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MIDG 3001
Dr. Jamin Carson
November 27, 2006
knowledge. Seeing and following a student and his or her ordinary, everyday school
routine can provide more important information and general knowledge that could never
be fully grasped just sitting in a college classroom. Seeing how a child reacts to
situations, others, school work, and teachers can teach one a lot about students today,
allowing teachers to better understand how to reach these students in innovative and
effective ways.
performance. Shadowing a student can provide you with important information in some
areas, but may be lacking in others (it all depends on the type of student). I was fortunate
enough to be given the opportunity to shadow twelve year-old Sarah Smeltzer, a seventh
grade student at A. G. Cox Middle School in Winterville, North Carolina. Sarah, being
experience and observation of the type of student that is most commonly encountered in
schools today.
Appearance begins to play a large role in children’s lives beginning in the middle
grades years. Differences in height, as well as overall appearances, are not constant in a
middle grades classroom. These adolescent students are in a stage in which they are
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continually growing and changing. Sarah stands a bit taller than five feet, Caucasian,
with shoulder-length brown hair and of average size. Look-wise she does not particularly
At first, Sarah, the daughter of the head law enforcement officer in the small town
of Winterville, seemed to be a quiet, bashful student. But as her first class of the day
continued, she became quite social with the other girls sitting around her, even passing
notes once or twice. She seemed to have a good balance, though, with conversing and
staying on task. When work was needed to be done, she seemed to perform well and
quickly. In the library, where she had the job of placing books in their designated area for
In Sarah’s Spanish class, she tended to occasionally become a little rowdy and
playful with the girls sitting at her table. She responded well and respectively to the
teacher when the problem was addressed. At lunch (a very important time for the social
middle grades student), she did not seem to have any problems relaxing and chatting with
her friends and classmates. She seemed to have an average amount of friends and the
ability to get along with those around her well. Through my interview with Sarah, she
noted that she had her up and down days, socially, depending on the mood of the specific
Also, from the interview, I was able to find out that she enjoyed ballerina dancing,
horseback riding, and had previously attended a private school. Learning about her
background and stable home life allowed me to better understand her performance and
socialization within school. I was able to see that her fortunate circumstances in her
home allowed her little distraction from her everyday routine and strong motivation from
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her parents. She spoke highly of her family and seemed to be an animated and driven
individual.
Sarah is an exceptionally good student. Even within the first day of observation,
she was rewarded for two A’s she had received on tests in math and social studies. Much
of her school work seemed to be completed with little effort, given that she would finish
quickly as compared to many of the other students. She credits this performance to her
previous years in private school, which have allows her to remain ahead, academically, in
her schoolwork.
Throughout her classes, Sarah appeared to stay awake and attentive. She is a
sharp student that places importance in the lessons being taught and fully grasping new
concepts. Her habits of organization seemed to be excellent. She used her assignment
pad daily to keep track of her homework and other daily responsibilities.
Sarah also expressed her future plans. Although she is young, she has high
standards that she is determined to live up to. She wants to receive her college degree at
North Carolina State University after she graduates high school. For her career she
desired to either become a horse trainer/breeder, Prima Ballerina, or even a chef; all of
Through this observation and shadowing of Sarah Smeltzer, I was able to get a
better understanding (from an older point of view) of the everyday life of an average
middle grades student. Seeing first-hand where an adolescent student stands in his or her
mental, physical, and social development can help me to better relate and better
compensate when trying to effectively teach in the classroom. I have seen that a child’s
performance only partly depends on his or her learning atmosphere and schoolwork, but
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is a large reflection of the socioeconomic status of the individual and his or her
family/guardians. This creates both an awareness and challenge that must be considered