Three Things I know

1.

Jeffery: When I looked at Jeffery, I saw a shy and quiet kid. He is averagely dressed, wears glasses, and is happy to be in the classroom. Then, I got a chance to view his tiny, tiny handwriting. I was told that tiny handwriting is a one of the signs of abuse and also a sign of really low self-esteem. A few days later, my Master Teacher was told of the abuse Jeffery suffered at the hands of one of his parents and that due to that parent being in jail the other siblings are now furious with her. So, I know that he is suffering antagonism at home. But, his handwriting has gotten steadily larger and he is taking baby steps toward a more active role in the classroom and this tells me that he is starting to overcome the many difficulties before him.

2.

Jennifer: When I saw Jennifer in the classroom, she was a smiling happy child who was intensely focused on the teacher and very quietly spoken. During the math lesson, Jennifer would finish her handouts quickly and contribute her answer to the classroom questions. I learned about Jennifer primarily through her IEP, and I found out that she was abused as a baby and has learning difficulties and trust issues that are directly related to it. During the last year, she never opened up in the classroom until about the last month of school. She can barely spell and read this year. Upon helping this student in the classroom, I have learned that she wants to write many things, but needs to feel comfortable to be able to ask how to spell words and attempt to get her thoughts out.

3.

Jose: Jose is one of the younger third graders and the most proficient reader and mathematician in the classroom. He excelled at the reading QRI by getting 145 oral words per minute (the average third grader should end the year at 110 WPM.) and finished the third grade pretest that determines what they should know by the end of the year. I learned through watching Jose observe his fellow classmates at play, that he desperately wants to join in with the fourth graders silly games and groups but is far too shy to join in. Even when the Master Teacher called a student over to have them personally invite Jose to the group, Jose refused. Only time will tell if Jose can break out of his shell and play.