Learner Analysis Project Part 3

Hi!
Here is my video for part three of our project! 8 minutes goes by faster than you think, I had to record it a few times to keep to this time, so forgive me if it seems rushed! I hope you enjoy learning about my friend Jack!

Thanks for a great semester!

Learner Analysis Project Part II

Summary of Student and Observations:

I have finally made the decision on which student I have decided to study. After an eventful week with Jack at the center of all the craziness, I have finally seen all of his colors. Just to refresh your memory: Jack has severe ADHD, he has been prescribed medication but for some reason his parents do not give him this medication at home. They have given consent allowing the school to give Jack medication when he arrives, and after he eats lunch. Many of the staff members at Parr find this frustrating because there period of time at the start of the day and after lunch where his medication has not kicked in yet. This time can either be calm, but contains a strong lack in concentration, or it can be, to put it simply, completely out of control. I have been able to speak to the school Psychologist, my CT, and Jack all about how he feels about school, how he feels about learning, what makes him frustrated, and how often he has "shut downs," among other issues. I have been observing him during most school lessons, and I have come to know him pretty well as a student. 

This is Jack's desk; it is ironic that all of the items inside are so messy because he is very interested in keeping things organized a certain way when it comes to his school work. 

Who is this student?

Jack is in the fifth grade at Parr. According to my CT and the school psychologist he does not have a good home life. They also told me that previous teachers he has had have felt like they cannot control him, so when he has out bursts, or shut downs (he gets frustrated about something and will not longer put effort in; he sits in the corner or at his desk refusing to do work or speak to anyone) they would send him into the hall. Unfortunately, Jack is described as a runner, so when they sent him into the hall often times he would disappear to various places around the school. Luckily, my CT recognizes that this is not the correct way to handle this kind of a situation. When Jack's medicine has not kicked in yet, or when he is frustrated about something my CT allows him to play with a rubix cube or a ball for a few minutes (she sets a timer, depending on how intense the moment is) so that he can calm down and collect himself. 

One day when I was talking with Jack, I asked him if he was excited to go to home and he told me no, and that he really loves school. Jack particularly loves math. If he is trying to do his math work and another student interrupts him or slows him down he will become frustrated for a good majority of the rest of the afternoon. These moments are especially hard because it takes him so long to get back to being calm, and get him back into wanting to do more of his work. 

This paper that Jack wrote is a good example of how he feels about school. (Part of it is cut off because his picture was hanging on one side of the paper.)

Jack knows that he is smart. Often times when he is asked to work in a group he will come and work with me, or choose to work on his own. He enjoys doing school work more than he enjoys messing around. If the other students are taking a brain break, sometimes he will participate and other times he will watch on the side while reading a book. 

All of these are really good moments, but this does not mean that there are only good moments with Jack. This last week when I went into the school, my CT told me the previous day was terrible. She described the day for me: Jack came in that morning out of control. He grabbed a basketball and began bouncing it all over the open walls, and on every table top in the room. She was finally able to get the ball from him, so he immediately grabbed a pencil and began coloring on other students desks. She was able to control the rest of the class so that they were able to sit in their desks and do their work without noticing or acknowledging Jack. Jack then grabbed a water bottle, opened it, and dumped it all over his desk. Then he grabbed a chair and began ramming into the back of another students chair as the student sat at his desk, trying not to make a scene out of the situation. These moments are common with Jack when his medicine has not kicked in yet. 

IEP Review

Jack's IEP includes activities that can help him settle down. (I.E. his toys) but state that it should not take longer than 15 minutes for him to settle into the normal swing of things. It also states that while he as at school he is permitted to take the medication that is needed for him to concentrate. Jack is a good student; he reads at grade level and he is good at math. Despite all of his random outbursts he is motivated enough that he is able to get all his work in on time even with these set backs. So there are no special instructions as far as that stuff goes. 

Learner Analysis Part 1

Parr Elementary School is located in a cozy neighborhood in Jefferson County School District. 

Parr Elementary School

Parr Elementary is a tiny little school in Jefferson County. The neighborhood surrounding the school is full of friendly houses and welcoming parks. The students at Parr are happy, and ready to learn. I have been placed in a 4/5 classroom, which is a combined fourth and fifth grade class. I know we are supposed to have a student picked out, but to be honest I have not decided which student is best suited for this project yet. So, I am going to describe a few students for you this week, and then by week 9 when part two is to I will let you in on which student I have decided to focus on.

My Kiddos

There are 2 students that I am trying to choose between for this project: Sally and Jack. Let's start with Sally. Sally is a fourth grader, she constantly looks flustered or confused during class. Her eyes never focus on one thing for more than a minute or two, and her hands are constantly flitting around between her hair, her desk, and her belongings. I have learned that Sally has a very unique disability, she has seizures; but not the kind that you would expect. You cannot see any outward indication that he has having the seizure, but somehow she loses her short term memory as a result of the seizures, making it a struggle for her to learn and grow in school. Doctors are not sure what causes the seizures, or even how often she has them because she could have one right in front of you and you would never know. Her doctors now have all the teachers, staff, and parents who come in contact with her write down specific notes about any odd behavior they notice about Sally, so that they can pinpoint exactly what it looks like when she is having an episode.

Jack has been diagnosed with ADHD, but his parents refuse to give him any medication at home. They do, however, give the school permission to give him his medicine during school hours so that he can concentrate. During the first hour of the school day, Jack's medication has not kicked in, and he does not get any work down. His teacher allows him to sit in the back of the room and wiggle, talk, and basically do whatever he wants to until the medicine kicks in and he calms down, then proceeds to sit at his desk and is constantly on task. Not only does Jack have ADHD but he also has moments where he cannot handle his frustration, and shuts down completely. He will not get any work done, won't speak to anyone around him, and will simply just sit with his head in his arms on top of his desk. I don't know how these moments relate to his ADHD, or if they do at all; but I know that I want to understand Jack more as a person. His previous teachers did not want to deal with him, so when his energy was high or he was frustrated they would tell him to go sit out in the hallway. Unfortunately, Jack is a "runner" and he would run away more often then not when he was told to do this. When I look at Jack, I don't see a boy with behavior problems, I see a boy with a hard family life who has never been taught how to control his emotional reactions to issues that come in and out of his life during the day.

Setting of Most Observations:

I see both of these students in the classroom during most of the day, though I do not see them on recess, lunch, or when they go to specials. I have not had any real interaction with Sally one on one, but Jack loves to sit by me while I observe the class in the mornings before his medicine kicks in. He sits down beside me and chats for about 30 minutes, telling me about his parents or about his goals for the future. Jack has told my CT more than once that I am his friend, where as Sally just sees me as someone who helps out in the classroom on Thursday's; I don't even think she knows my name. Due to the fact that I only see these students during general class time, I don't have a great idea of how they interact with other students in a social setting. I see them when they are supposed to be doing work, or listening to the teacher. This could cause my view of them to be a little skewed because I don't get the chance to see how they act with other students when they aren't being expected to work.

Support Staff at Parr:

Parr Elementary School has a lot of staff that are around to help students like Sally and Jack. There is a school psychologist, 2 SPED teacher's, a literary instructor, and multiple PARA's who come in and out of the classroom through out the day.  Sally goes out with the SPED teachers a few times during the day, and the school psychologist is in the classroom for most of the lessons to observe Jack and how he is performing and interacting through out the lecture/activity. I have spoken to my CT about both of these students, and she has mentioned that she thinks I should lean toward observing Sally, but I am still unsure because I truly feel like there is so much going on with Jack that he intrigues me every time I am in the classroom. As the weeks move on, I hope to find the student I want to focus on for this assignment, so I can being to conduct some interviews with the student and some of the adults in his/her life.