Catherine Shea

EDUC 203
Professor Suk
April 2018

I. Observation #4 - Domains of the Child

I. Juniors Honors English

III. Setting
This is a honors level English class for the 11th grade in a rural high school. There is one
instructor, and there are 21 students in this classroom.

IV. Pre Observation

Before this assignment, I have observed the domains of a child and the progression of
student development in my Foundations of Education classes. However, for that assignment, I
was placed in multiple classes at a time and it was difficult to watch one students progression
throughout the course of my placement. This semester, however, I am in one single classroom
and can observe the student’s progression throughout the course in a much more informative and
coherent way.
I am not sure entirely what to expect, considering that these students are older in age, and
we are also towards the end of the school year. The students are aware that summer is rapidly
approaching and some of them have mentally checked out. I hope this does not affect my
observations in a negative way.

V. Data
Johnny sits in the very last row of the teacher’s classroom, all the way to the right hand
side of the room. He is surrounded by three friends that he occasionally will chatter with. As a
junior student, he is 16 years old. His posture is extremely poor, and more often than not is
slumped over on his desk and appears to almost be sleeping. Throughout the class, he has not
spoken or contributed to the discussion aside from making comments to his friends that sit
behind, in front, and next to him. While he has smiled and joked with his friends several times
throughout the class, he has not spoken too or made eye contact with the teacher.
As the class progresses, he seems bothered and annoyed that he is even in the room to
begin with. He grunts, sighs, and taps his pencil. While the rest of the class is jovial and
contributive to the lesson the teacher has planned, Johnny seems angry. However, as soon as he
can address his friends, he has a very pleasant demeanor. When the instructor announces that
there will be a quiz on the chapter of ​The Great Gatsby​ that they were supposed to have read
over the weekend, he groans and puts his head down. As the papers are distributed, he says, “I’m
totally going to fail this...there’s no way I’ll pass.” His friend says, “the chapter wasn’t that
bad...you can do it if you skimmed”, to which Johnny responds, “Yeah...I was too stupid to even
do that…”
The class collectively takes about 15 minutes to answer the 4 open ended questions the
teacher puts on the board. Johnny does not appear to take any shorter or longer than the other
students, and his mood slightly lightens after the quizzes are collected. The instructors asks if the
students had any questions regarding the quiz, and Johnny continues to have his head down on
the desk. He does not speak up or have any concerns, which clearly, he did have some before the
quiz was administered.
The rest of the class, the instructor shows the students several scenes from the movie
version of ​The Great Gatsby​ to clarify the chapters they just read. While many students are
engaged and giving the movie their full attention, Johnny keeps glancing at his phone. He does
not appear to be interested or care at all that he is able to watch a movie in his English class.
When the bell rings, he shuffles out of class, and does not verbally address the teacher as he
leaves.

VI. Analysis
Johnny is clearly stuck in the younger stages of adolescent developmental milestones. His
friendships with his peers form his identity at this stage, and adults are not trusted or welcomed
into his social circle. Johnny’s identity is directly dependent upon his friendships, as he has not
formed or felt confident in his own identity. He suffers from low self esteem regarding his
academic work, and lets his insecurities physically manifest, which is evident in his posture and
can be heard in his self degrading words. Confidence is extremely important in Johnny’s
development, and education psychologist ​Cynthia G. Scott, states that, “Results indicate that
teacher support and encouragement of student autonomy are associated with higher student
self-esteem” (Scott, p.287). ​ Johnny seems withdrawn, sullen, and unsure of himself. Compared
to his peers, who are otherwise pleasant and welcoming towards their instructor, Johnny is
developmentally behind.

VII. Recommendations
While is is clear that Johnny’s performance in school could be improved by preparing
more, I also believe that if his schoolwork improved, it would greatly increase his self esteem
and perhaps propel him forward in his developmental stages. If Johnny were too feel an increase
in confidence, perhaps he would feel more at ease with contributing in his lessons. If Johnny had
more active participation, and increased his interactions with his teacher, perhaps he would be
able to view his teachers or other adults as ​people​, rather than as an enemy or as an oppressive
figure. Furthermore, if Johnny’s academic performance increased, as would his confidence, and
he would be able to see himself as a whole person rather than as part of a group. The instructor
should provide feedback that could guide Johnny in a productive way to further academic
success and therefore boost his confidence levels. ​Student Self Esteem and the School System
dictates that, “in order for school personnel to make an enduring difference in students'
self-esteem they must construct a consistent and ongoing series of specific situations in which
students can receive both positive and constructive feedback. It is from this process that they will
be able to better clarify their concepts of self and the values upon which judgments about
self-esteem are made”(​Scott, p.288). Building his sense of self through feedback from a
respected authority figure would provide a deeper understanding and concept of himself and his
accomplishment, which would also help establish his own identity. ​ Being able to form his own
identity would do wonders for his self esteem and development as a young man.

VIII. Post Observation

Seeing Johnny’s reactions and behavior worried me for the journey I have ahead of
myself. His behavior during the class was technically good behavior - he was not outwardly
disrespectful, he cooperated with the lesson and did as he was instructed to do, and he was quiet
throughout the lesson. As a teacher, would I have noticed the things that I did while I was
observing? Would I notice that he was developmentally behind? It is easy to spot these problems
as a “fly on the wall”, as I am now...but would I notice these issues when I am responsible for 20
some other students? It is clear to me now just how much responsibility and pressure is placed
upon an instructor.

IX. Citations
Scott, Cynthia G., et al. “Student Self-Esteem and the School System: Perceptions and
Implications.” ​The Journal of Educational Research​, vol. 89, no. 5, 1996, pp. 286–293.
JSTOR​, JSTOR, ​www.jstor.org/stable/27542046​.

X. Appendix