Jarrod's Changes In The Classroom

Over the course of the year and through this case study, I have grown in my relationships with my students and understanding what their personal and educational needs are. When I first met Jarrod on my first day of being a teacher, he just put his head down and did not talk to me. He would refuse to read or complete work. He would make noises to try to distract his peers to cause conflicts and avoid doing his work. Over the course of the year, and though some changes in staffing I went from having Jarrod one period a day, to 5 periods day and becoming his case manager. From there I really got to know Jarrod and the struggles he faces at home. I also was better able to track Jarrod’s educational progress.
What I love the most about my classroom
setting is the opportunity to really get to know my students and work in small group or one on one. Through this case study, I was spending a lot of time working one on one with Jarrod. I found that he worked harder for me when he was one his own and between tests he would chit chat with me. This was pretty significant because often Jarrod can be very reserved and will not have “real” conversations with you, he will often just say things to get “under your skin” or make inappropriate jokes. I think once I explained to him what I was doing and why I chose him as the subject for my case study, I think that he was able to see that I cared about his academic success. I wanted him to succeed and to continue to work with him next year.