Ian Mitchell

Shadow Study

I performed my shadow study with the intention of observing how a student changed

behaviors between different classes. The student I chose, Student A from this point on, was a

young man who seemed to enjoy acting out in class. As could be somewhat expected, he was not

the only student to act out or even the most vocal. However, what interested me, was that he

would be acting out and yet still getting work done in the class I work with. Yet, he appeared to

be struggling more in other classes. Was it the teacher in the other classes or was it the other

students? This was something I wanted to identify. So I got permission to follow Student A to his

various classes- excluding homeroom and study hall, as those are small courses and it was likely

he would realize I was following him instead of observing classes at random.

When I went to the first period- Physical Science -I knew little about Student A outside

class. I knew he was in ROTC and liked acting out, despite being an otherwise good student. I

did not know any deeply personal information. As such, I was more or less going into the class

blind as the teacher had me sit out of the way to observe the class. Her method of beginning the

class was broadly similar to my own cooperating teacher. Bellwork and reflection on the

previous lessons, focused in this case on a test over the previous bellworks. During this portion

of class, Student A did not volunteerhowever, neither did he act out. He kept his eyes on the

teacher and listened to what she was saying. This same attention would be transferred to the

student the teacher called up to work out an example on the board. Here, again, Student A did

not volunteer.

This was a different view for me. In my normal class, Student A is motivated to do the

work, even if he acts out quite a bit more. In this class, he seemed to lack the same motivation.
He would pay attention, but the only times I noticed him showing more than the barest attention

was when new information was given out. Otherwise, Student A would lean on his hand and

look as if he wanted to sleep. Part of this can be explained by the early morning class, as other

students were similarly tired. However, it is still something very different from what Ive come

to expect with this student. When given work, he does work though. The teacher has the students

pull out chromebooks and work on an online quiz. Student A was one of the quickest to jump on

this, and worked quietly and studiously after he asked his table partner for help. It is possible this

was because it was an online assignment- this may interest him more than lecture.

Furthermore, and continuing the trend above, Student A has no issues in following the

teacher around the room as she transitions into the next assignment. He does not slack off or not

pay attention. This is very different from either the normal class, or the start of this period. I

believe this is because it is something that holds his interest more. Review may bore him, and

that may be why he was slacking off at first. When new information is given, he continues to pay

close attention to it. He only asked one question during the entire class, to clarify on the

assignment. After this point, he quietly works on his computer for the remainder of the period.

Second Block:

The second period of the day was a speech class. This is a new experience as I have never

taken a speech class. Student A, if his behavior was any indication, likes the class- though he

loses attention quickly. From the little observation time given, the class appeared to be focused

mostly on how to hold conversations. The teacher handed out bellwork, and worked to finish the

first proper assignment the class had received for the year. Student A was attentive to the note

taking, possibly because the teacher has a board of lightbulbs of different colors. She would

change the light when they changed the discussion- for example, from interpersonal to group
discussion. The majority of the class, however, was lecture. While the lecture was creative in the

use of presentation tools and videos to keep the interest of the class, it was still lecture. It was not

until the last third of the class that the assignment really began. It was, also, at this point when I

noticed the lack of attention Student A was giving it.

He would lay his head down again, whenever the teacher wasnt looking. While possible

that other activities have made him tired, there is less excuse of being early in the morning in this

class. Furthermore, when spontaneous discussion occurred in the class, he tended to ignore it.

This was a relatively regular situation in the time I was in the class, discussion happening and

Student A ignoring it. He also tends to start right back at it when the teacher looks away,

demonstrated when she stopped it at one point. From this observation, it does appear that he is at

the front of the class for a reason. And that his interest level in the material is low, when the

teacher is not observing him directly. Far more interest in talking to his friends than in doing the

work.

Third Block:

There is not a lot to say about the third period. The ROTC course was one where most of

the material came down to how to properly decorate a uniform and practice marching. Student A

showed a genuine interest in the material, though that is to be expected as this is not a course an

average student takes. At least not without any interest. It was a new experience for myself, as I

never took an ROTC course. The discipline and the student-lead activities were interesting, in a

way. It showed a different side of high school students and of Student A.

However, I believe that a lot of his increased focus and attention comes down to the

format. Being given the chance to act out without being told to be quiet, on the one hand. This

allowed him to talk like he seemed to enjoy in the previous course. On the other hand, it is likely
that the ROTC teachers are much stricter than others. This is a military setting and the students

are expected to learn how to behave themselves appropriately. This would naturally lead to

Student A acting more respectful. Though, interestingly, he still joked around. It was merely with

the instructor, instead of fellow students. This does lead me to believe that, regardless of the

format, he is a bit of a joking type. ROTC just brings out more formality than the other courses.

In terms of the class itself, he read just like the other students. Most of the class, in fact,

was spent reading material. The instructor would walk around the room and observe, but not

interfere. It seemed like student leadership was a large focus. For this, Student A showed some

initiative in helping others. This leads me to believe that he does enjoy the military life, or at

least the ROTC version of it. Perhaps his previous actions were lack of interest in the material

after all.

Fourth Block:

The final class of the day does not provide much observation material compared to the

others. The class began with more bellwork, as usual. This appears to be something all classes in

the building are expected to do. The primary difference was with the students. Student A was

quick to sit down and do his work, while another student approached me and called her class

morons. This class appeared, as this indicated, to have many divisions. It would be safe to say,

as the teacher informed me, that it was a difficult class. A combination of a small group, in a

class few students enjoy, at the end of the day. It was easy to see this, as the majority of the

students refused to sit down and work until prompted by the teacher.

Student A was the odd exception to the rule, working quietly and well. As with ROTC, it

is a distinct possibility he enjoyed the material. Certainly he was the first to volunteer answers

during the group work portion of the class. Even without raising his hand first. As well, Student
A would volunteer to look information up for the teacher. A class that was difficult to work with,

with a student who seemed to enjoy the course. Unfortunately, however, that was the most

notable part of the final period. The remainder of the course was relatively simple reading

prompts and vocabulary definitions. The main point of interest was in how Student A showed

more eagerness for the class and more respect for the teacher than any of the other students.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Student A appears to be a bit of a jokester. He enjoys talking and gossip.

This can manifest in either talking with fellow students, or with his professor, depending on the

class. He does not seem to have a large interest in either physical science or speech. In contrast,

he seems to genuinely enjoy both ROTC and reading, while getting along with both instructors.

To me, this indicates a student who has specific interests and wants to work with them. To teach

him properly, it is important to identify these interests- the major one appearing to be being

given a chance to talk -and teach to them. The most likely way to work with him would be to ask

questions of the class and form group projects.

Both of these appeared to be high-interest for Student A, and likely to help. In addition, it

is important that he be monitored. If he ever loses interest, the student will talk with those around

him. This is not as disruptive as some students, however, it could still cause some issues. Even

so, I believe that Student A is a good worker who merely requires a little effort to play to his

strengths. Make sure he has something to motivate him to work, give him a chance to talk, and

he will work very well. As a result, the Shadow Study was quite useful in demonstrating how to

approach a student such as this. It gave a different perspective on how a student views his

classes. Being able to see the classes through the lens of a student was useful in its own right.
Providing a view into the way these classes influenced Student As behavior, and how the

teachers would work to manage the classes.