Melissa Farias

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Student Case Study

I learned a lot through the process of interviewing a student that differs from me
culturally, linguistically, and academically. This student is low performing in all of his classes,
receiving all Fs. He comes from a Spanish speaking family who, five years ago, came to
America from Mexico in hopes of a better future for their son. I, being from a family born in
America who speaks only English and strives for straight As, differ from this student quite a bit,
so interviewing him and watching him learn really opened my eyes.
I watched this student a couple of times in his Integrated Math I class, with a different
teacher. According to motivation research, this student was not supported in the learning
environment. The teacher gave no purpose to the task, and in Pinks video, Drive: The
surprising truth about what motivates us, he discusses that the tasks we give our students must
have purpose. When interviewing the student, I asked him why he was learning the substitution
method for systems of equations, and he responded with, I have to so I can pass the test.
Where is the purpose? What motivates him to learn the content? Just passing the test? He easily
became flustered and distracted during the period and would zone out. This may be due to the
fact that there was no long term goal for him.
This brings me to discussing Duckworths idea of deliberate practice and grit. Grit means
to have passion, perseverance, and persistence, working toward a long term goal. If this student
has no purpose, he will not have passion, and if he has no passion, he will not persevere and be
persistent. I asked him what he does in this math class, usually, and he responded with, take
notes. I then asked him if he discusses topics with his partners or does any activities and he
said, not really, unless we are playing a game, but they get it too fast and I cant keep up, so I
just work alone usually. This made me think of Moises. This student needs the material to be
slowed down, and needs a group that will work with him. Moises seemed to feel this way too.

Melissa Farias
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Student Case Study

When the teacher was giving a lesson, Moises tried to keep up, but the language barrier confused
him. He then would ask his neighbors questions, but only one girl would help him, while the
others made fun of him. The boy I interviewed may need more support from his peers, but is too
afraid to ask.
I can say that the lessons I watched did not seem culturally relevant for this student.
During one of the lessons I observed, the students sat in rows and watched the teacher give a
lecture on the whiteboard. They took notes the entire period and then were given exit tickets to
display what they learned that class period. This student seemed frustrated and lost. He tried to
keep up, but had trouble with the speed and approach of the lesson. When he fell behind, which
I saw happen a few times, he would zone out and stop taking notes. During another period I
observed, the teacher was giving a review using Jeopardy. This student did not even participate.
I asked him about it later and he said that he did not play because his group gets mad when he
gets answers wrong or takes too much time. This relates directly to the Roeser article when it is
stated that early adolescents need a relativelynoncompetitiveacademic setting in which to
develop their academic competencies. (2005, p. 1057) This could not be truer in this students
case.
What really stood out about this student is the types of kids that were placed around him.
They were very competitive, all native English speakers, and, according to the teacher, all had
As or Bs in the class. Gay mentions in his article that cooperative group learning
arrangements and peer coaching fit well with the communal cultural systems ofLatino
American groups. (2002, p. 112) If this is the case, one would assume that this student would
benefit from working in groups, but it is our job as teachers to choose the best group that will

Melissa Farias
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Student Case Study

work for our students. The group chosen for this student was not supportive and did not benefit
his learning.
As teachers, we have to meet students diverse educational needs. This is not an easy
task, but it is something we cannot ignore. I felt this student, in a sense, was ignored. Any kind
of change could have helped this student, and by change I do not mean making the content less
challenging. As I read the articles about student voice, one thing really stood out to me, and that
is that we must challenge our students. Just because a student may seem lower performing than
another, does not mean we should make the content different for that student. The student I
interviewed could have benefited from a graphic organizer, or group discussions with a better
chosen group. This does not change the difficulty of the topic, but rather supports the students in
tackling the topic. This idea to challenge the students, regardless of their academics, is supported
by The View from the Lighthouse when it is stated that students can trust that when they
succeed, it wasnt because educators lowered the bar to meet them, it was because educators
taught them how to reach it. (Haycock, 2014, p. 4) This student could be supported without
lowering the bar, and actually feel successful at the end of the day.
Overall, I learned a lot from this experience, not only about the student, but about my
teaching practices. I do a lot of things right, but still do a lot wrong. I have tried lately to use
cognate words in my lessons so that my ELs can follow along easily. I have also used a lot of
group activities and graphic organizers, along with guided notes if I ever have to lecture. My
activities are no longer competitive, and I have seen much higher participation since changing
this. My goal, because of this assignment, is to make sure all students are learning. This is not
easy, as I have stated before, but it is something I really need to put effort into. I need to
implement a comment box where students can drop in their questions and concerns for me, so

Melissa Farias
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Student Case Study

that I can better meet their needs. This will show all students that I not only care, but that I am
willing to make adjustments to help them be successful.