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Amanda Bunker Edu 280 22 April 2010 Observing students at NCCS middle school serves as a great learning experience for preservice teachersproviding the chance to step back and reflect on how my own adolescent experience compares to the students at NCCS. Before Intro to Education, I hadnt given much thought to theories. Observing, while having the knowledge of the theories, has been beneficial to me because I am actively observing, instead of just reading about theories in a lecture setting. Spending time around the students at NCCS, I seewith the knowledge that I have from Intro to Educationjust how often the theories are employed. Room 45 is a small classroom with a big personality. Special Education teacher A has a whiteboard for her seventh grade students, and another for her eighth graders. When students enter the room, they know exactly where to look to see the days plan. As the students scurry outside in the hallways before 1st period, I take the few minutes of silence I have left to study the room. Teacher A has maps and posters adorning her walls. There are colored crates stacked up against the walls where students can store their belongings. Students can get note cards, loose leaf paper, or markers from a materials station if needed. Just by walking in teacher As room it can be inferred that her classroom is an open and cheerful learning environment. For todays class, the students desks were arranged in two rows with the desks side by side. (See diagram) However, Teacher As classroom can easily be modified to serve as a multi-purpose classroom.

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The class period I observed was Teacher As 2nd period eighth grade class. Teacher A refers to this class as her Boyz in da Hood class because the class consists of all boys. During this period, Teacher A reviewed with the class for the ELA test the following week. Teacher A provided the students with a worksheet to familiarize them with key literary terms they will need to know for the test. She had the students get a pencil and put a check mark next to the words that were most important. The words being checked were the words that the teacher assumed would show up on the test. Teacher A proceeded to review the term alliteration by giving examples such as, Big, bad, Bobby bounced a volleyball off his head. Rather than calling on a student who had his hand raised, the teacher called on a student who didnt have his raised. By doing this, the teacher was making sure that everyone understood what the terms were and meant. The students always have a container of note cards with definitions and terms being used throughout the year that stays in the room. When reviewing the terms on the worksheet, Teacher A allowed students to refer back to their cards, but as a last resort. The way Teacher A conducts her class more closely follows Piagets theory of development, but does incorporate some of Vygotskys ideas as well. Teacher A acts as more of a guide in her classroom, serving as figure of structure and support. Although she cannot fit every students ZPDbecause every student has different learning abilitiesshe tries to break more complex systems down to fit most of her students zone of proximal development. For instance, the students began the lesson without

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having their note cards in front of them. As soon as the teacher saw that the students were struggling, she had them get their cards to help the studying process. This, in turn, could have a negative effect on the students because they are becoming dependant on the cards and not even trying to think for themselves. However, eventually, these students will all be matriculated into integrated classrooms. I have seen most of the students outside of Teacher As classroom, and they have more of a connection with Teacher A than they do with other teachers. She understands their educational needs and tries to acknowledge primary responsibility for their educational progress (Egelsee, p.1). For instance, when she was discussing with the students where they were going to take the test, she told them that the special education office wanted a couple of the boys to take the test outside of her classroom. However, Teacher A, knowing her students abilities and genuinely caring about how they do on the test said, I fought for all of you to take the test with me because it is where you feel comfortable. Some students requested a study hall to be worked into their schedule. Teacher A was brutally honest with her students. She told them that if they did poorly on the State ELA test, they would have other required classes they would need to take to satisfy their IEP and not have room for a study hall. In this case, the study hall is acting as an incentive to do well on the test. If the students did will on the test, then they would have enough room in their schedule for a study hall. Her exact words were, The only person youll be hurting is yourself if you dont take this test seriously. I was given a wonderful experience of sitting in on a CSE meeting of one of the students in Teacher As class. One of the requests he had was to have a study hall. When Teacher A was describing the importance of the test to her students, this particular student had his head down on the desk and was disconnected from the rest of the class. For instance, this student chose to sit at the front table labeled A in the above diagram instead of sitting at the student

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desks. Teacher A tried to motivate the student through cues such as whistling, but to no avail. For the rest of the class, he continued to separate himself from the group and made up excuses such as going to the bathroomdespite his pass restriction. The way in which this particular studentlets call him Student Apresented himself shows a budding defiance. After having the chance of observing his CSE meeting and observing him in at least one class each day, he has the potential to succeed on the ELA test and get the study hall that he wants. However, Teacher A is spending the entire class period talking about the test, and putting the pressure on when Student A is unsure of himself. That can be very overwhelming. This may explain his isolated behavior and his sudden change of mood. It could also be the case that there may be other factors such as an unstable home-life or subject to neglect or abuse, which is often the case with many special needs kids, simply because the district doesnt know what else to do with them. However, Blume and Zembar stated that depression in more closely linked to difficulties establishing autonomy, whereas problem behaviors are more closely linked to difficulties maintaining relatedness (Blume & Zembar, 2007, p.332). It was discovered at the CSE meeting that Student A had just made the baseball team. Student A is already feeling the added pressure of having to take a State test. Now, he has the burden of knowing that hell get kicked off the baseball team if he doesnt have passing grades in all his classes. Making the baseball team was a step towards individuality for Student A. Knowing that he might not be able to play is most likely a contributing factor in his new wave of depression. Teacher A asked students to get some fresh note cards out and start defining the terms on the note cards to use as references to study from at home. One student, who rarely speaks out in class, told the teacher that he already had some of the words written out, and inquired about rewriting them. Teacher A responded with positive reinforcement saying, Great Job, Student B!

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That is good point. If you already some of the words done, no you dont need to write them again. When Teacher A told Student B what a great point he made, it was the first time I had seen him smile since I have been at NCCS. Student B is extrinsically motivated. He does work, but only for the gratification of pleasing the teacher. Student B works well with operant conditioning. In earlier classes, Teacher A used candy or money to get students to actively participate. He works for things that bring [him] positive approval from the people [he] admires (Standridge, 2002). Student B is a work-avoidant learner. He rarely applies himself in class; he gets more pleasure out of playing with the note cards than actually writing on them. However, when it comes time to face the wrath of Teacher A, Student B miraculously knows all the answers. A work-avoidant learner is more commonly known as a know-it-all. I do feel that Student B is a know-it-all but displays various risk factors such as low self-esteem, low expectations for success, and sense of hopelessness that prevent him from being successful. At the end of class, Student B stole a huge pile of note cards from the materials station and was bragging to another student in the class about it, showing them off from inside his pocket. Student B values the attention, but doesnt know how to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy ways of getting attention. Student B was just trying to conform to fit in with everyone else in the class and the designated cliques. However, one could argue that Student Bs motivation for stealing the note cards was to show off to his peers that he stole something. This explanation for Student Bs actions is more logical because note cards dont have material value outside the classroom, but the reputation one has with peers does. As Student B showed another student the note cards in his pocket, it was clear that Student B got his desired resultwhen the other student smiledso did Student B.

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By observing Teacher As 2nd period class every day since arriving at NCCS, it is clear that her students view her as a figure they can attach themselves to; someone who can provide a sense of security (Blume & Zembar, 2007, p.339). She connects with her students in ways that other teachers cant. Teacher A trusts her students, and they trust her in return that she will take care of them, as long as they meet her halfway. My time at NCCS has been an enlightening experience. I have learned just how often theories of development are applied during classroom managementas well as the importance of them.

Works Cited Blume, L. and Zembar, M. (2007). Developmental Milestones in Adolescence. Middle Childhood to Middle Adolescence. Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ. p.218. Blume, L. and Zembar, M. (2007). Emotion and Self-Esteem in Middle Adoelscence. Middle Childhood to Middle Adolescence, Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ p. 332 Blume, L. and Zembar, M. (2007). Social Development in Middle Adolescence. Middle Childhood to Middle Adolescence. Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ. p.339. Egelsee, E. Unwarranted Disciplinary Action Toward Foster Care Children with Special Needs. Anaheim Hills, CA. p. 1,3. Meece, J. (2002). Cognitive Development: Piagets and Vygotskys Theories. Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. University of NC. Chapel Hill. Standridge, M.. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved <28 April 2010>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ Woolfolk, A. (2007). Motivation in Teaching and Learning. In Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education. (pp. 372-385).