Student Interviews

High Performing Student

* Do you like school?

    - Yes

* What do you do for fun outside of school?

    - I play with friends and sometimes play sports.

* How would your classmates describe you?

    - We're best friends and I'm fun.

* Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together?

    - Cameron. We play on the playground or go to each others' house.

* Tell me a good memory you have about school.

    - In kindergarten me and Cameron would play army guys in class.

* Tell me a bad memory about school.

    - We were playing and Adam and Cameron yelled at me.

* Describe a good teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past.

    - Mrs. Romano let me line up first and helped me with work.

* What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?

    - Everyone is my friend



Struggling Student

* Do you like school?

    -Yes

* What do you do for fun outside of school?

    - Play with my dog, hes wild!

*How would your classmates describe you? The student didn't understand the question so I asked if they would say that he was nice, fun, or smart etc.
 
    - The never say anything like that about me

* Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together?
  
    - We just play
* Tell me a good memory you have about school.

    - The student could not think of a good memory. I tried to give examples but he said he "didn't have any good memories".

* Tell me a bad memory you have about school.

    - In kindergarten a kid did a back flip and his feet hit my face. My nose was all bloody.

* Describe a good teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past.

    - Mrs. Joyce, because she take me to recess down the street.

* What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?

    - I can do a front flip.


Characteristics of a struggling student in my classroom include:

• writing letters and numbers backwards
• very quiet
• needs more explanation than others with assignments

I had the chance to work one on one with this student.  She needed the assignment explained further and demonstrated for her. Once this was done she was able to complete the rest on her own. The student still struggles socially when asked to read or answer in front of the class. She will however speak to the teacher one on one and seems to get along with her peers in class. The student needs better clarification with directions and strategies (using manipulatives in this case). I know its not possible to do for every assignment, but instead of calling on the student to answer a question in front of everyone go over to the student while others are working to assess her understanding.

The high performing student in my class is very outgoing and has many friends in the class. He succeeds in every subject but gets in trouble for shouting answers and being a distraction when he finishes with his work early. The teacher explains that he shouldn't shout an answer without being called on. This works for one lesson but he quickly forgets.