy
way out, rather than implementing strategies that will help her to deal with situations in which
she struggles. Maya was moved from my 6th period class into my 4th period. I was very
concerned about this because of the dynamic of the class is very different than the class she was
in. I felt that she would continue to have a greater success in the 6th period class than the 4th
period class in which she is now a part. This change was something that was determined by her
administrator at the request of the parent because of a problem she was having with her geometry
course. This makes me feel that Maya and her parents may be allowing her anxieties to dictate
her life. Rather than helping her to be successful in the courses that she is in, and make
adjustments to make her successful, she has been allowed an ‘out’ from the problem. In my
mind this is not helping her to grow as an individual, but keeping her confined to situations
where she is comfortable. In other words, they are allowing her to continue to maintain a fixed
mindset, rather than helping her to develop her way of thinking. Ultimately, Maya was moved to
make the situation easier for her, but as Carol Dweck points out, “Working hard was not
something that made you vulnerable, but something that made you smarter” (Dweck, 2006). In
my eyes, this move is keeping Maya in her comfort zone, but making things easier for her, which
is ultimately preventing her from reaching her full potential. In other words, it is allowing her to
maintain a fixed mindset that when things are challenging, she will be able to get out of it if she
complains enough.
Reflecting on self as a teacher: When I think about myself as a teacher, I have always
thought that I was a rather tough person, with strict expectations, and high standards for all of my
students. Throughout the process of examining Maya as a learner, I ended up realizing I might
not be as tough as I thought. Or, at the very least, I am learning to balance when I need to be
strict, with when I need to be understanding. Or as Kohn acknowledged, teaching required one
to have a “fine line between discipline and love that (will) lead to good learning and creative
teaching” (Kohn, 2002). I have found with Maya that if I want her, or any student, to really be
successful, I need to be sure that I am pushing them when necessary, but still listening to them
and acknowledging their needs. In Maya’s case, this means questioning her, or asking her when
she needs assistance, but once she has answered, I need to not hover, or make her feel that I am
watching her every move. Furthermore, I need to confirm for her that if she needs help she has
to come and ask me. For Maya, this is a tough love type of act, and yet something that
ultimately makes me a better teacher for her. It forces small social interaction with me as her
teacher, but leaves her with the focus on academics.
In order to complete my case study and research honestly, I had to take a step back from
how I see myself as a teacher and focus solely on the learning of Maya and what I needed to do
in order for her to be successful in her learning and on what I could do to improve my teaching.
By doing this, I was then able to take the information that I was given by Maya and see how my
teaching influenced her learning or if I needed to adjust my instruction to better meet her needs.
Really, the most significant bias I had to remove from my examination of Maya was the
way in which I see myself in her. When I think about how she feels when in social situations,
and the way that she deals with anxiety, I went into the research feeling that I could strongly
identify with the problems, or challenges that Maya encountered. In order to discover what
would best assist her, I had to look only at her. I could not make the goals or adjustments to
instruction to meet what I thought would best serve me, I had to think about what was going to
best serve Maya. This was challenging because how I feel about a lesson or a learning style
greatly influences the ways in which I choose to teach my students. As such, this was a
significant thing that I need to be aware of and prepared to adjust so that I was not selecting
things just because I thought it sounded good, but because it was something that would help
Maya.
An example of where this became relevant was during a group discussion. I have
become a person that enjoys the opportunity to have a discussion, or Socratic Seminar, but for
Maya she would rather sit and listen to everyone else discuss and then provide a written response
with her thoughts. In an effort to make Maya more comfortable in this type of setting, I have
worked to make the groups smaller, and include people in the group that I have seen her interact
with socially. By doing this, I hope to build her confidence and make her more relaxed in a
setting that is meant to do nothing more than discuss not attack. This took my thoughts out of
the equation, and put the needs and learning opportunity of Maya at the forefront of this lesson.
Reflecting on the classroom and teaching: Maya has taught me a lot about students
and what it takes to be a good teacher. Perhaps the most significant thing that I learned from
Maya was that I need to be observant of my students and learn from their actions, as much as, or
more than I need learn from our interactions. Over the course of this study, I had very minimal
interactions with Maya because I did not want to add any pressure to her when she was in my
classroom by means of making her feel that I was singling her out from her peers. While this
seemed initially like something that prevented me from really getting to know what I needed to
do to help her, I realized I was going to have to be more insightful in order to understand her
thought process, and whether she was comfortable in the environment that I had created for her.
To accomplish this, I have learned that to understand my students I have to learn to read and use
their body language as a form of communication rather than relying on them to come to me, or
state directly what they are thinking.
In addition to working to be more observant of my students, I feel that I need to continue
to push my students and put them in situations that may be beyond their comfort zone. To
accomplish this, I feel that I will continue to teach in similar ways that I already do. I will
continue to put students in groups, give them challenging writing assignments, ask complex
questions, and really make them think about how they can learn at their best. With Maya, for
example, I need to give her a lot of time where she can work independently, but then push her
some with a social learning opportunity. Recently, I had Maya work with a group to analyze “To
Kill a Mockingbird” themes. While groups are not where she would prefer to work, I was able to
let her pick her group, and then she was forced to work collaboratively with her peers. The
product of this work was wonderful, and Maya was able to have success in a scenario where she
is not typically confident.
By no means did completing this assignment make me feel that I have perfected my
ability to practice teaching. On the contrary, I feel that I will continue to have things that I need
to learn in order to best reach my students.
The final thing that I learned from Maya and from studying her for the course of the
semester is that every single student is going to come into my classroom with different needs,
with different backgrounds. We as teachers need to “recognize…when it comes to maximizing
learning opportunities and outcomes for students from racially and ethnically diverse
backgrounds, race and ethnicity matter” (Hawley & Nieto, 2010). Not only does this apply to
those who come from racial and ethnic backgrounds, but for every student that comes into my
classroom. Every student has a different history and different experiences, and without
acknowledging these differences, I am not best preparing or teaching my students. I need to be
better about taking into account the prior knowledge that students bring into my classroom and
better use it to guide their future learning. I also need to better use my students as a resource for
other students to learn. Rather than getting stuck focusing on covering material, I need to work
to include topics that they want to cover, or include the knowledge they have so that they are in
more control of their learning. This could be accomplished by allowing students to select the
texts that we read in class, or building a writing assignment with them so they have a say and get
to help create the expectations, or simply proving them options when providing them with
assignments. In Maya’s case, I feel that this would help her in that she would continue to have
control. By having this say and control over her learning, she will be more comfortable in the
learning environment, but also with regard to the content that is being learned.
Reflecting on future action: Perhaps the most significant thing that I have learned from
the study of Maya is that I can never get too comfortable in my teaching. If that day ever comes,
I may need to find an alternative career. In order to ensure that this does not happen, there are
things that I can do to ensure that students remain engaged, and my teaching ideas fresh. If this
is done, students will continue to learn as best as they can and I will continue working to be the
best teacher I can be.
The first step that I need to be more thorough in implementing into my classroom
practice, for both me as the teacher, and my students is the practice of reflection. Reflection is a
necessary tool that allows our students and ourselves to learn through the process of thinking
about our thinking and about our learning experiences. According to John Dewey, “to ‘learn
from experience’ is to make a backward and forward connection between what we do to things
and what we enjoy or suffer from things in consequence” (Dewey, 1944). By working to make
this happen, students will see how what they are learning and working on is connecting to their
past learning opportunities, and then be used in their future learning endeavors.
By implementing reflection into my classroom, I will hopefully help students to see that
they are capable of more than they may think. All too often, students get stuck with a fixed
mindset, thinking that they cannot do something, and then they will not even try. By using
reflection, I will be able to work to get students to see that they are capable of developing a
growth mindset, in which they can change their thinking to better themselves as learners. By
getting students to see that they can have a growth mindset, they will begin to see that, “people
with the growth mindset are clued in to all the different ways to create learning” (Dweck, 2006).
This will help to make students more open to new opportunities, and to becoming better learners.
In addition to making students more reflective and helping them to develop a growth
mindset, I need to work to acknowledge the differences that students bring to the classroom.
Because I come from an area that is very limited in its diversity, I at times find myself not even
thinking about the differences between students, or that they come from different backgrounds,
with different races, religions, emotions, etc. If I want students to be comfortable in my
classroom, I need to acknowledge their differences, and use them as tools, not only for me, but
for other students. If I work to help students to see their differences as something that can help
them in their learning, they will hopefully “come to see each other as resources who can help
with learning difficulties” (Brookfield, 1995). Acknowledging our differences is what will end
up making our students more informed, and will provide them with more authentic learning
opportunities. Implementing this into classroom practice could be as simple as having students
write autobiographies, or by having students focus their research assignments on a cultural belief
or aspect of their religion or belief system. Ultimately, whatever means necessary to get students
thinking about how their differences can help them learn will make them better students and
better people.
Finally, I think the thing that would help students, especially when in a group setting such
as a Socratic Seminar or small group task, would be to film the class and then allow them to
watch the video back. By doing this, students would be able to evaluate themselves, and see
whether they are engaged in the class activity, or if they are disengaged with what has been
assigned. This would allow them to see whether they are completing the work as has been
assigned, or if they are off task. In a Socratic Seminar, they would be able to see if there were
opportunities where they could have added information, or if they are at times dominating the
conversation. Just like teachers take the opportunity to observe themselves teaching by watching
film back and then make improvements, students can work through the same steps and process.
By the end of this case study project, I came to learn an abundance of things both about
Maya, and about how I can best serve all of my students. While I have to acknowledge that I do
not believe achieving perfection as a teacher is possible, by implementing these new ideas, or
further practice into my classroom, both the students, and the teacher will create a better learning
environment. By acknowledging the different needs, backgrounds, and strengths of my students,
they will be able to help each other, learn from each other, and grow as individuals.
Appendix A
Data Source Information SoughtLearning factors AND/OR goals
this information will help you address
Communications with Case manager and Social Skills teacher
What additional insights can these two individuals offer? These teachers work with the students on a much smaller scale than I do. Because the student tends to work better in a small group environment, they get to see her more in her comfort zone, where I see her in her in a class with 25+ other students.
These two people will be able to offer significant insights that will connect to many of the different learning factors. Social influences on learning, Individual differences in learning, and Motivational influences on learning. Because these teachers see her in a smaller environment, they will be better able to tell me ways that the student prefers to learn, and what can motivate her to learn.
Email communications with parent
By communicating with the parent, I hope to learn additional information about how the student has settled into a high school setting and how that has affected her socially. Because social skills are the primary focus of her IEP, this is what tends to stand in the way of her involvement in group activities in the classroom.
This will help me to connect with the motivational and emotional influences on learning. The student has anxiety, but controls herself very, very well. Because she masks it very well in the classroom, her mom will be able to provide additional insight as to how she is managing with class work and assignments.
Mind Map Organizer The Mind map is given as a means of learning about the student. This activity provided the student with the opportunity to share details about herself with me as her teacher.
By understanding who my student is, I hope that I am able to understand what type of environment that she is comfortable learning in. It will allow me to see if she is more outgoing, or reserved in her mannerisms. This will connect with individual differences as a learner as she will offer insights into how she thinks and feels about a topic or scenario.
Mindset Quiz/Survey How capable is the student of adjusting her mindset from that of a fixed to a growth?
By exploring her mindset, I am able to see if she is open to the idea of learning in different manners. Additionally, I was able
to look at the answers she provided and see if there were common areas that she always was agreeing with, or disagreeing with. This would allow me to see any patterns in her thought process.
Multiple Intelligences Inventory Survey
Allows me to see and confirm the learning styles that are most identified with by the student.
Having the students complete this task, I will be able to see what ways she learns best, and I can work to meet these needs, while encouraging her to go beyond her comfort zone so she sees that she is capable of more than she believes she is.
Progress Reports (Part of IEP) The progress reports which are taken as a part of the student’s IEP will allow me to see how the students acts in other classroom settings and if she is progressing toward the goals she has established in her IEP. These goals are similar to the goals that I will have for her in my case study, as the student is currently a very introverted students and one who is very hard on herself. The progress demonstrated as a part of her IEP will allow me to see if she is becoming more social in a learning environment.
This will allow me to see how the student is working within the factor of Social influences on learning. The student tends to be very isolated, but this may be different in my class. This will allow me to see if in other classes the student is working in a more positive way. Furthermore, if other subject areas are seeing improvements in areas that I am not, we can compare and work together to help her across the boards with improvements.
Appendix B – Observations/Notes
Appendix C – Mind Mapping
Appendix D – Course Averages & Test Scores
Grade English Average Math Average History Average Science Average9 B+ (87) C (79) B (85) B (82)8 A (95) B+ (88) A (97) A (94)7 A A A A
*Averages for Grade 9 represent after Marking Period 1 only.
Grade Reading Writing Math Science8 510 600 532 4617 506 454 (Algebra I)
*All scores here are out of a total 600 points.
Appendix E – Multiple Intelligences Survey
Multiple Intelligences Inventory
Copyright 1999-2014 Walter McKenzie,The One and Only Surfaquarium
Note: This is not a test - it is a snapshot in time of an individual's perceived MI preferences.
Part I
Complete each section by placing a “1” next to each statement you feel accurately describes you. If you do not identify with a statement, leave the space provided blank. Then total the column in each section.
Section 1
_____ I enjoy categorizing things by common traits
_____ Ecological issues are important to me
_____ Classification helps me make sense of new data
_____ I enjoy working in a garden
_____ I believe preserving our National Parks is important
_____ Putting things in hierarchies makes sense to me
_____ Animals are important in my life
_____ My home has a recycling system in place
_____ I enjoy studying biology, botany and/or zoology
_____ I pick up on subtle differences in meaning
_____ TOTAL for Section 1
Section 2
_____ I easily pick up on patterns
_____ I focus in on noise and sounds
_____ Moving to a beat is easy for me
_____ I enjoy making music
_____ I respond to the cadence of poetry
_____ I remember things by putting them in a rhyme
_____ Concentration is difficult for me if there is background noise
_____ Listening to sounds in nature can be very relaxing
_____ Musicals are more engagingto me than dramatic plays
_____ Remembering song lyrics is easy for me
_____ TOTAL for Section 2
Section 3
_____ I am known for being neat and orderly
_____ Step-by-step directions are a big help
_____ Problem solving comes easily to me
_____ I get easily frustrated with disorganized people
_____ I can complete calculations quickly in my head
_____ Logic puzzles are fun
_____ I can't begin an assignment until I have all my "ducks in a row"
_____ Structure is a good thing
_____ I enjoy troubleshooting something that isn't working properly
_____ Things have to make sense to me or I am dissatisfied
_____ TOTAL for Section 3
Section 4
_____ It is important to see my role in the “big picture” of things
_____ I enjoy discussing questions about life
_____ Religion is important to me
_____ I enjoy viewing art work
_____ Relaxation and meditation exercises are rewarding to me
_____ I like traveling to visit inspiring places
_____ I enjoy reading philosophers
_____ Learning new things is easier when I see their real world application
_____ I wonder if there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe
_____ It is important for me to feel connected to people, ideas and beliefs
_____ TOTAL for Section 4
Section 5
_____ I learn best interacting with others
_____ I enjoy informal chat and serious discussion
_____ The more the merrier
_____ I often serve as a leader among peers and colleagues
_____ I value relationships more than ideas or accomplishments
_____ Study groups are very productive for me
_____ I am a “team player”
_____ Friends are important to me
_____ I belong to more than three clubs or organizations_____ I dislike working alone
_____ TOTAL for Section 5
Section 6
_____ I learn by doing_____ I enjoy making things with my hands
_____ Sports are a part of my life
_____ I use gestures and non-verbal cues when I communicate
_____ Demonstrating is better than explaining
_____ I love to dance
_____ I like working with tools
_____ Inactivity can make me more tired than being very busy
_____ Hands-on activities are fun
_____ I live an active lifestyle
_____ TOTAL for Section 6
Section 7
_____ Foreign languages interest me_____ I enjoy reading books, magazines and web sites
_____ I keep a journal
_____ Word puzzles like crosswords or jumbles are enjoyable
_____ Taking notes helps me remember and understand
_____ I faithfully contact friends through letters and/or e-mail
_____ It is easy for me to explain my ideas to others
_____ I write for pleasure
_____ Puns, anagrams and spoonerisms are fun
_____ I enjoy public speaking and participating in debates
_____ TOTAL for Section 7
Section 8
_____ My attitude effects how I learn_____ I like to be involved in causes that help others_____ I am keenly aware of my moral beliefs
_____ I learn best when I have an emotional attachment to the subject
_____ Fairness is important to me
_____ Social justice issues interest me
_____ Working alone can be just as productive as working in a group
_____ I need to know why I should do something before I agree to do it
_____ When I believe in something I give more effort towards it
_____ I am willing to protest or sign a petition to right a wrong
_____ TOTAL for Section 8
Section 9
_____ Rearranging a room and redecorating are fun for me
_____ I enjoy creating my own works of art
_____ I remember better using graphic organizers
_____ I enjoy all kinds of entertainment media
_____ Charts, graphs and tables help me interpret data
_____ A music video can make me more interested in a song
_____ I can recall things as mental pictures
_____ I am good at reading maps and blueprints_____ Three dimensional puzzles are fun_____ I can visualize ideas in my mind
_____ TOTAL for Section 9
Part II
Now carry forward your total from each section and multiply by 10 below:
Section Total Forward Multiply Score
1 X10
2 X10
3 X10
4 X10
5 X10
6 X10
7 X10
8 X10
9 X10
Part III
Now plot your scores on the bar graph provided:
Part IV
Key:
Section 1 – This reflects your Naturalist strength
Section 2 – This suggests your Musical strength
Section 3 – This indicates your Logical strength
Section 4 – This illustrates your Existential strength
Section 5 – This shows your Interpersonal strength
Section 6 – This tells your Kinesthetic strength
Section 7 – This indicates your Verbal strength
Section 8 – This reflects your Intrapersonal strength
Section 9 – This suggests your Visual strength
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 Sec 1 Sec 2 Sec 3 Sec 4 Sec 5 Sec 6 Sec 7 Sec 8 Sec 9
Appendix F – Mindset Survey
Mindset Quiz
Mindset Quiz Complete the quiz for how you believe your child would answer the question. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with these statements:
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
1. Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can’t change very much. ______2. No matter how much intelligence you have, you can always change it quite a bit. _________3. You can always substantially change how intelligent you are. ___________ 4. You are a certain kind of person, and there is not much that can be done to really change that. 5. You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are. ___________ 6. Music talent can be learned by anyone. ___________ 7. Only a few people will be truly good at sports – you have to be “born with it.” ___________ 8. Math is much easier to learn if you are male or maybe come from a culture who values math. _ 9. The harder you work at something, the better you will be at it. ___________ 10. No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially. ___________ 11. Trying new things is stressful for me and I avoid it. ___________ 12. Some people are good and kind, and some are not – it’s not often that people change. ______13. I appreciate when people, parents, coaches, teachers give me feedback about my performance.
___________ 14. I often get angry when I get feed back about my performance. ___________ 15. All human beings without a brain injury or birth defect are capable of the same amount of
learning. __________ 16. You can learn new things, but you can’t really change how intelligent you are. ___________ 17. You can do things differently, but the important parts of who you are can’t really be changed. 18. Human beings are basically good, but sometimes make terrible decisions. ___________ 19. An important reason why I do my school work is that I like to learn new things. _________20. Truly smart people do not need to try hard. ___________
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