Observation: After getting to know my third grade students in my 75 hour clinical classroom, it was clear to me that there were a few struggling students. The one student in particular that caught my attention was one who does not stand out in the classroom at all. He is very quiet and struggles with all school work given to him. After speaking to my host teacher about the student, it seems he comes from a low income family and does not have a great home life. He always has his head down when working and , a few times, has even fallen asleep in class. He works very slowly and always seems sad. I rarely see the student smile and he seems to be depressed. During our interview the student spoke very softly and seemed to answer the questions as he thought he should. I hope to get to know the student a little better. It was interesting though to see how similar his interview was with the high performing students'.
Interview with Struggling Student:
Q: Do you enjoy school?
A:Yes
Q: What kind of student are you?
A: A good student.
Q: What do you do for fun outside of school?
A: Play xbox.
Q: How would your classmates describe you?
A: Nice.
Q: Who are your friends? What do you do together?
A: Jonathan and Conner. We play tag.
Q: One good memory about school...
A: Going to Compton's Bowling Lanes in 2nd grade.
Q: One bad memory about school....
A: None
Q: Who is your favorite teacher?
A: Ms. Marra
Q: What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
A: Nothing.
Interview with High Performing Student:
Q: Do you enjoy school?
A: Yes
Q: What kind of student are you?
A: I like helping my friends out.
Q: What do you do for fun outside of school?
A: Read.
Q: How would your classmates describe you?
A: A nice friend.
Q: Who are your friends? What do you do together?
A: Isabella, Olivia, Mazzie, and Karlie. We swing and race outside.
Q: One good memory about school...
A: The Fall Festival.
Q: One bad memory about school....
A: I got an F on a paper.
Q: Who is your favorite teacher?
A: Mrs. Mewshaw.
Q: What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
A: I like to read Magic Tree House books.
I'm glad you recognize that some students answer these questions they way they "think" they should rather than more honestly. I think i takes time for a teacher to establish a rapport with students in which they feel they can trust enough to answer honestly. It's all interesting how quickly kids pick experts in the discourse of schooling!
ReplyDeleteNice job with these interviews!