--Lisa (pseudonym)
“How are you doing in this class?”
“I’m not doing perfect, but I’m doing good. But to me it’s perfect. Because a perfect person would probably get straight A’s. But for me, I usually get D’s, but now I’m getting mostly B’s and a few C’s…I’m pacing myself, and I have a C in Spanish right now.”
“Which class do you spend the most time on outside of school? Why?”
“Probably English—actually probably math. Because I was put in a lower math class before, and now I have been placed in a higher math class, but the people who are in charge of my IEP expect me to do poorly. But I’m doing really well right now, so I’m going to prove them wrong. A lot of people think poorly of me and have low expectations. When I come across something I’m good at, they are all shocked.”
For the last couple of years, Lisa has had an IEP. Her mother, however, refused to have her daughter be labeled as an “underachiever”, and she therefore brought in lawyers to the district in order for her daughter’s IEP to be removed—as a result, Lisa does not currently have an “active” IEP. Lisa’s MAPs reading score is 210, and her Star rating is Basic. She has not yet taken the CAHSEE.
Lisa rarely participates in class, and her Spanish 6 quiz/test scores are consistently lower than those of her peers. I have also noted that she rarely completes her homework assignments. In class, Lisa seems to struggle with following instructions; however, I have noticed that when she does take time to read the instructions, she is very capable of following them.
I recently noticed that Lisa was copying one of her peer’s homework assignments before class. I approached her after class and let her know that what I noticed. I also let her know that I was surprised because I know she is capable of accomplishing each assignment. To my surprise (this was before our interview), Lisa began to thank me, and she told me that most people have low expectations of her. “Lisa, I fully expect you to achieve high scores in this class. I have noticed that when you put in a little effort, it really pays off for you! How about we take a look at the instructions for tonight’s homework assignment”. As we reviewed the instructions, Lisa suddenly said, “I know this stuff! I can do this!”
Moving forward, I intend to regularly check to ensure she has read and understood instructions before tackling assignments both inside and outside of class. As I continue to show Lisa that I have high expectations for her and show her that I am going to hold her accountable (because I know she is capable of achieving high scores), my hope is that she will want to make a greater effort in our Spanish class, and that her Spanish scores will improve.
--Jake (pseudonym)
“How much time per day do you spend on this class outside of school?”
“I think I should have a lot more time to study, but I just do the homework, and then I’m done with it. I don’t like homework cuz I feel like I can be doing something else, like marching band. I’m also on the wrestling team. I have a bunch of other stuff too. I’m trying to participate in things. But I’m definitely not studying as much as I should be.”
“Do you prefer to work individually or with a group?”
“Work in a group. If others have the same problem, you can work it out together. And you aren’t afraid to ask the teacher because you aren’t the only one with that question.”
“Who is your favorite teacher? Why is he/she your favorite?”
“Mr. Williams. He is a really funny teacher but he is also serious. He makes the class interesting. He himself gets into it. English. It is his personality. I also did cross fit with him in the mornings. So he knows how to push me inside and outside of the classroom.”
Upon checking Jake's grade record, I discovered that he was consistently receiving high grades up until last year when he began receiving D’s and F’s. His Star scores are “basic” (none of his other standardized test scores were available for view). During class, he rarely begins an assignment unless I personally help him get started. As for homework, he almost never turns it in, and he consistently performs very poorly on his quizzes and tests. When I asked my cooperating teacher regarding this Jake’s sudden drop in performance with respect to his grade record, I was informed that Jake’s father passed away last year—this has and a tremendous impact on his study habits and his presence of mind during class.
During our interview, I learned that Jake rarely has time for Spanish outside of class as he keeps very busy with extracurricular activities. He participates in a very regimented marching band, he wrestles, and he also participates in other sports programs. He enjoys working in groups and bouncing ideas and questions off of teammates. Jake also revealed that he likes a teacher with a sense of humor but who also knows how to push him.
Moving forward, I feel tempted to “feel sorry” for Jake and simply lower my expectations due to his father’s passing. But at the same time, I understand that Jake is looking for someone to “push” him—he does not want to be left behind. He needs someone he can count on. I hope I can be that person in his Spanish class. I intend to build rapport with Jake in such a way that I can “push” him in ways that help him stretch and grow academically.
--Betty (pseudonym)
“How much time per day do you spend on this class outside of school?”
“My study habits right now are kind of bad, so I probably only spend like 20min a day, if that…so not that much. I wish I could spend more time, and I feel like I would do better. But it is hard with sports and all my other classes.”
“Do you prefer to work individually or with a group?”
“I prefer to work in a group because you can hear everybody’s ideas and opinions, and that helps me. It is an easier environment to work in. By myself I get stuck and can’t think of anything.”
“Who is your favorite teacher? Why is he/she your favorite?”
“Ms. Carillo, I feel comfortable asking her questions. She is always willing to work with you or help you reteach something. She makes you feel comfortable when you need help. Chemistry.”
Betty is very well behaved during class, she regularly turns in her homework, and she makes an effort to complete assignments during class. However, when I check in with her during class assignments, she often struggles to keep up with her table peers. I have also noted that she consistently receives low quiz and test scores in our Spanish class.
During our interview, I discovered that she is very busy with extracurricular activity. She is a cheerleader and participates in a variety of sports programs. As a result, she does not have much time to dedicate to her outside classwork—this is directly reflected in her Spanish performance.
I also learned that Betty prefers to work in groups so that she can share opinions and ideas with her peers. This seems to motivate Betty, especially when she feels “stuck” and cannot move forward. To my surprise, Chemistry is currently Betty’s favorite subject. This surprised me because this is a subject that requires relatively more time and effort on the part of the student outside of class—a commodity that Betty can hardly afford. However, the reason Betty likes Chemistry so much is that her Chemistry teacher is approachable and patient. Betty feels that this teacher cares about her success—she strives in an environment in which questions are welcomed.
Moving forward with Betty, I would like to provide more opportunities for her to work in groups in which she feels safe and comfortable and can bounce ideas and questions off of her peers. I also plan to regularly check in with her and provide opportunities for her to ask me questions, even if that means “re-teaching” material. Quite frankly, most of the questions Betty asks me are also questions that most of the other students in the classroom have as well, and I would therefore like to help Betty understand that she is not alone with her questions. And I would like to be a teacher that she can count on to feel comfortable enough to approach me with any questions she may have.
A common theme that I noted among these students is the correlation between their performance—scores—and the amount of time they put into Spanish outside of class. Something that puzzles me, therefore, is how to “compete” with these students’ busy schedules outside of class; i.e., while I can control the effort I spend “checking-in” and differentiating to meet students’ needs, I am not sure how much control I have on how much time they put into our Spanish class once the bell rings.
“How are you doing in this class?”
“I’m not doing perfect, but I’m doing good. But to me it’s perfect. Because a perfect person would probably get straight A’s. But for me, I usually get D’s, but now I’m getting mostly B’s and a few C’s…I’m pacing myself, and I have a C in Spanish right now.”
“Which class do you spend the most time on outside of school? Why?”
“Probably English—actually probably math. Because I was put in a lower math class before, and now I have been placed in a higher math class, but the people who are in charge of my IEP expect me to do poorly. But I’m doing really well right now, so I’m going to prove them wrong. A lot of people think poorly of me and have low expectations. When I come across something I’m good at, they are all shocked.”
For the last couple of years, Lisa has had an IEP. Her mother, however, refused to have her daughter be labeled as an “underachiever”, and she therefore brought in lawyers to the district in order for her daughter’s IEP to be removed—as a result, Lisa does not currently have an “active” IEP. Lisa’s MAPs reading score is 210, and her Star rating is Basic. She has not yet taken the CAHSEE.
Lisa rarely participates in class, and her Spanish 6 quiz/test scores are consistently lower than those of her peers. I have also noted that she rarely completes her homework assignments. In class, Lisa seems to struggle with following instructions; however, I have noticed that when she does take time to read the instructions, she is very capable of following them.
I recently noticed that Lisa was copying one of her peer’s homework assignments before class. I approached her after class and let her know that what I noticed. I also let her know that I was surprised because I know she is capable of accomplishing each assignment. To my surprise (this was before our interview), Lisa began to thank me, and she told me that most people have low expectations of her. “Lisa, I fully expect you to achieve high scores in this class. I have noticed that when you put in a little effort, it really pays off for you! How about we take a look at the instructions for tonight’s homework assignment”. As we reviewed the instructions, Lisa suddenly said, “I know this stuff! I can do this!”
Moving forward, I intend to regularly check to ensure she has read and understood instructions before tackling assignments both inside and outside of class. As I continue to show Lisa that I have high expectations for her and show her that I am going to hold her accountable (because I know she is capable of achieving high scores), my hope is that she will want to make a greater effort in our Spanish class, and that her Spanish scores will improve.
--Jake (pseudonym)
“How much time per day do you spend on this class outside of school?”
“I think I should have a lot more time to study, but I just do the homework, and then I’m done with it. I don’t like homework cuz I feel like I can be doing something else, like marching band. I’m also on the wrestling team. I have a bunch of other stuff too. I’m trying to participate in things. But I’m definitely not studying as much as I should be.”
“Do you prefer to work individually or with a group?”
“Work in a group. If others have the same problem, you can work it out together. And you aren’t afraid to ask the teacher because you aren’t the only one with that question.”
“Who is your favorite teacher? Why is he/she your favorite?”
“Mr. Williams. He is a really funny teacher but he is also serious. He makes the class interesting. He himself gets into it. English. It is his personality. I also did cross fit with him in the mornings. So he knows how to push me inside and outside of the classroom.”
Upon checking Jake's grade record, I discovered that he was consistently receiving high grades up until last year when he began receiving D’s and F’s. His Star scores are “basic” (none of his other standardized test scores were available for view). During class, he rarely begins an assignment unless I personally help him get started. As for homework, he almost never turns it in, and he consistently performs very poorly on his quizzes and tests. When I asked my cooperating teacher regarding this Jake’s sudden drop in performance with respect to his grade record, I was informed that Jake’s father passed away last year—this has and a tremendous impact on his study habits and his presence of mind during class.
During our interview, I learned that Jake rarely has time for Spanish outside of class as he keeps very busy with extracurricular activities. He participates in a very regimented marching band, he wrestles, and he also participates in other sports programs. He enjoys working in groups and bouncing ideas and questions off of teammates. Jake also revealed that he likes a teacher with a sense of humor but who also knows how to push him.
Moving forward, I feel tempted to “feel sorry” for Jake and simply lower my expectations due to his father’s passing. But at the same time, I understand that Jake is looking for someone to “push” him—he does not want to be left behind. He needs someone he can count on. I hope I can be that person in his Spanish class. I intend to build rapport with Jake in such a way that I can “push” him in ways that help him stretch and grow academically.
--Betty (pseudonym)
“How much time per day do you spend on this class outside of school?”
“My study habits right now are kind of bad, so I probably only spend like 20min a day, if that…so not that much. I wish I could spend more time, and I feel like I would do better. But it is hard with sports and all my other classes.”
“Do you prefer to work individually or with a group?”
“I prefer to work in a group because you can hear everybody’s ideas and opinions, and that helps me. It is an easier environment to work in. By myself I get stuck and can’t think of anything.”
“Who is your favorite teacher? Why is he/she your favorite?”
“Ms. Carillo, I feel comfortable asking her questions. She is always willing to work with you or help you reteach something. She makes you feel comfortable when you need help. Chemistry.”
Betty is very well behaved during class, she regularly turns in her homework, and she makes an effort to complete assignments during class. However, when I check in with her during class assignments, she often struggles to keep up with her table peers. I have also noted that she consistently receives low quiz and test scores in our Spanish class.
During our interview, I discovered that she is very busy with extracurricular activity. She is a cheerleader and participates in a variety of sports programs. As a result, she does not have much time to dedicate to her outside classwork—this is directly reflected in her Spanish performance.
I also learned that Betty prefers to work in groups so that she can share opinions and ideas with her peers. This seems to motivate Betty, especially when she feels “stuck” and cannot move forward. To my surprise, Chemistry is currently Betty’s favorite subject. This surprised me because this is a subject that requires relatively more time and effort on the part of the student outside of class—a commodity that Betty can hardly afford. However, the reason Betty likes Chemistry so much is that her Chemistry teacher is approachable and patient. Betty feels that this teacher cares about her success—she strives in an environment in which questions are welcomed.
Moving forward with Betty, I would like to provide more opportunities for her to work in groups in which she feels safe and comfortable and can bounce ideas and questions off of her peers. I also plan to regularly check in with her and provide opportunities for her to ask me questions, even if that means “re-teaching” material. Quite frankly, most of the questions Betty asks me are also questions that most of the other students in the classroom have as well, and I would therefore like to help Betty understand that she is not alone with her questions. And I would like to be a teacher that she can count on to feel comfortable enough to approach me with any questions she may have.
A common theme that I noted among these students is the correlation between their performance—scores—and the amount of time they put into Spanish outside of class. Something that puzzles me, therefore, is how to “compete” with these students’ busy schedules outside of class; i.e., while I can control the effort I spend “checking-in” and differentiating to meet students’ needs, I am not sure how much control I have on how much time they put into our Spanish class once the bell rings.