Running head: DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

Distracted Talent: A Students Struggle to Prove Himself

Kristy Eagle
San Diego State University

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

Abstract
This narrative evaluates the educational outcomes of a seventh grade student who is
academically and socially struggling in school. The students educational records were reviewed
to uncover previous grades, family structure, and identify abilities of the student. Teachers and
counseling staff were interviewed to better understand classroom behaviors. Additionally, the
student was observed in a variety of school settings and evaluated based on what was observed.
Although the student is struggling in the majority of his classes, he is artistically inclined and
focused on his future career aspirations. The students teachers have suggested that the student
may be showing signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In response to the referral, the
counseling staff is gathering information about the student to assist in recommending
interventions that will help this student to achieve educational success.

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

Distracted Talent: A Students Struggle to Prove Himself

Potter Junior High School is home to approximately 650 students and located in a rural
area of San Diego County, known as Fallbrook. Isaac is a seventh grader at Potter Jr. High. He
made the transition to junior high from a local elementary school this year. An evaluation of
Isaacs current grades, show that he has been struggling since the start of the school year. He
currently has a D/F average with the exception of art class. Isaac excels in art class and currently
holds an A in the course. Reports made by Isaacs teachers express concern for his academic
career. The majority of his teachers find him to be very distracted in the classroom and some
believe he may be expressing behaviors synonymous with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
As defined by Spring (2013), autism is, a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal
and non-verbal communication and social interactionthat adversely affects a childs
educational performance (p. 120). In addition to distracted classroom behavior, Isaacs teachers
have noticed that he is socially awkward and is typically sitting alone during break and lunch
periods. Efforts have been made to reach out to Isaacs support system at home which consists
of his mother. His mother has declined recommended support systems that have been suggested
to help Isaac improve his academic standing. Whether Isaac is displaying autistic behaviors or
not, it is evident that changes need to be made to help Isaac be a successful and productive
student in all subjects. Isaac has shown us that he is capable via his artistic talents. Now, the
challenge is finding a way to channel those talents toward other subjects as well.
Hopeful History
A detailed review of Isaacs cumulative file revealed an average student with a love for
reading and art. Isaac is a young, African American male. He has an older sister who is in
eighth grade, at the same school, and a younger half-sister who is three years old. Isaac lives at

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

home with his two siblings and his mother. Born in South Carolina, Isaac moved to California in
the second grade. Historically, Isaac was an average student from second grade through sixth
grade. After careful review of the students cumulative file, it can be seen there was a slight shift
in his grades around the end of third grade. According to the academic file, he has not been
retained but interventions were put in place to assist him with reading and language arts after
scoring low on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) assessment given by his
elementary school. Teachers comments reflected a polite student with great potential. His
teachers praised his love of art and reading. Previous teachers encouraged continuous reading in
the home, to improve his abilities. Additional notes in the students cumulative file suggest he is
shy and sensitive and has some difficulty making friends.
Understanding a Creative Mind
The majority of observation methods that were used when gathering information about
this student were very natural in style. In order to better understand the students educational
outcomes, it was necessary to observe him in his natural setting while at school. After observing
Isaac in the classroom and outside the classroom, it is obvious that different behaviors occur in
different environments. In the classroom, at first glance you would find a student who is easily
distracted and disengaged. However, given the opportunity to observe Isaac outside the
classroom, I was quite surprised to learn that he has many talents beyond what an average
classroom has to offer.
Restricted Classrooms vs. Creative Spaces
Core Learning. In a traditional school setting, like Potter Jr. High, students are often
expected to sit quietly in class and speak only in turn. In both math and language arts, Isaac is
expected to remain in this type of restricted environment for nearly an hour. After observing him

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

taking a test in math class, it was very obvious that he is not able to concentrate in that type of
environment. Isaac was playing with his pencil and watching the student in front of him rather
than working on his test. When the class was given a five minute break, Isaac immediately
pulled out a case of pencils and began to draw for the entire break.
Inspiring Electives. In the first trimester, Isaac was placed in Art class as his elective. In
this classroom, Isaac is fully engaged for the entire period. The teacher even used Isaac as an
example to the rest of the class. Not only was he working quietly but he was fully engaged in the
class assignment. However, Isaac refrained from making any eye contact with the teacher or
other students. His body language expressed a great deal of discomfort when the teacher pointed
him out to his peers.
Social Settings
During break and lunch, Isaac is often found sitting alone or with a single friend in the
quad. Every Thursday, we offer an activity called Club BOND during the students lunch break.
Club BOND gives students the opportunity to meet new friends in the comfort of a small group
setting. While at Club BOND, the students play a game that encourages social interaction and
getting to know each other. Isaac has participated in Club BOND almost every week and each
week he shows a greater level of comfort with the other students. I had the pleasure of working
with Isaac during this time and learned quite a bit about this young man.
Varied Perspectives of the Future Animator
Traditional interviewing techniques were used as a means of better understand Isaacs
educational ecosystem and the history of his experiences. Open-ended questions were used to
uncover details and interviews were conducted with little structure. In selecting the
interviewees, I considered the role of the person along with the typical environment in which

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

they would typically engage Isaac. In addition to traditional interviewing techniques, I also
attempted a narrative approach when speaking with Isaac. According to Winslade & Monk
(2007), the narrative approach is built on the belief that the student is capable and able to create
change in their environment (p. 28). This is a belief that I think is essential to Isaacs future
success. Rather than agreeing with his teachers meek assessments, it would be beneficial to
address the strengths of Isaac and veer away from focusing on his weaknesses.
The Doubters
Mrs. Dewhirst is Isaacs math teacher. She describes him as smart but very distracted (C.
Dewhirst, personal communication, November 6, 2014). Her tone made it seem like there wasnt
much she could do to help him and she had twenty-something other students to worry about as
well. I also had the opportunity to interview his language arts teacher, Ms. Alexander. She
shared similar feelings to Mrs. Dewhirst but her tone lead me to believe that she had really
attempted to reach out to Isaac and help him to do better in class. Ms. Alexander confirmed that
Isaac is often distracted and thinking about other things (personal communication, November 6,
2014). When asked what she felt Isaac was distracted by, she was not sure.
The Future Animator
Isaac is an incredibly talented young man. Isaacs introverted personality may lead
others to think that he isnt an open person but I learned quite the opposite. When I asked about
his future goals, he confidently answered that he wanted to be an animator (personal
communication, November 13, 2014). He is passionate about his art work and focuses on
creating comic strips in his free time. Additionally, he participates in karate which I was quite
surprised to learn. The amount of concentration and dedication that karate requires would
probably far exceed what his teachers see from him in the classroom.

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

The Believers
Before introducing myself to Isaac, I reached out to Ms. Duarte, the school counselor. I
was concerned that he would not be receptive to me. She knew I would be proven wrong by
him. Ms. Duarte believes in Isaac and has been making attempts to get him the additional
support that he needs. She reached out to his mom and offered to put him into a study skills
course that would give him additional support for all of his classes but she refused the offer (D.
Duarte, personal communication, November 13, 2014).
Making a Students Dreams Reachable
After having the opportunity to personally sit down with Isaac, my initial thoughts about
this student have completely changed. Discouraged by the views of others, I feared my time
with Isaac would be filled with silence. I was sure that he wouldnt speak more than a couple
words to me; I was completely mistaken. What I used to see was a struggling student, someone
who was distracted in class and possibly even bored. Teachers had practically given up on him
and lowered their expectations of Isaac. Now, I see the incredible potential this student has in
his future and better understand his ecological model as related to his educational journey (see
Appendix A for more information). Artistically inclined and imaginative beyond belief, Isaac
has a future as an animator and I fully support his dream. Identifying the reason(s) for Isaacs
distraction and social awkwardness will be the main focus as we continue to observe and
recommend interventions for the student.
Supportive Recommendations
It is believed that necessary interventions should be put in place to not only increase
Isaacs performance in the classroom but to also help him with social interactions outside of the
classroom. Isaac has responded well to small group interactions during lunch, in particular Club

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

BOND. It is recommended that he continue to attend Club BOND. Research has found that
successful interventions include a small amount of adult supervision in conjunction with small
group activities (Auger, 2013, p. 264). This type of intervention is easily supported by the
school counselor and counseling support staff. Interaction can be encouraged by the adult and
monitored to ensure the student experiences positive social interactions with other students.
Isaac will continue to see the counseling staff for weekly check ins to see how his grades are
doing and how he is feeling about social interactions.
Additionally, new research supports an intervention that focuses on positive modeling
behaviors. Video self-modeling takes videos of the student and edits them to express positive
social behavior (Auger, 2013, p. 263). The events and social situations that are used in the
videos are typically situations which have previously been negative experiences for the student.
This gives the student an opportunity to see that positive outcomes are possible. This
intervention will require additional planning before it can be put in place and may be something
leadership students can assist with.
Limitations
Further work is necessary to identify what will best help Isaac succeed in social,
academic, and career environments. Valuable insight was obtained through interviews but there
is a need to continue the interview process with the students mother and with community
members. In particular, it would be ideal to interview the karate coach and the sister to better
understand how some of the other factors in Isaacs life can play a role in his future. Additional
time would allow for better data collection which would give us the chance to better assess the
students needs. Based on continued observation and understating of the student, a referral will
be considered in order to evaluate any autistic behaviors.

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

References
Auger, R. W. (2013). Autism spectrum disorders: A research review for school counselors.
Professional School Counseling Journal, 16, 256-268. doi: 10.5330/PSC.n.2013-16.256
Spring, J. (2013). American education (16th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Winslade, J. & Monk, G. (2007). Narrative counseling in schools. Powerful and brief (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

DISTRACTED TALENT: A STUDENTS STRUGGLE

Appendix A
Ecological Model of Isaacs Educational Environment

10