RUNNING HEAD: Student Learning

Master’s Portfolio: Student Learning

Violet R. Brooks
University of Alaska Southeast
11/28/2018
Katy Spangler
STUDENT LEARNING 2

Framing Statement:
Attached is my student research project from the University of Alaska’s Classroom

Research class ED626. In it, I spent 9 weeks observing and then coaching a student I have

named DAISY in an attempt to modify negative classroom behaviors and instill new positive

behaviors through the use of things like growth mindset, positive teacher eye contact, and

positive peer-to-peer relations (Banda & Hart, 2010).

DAISY presented with extreme behavioral concerns. When upset, DAISY would crawl

under her desk, scream, bang her pencil box to drown out the teacher, shed her paper, scribble on

her papers to break her pencils, throw items from her desk to the floor, kick at her desk, etc.

With my previous MANDT training, I spent the first few weeks observing her and realized that

DAISY’s initial trigger could come into play far before she entered the classroom (Esser, 2012)

Her initial escalation was also subtle. She would not immediately erupt into a violent outburst,

instead she would become very still and begin to shut down. She would then escalate through

small delinquencies (paper scribbling, breaking, paper tearing) into larger disruptions (crawling

under the desk, hitting her pencil on the desk leg, covering her ears), then if the group instruction

had not stopped, she would move on to screaming, crying, yelling, throwing, and rocking under

her desk.

I was able to observe her classroom teacher attempt to work around this in several ways

(ignoring, disciplining, coaching with positive messages, point systems for extra computer time),

but nothing seemed to help with her progress. Looking back on the student now, after a few

months of distance, I suspect DAISY might have a form of ASD (Dean, Kasari, Shih, Frankel,

Whitney, Landa, Harwood, 2014), or some extreme emotional disturbance. Having spent my

time in a classroom, and working with the staff who would have helped with her plan of care, I

am uncertain why DAISY was not tested from the outset when these behaviors were observed.
STUDENT LEARNING 3

She had come in from a different school in a high-transient district, she showed behaviors from

the first few days (though they escalated even more after Winter Break) and she was not

responding well to anything that the classroom teacher or instructional coach presented. This

was a student who I felt, then and now, would have benefitted from a Behavioral Support

Classroom. Although I preach inclusion at all times, this students range of behavior shows that

what she was experiencing was either torturous for her, or that she had learned that the behavior

would help her avert doing her work.

I had intended, when initially taking on this task, to get her involved with a program like

the “check-in, check-out” system (King,2016) so that we could have data on when and where the

behaviors were happening most often. Her sudden uptick could be due to an aversion to a

subject. I also felt it may be biological and that her fourth-grade body might be preparing for

puberty. I had hoped that even just having an adult support, she might feel more comfortable

and safe within the school environment. I spent a great deal of my first three weeks just building

a relationship with her. I would sit with her during class and praise her when she was on task.

She would shutdown when given criticism though, so I would approach corrections delicately.

Ultimately, I saw very little growth from DAISY. Though in my research for this

statement piece, I found individuals who had done Doctorate thesis’ on these these types of case

studies. I suspect my subject and expected outcomes were simply too great for such a limited

project to cause any meaningful, long term change. However, my positive relationship with

DAISY did help her get through the rest of the year and allow her to feel like she could come and

talk to me when she was beginning to experience discomfort (McDaniel, 2011). If she managed

to see me before she had completely shut down, we could often see her through the rest of the

school day. My study may have been more fruitful if I had carried it out in my own classroom
STUDENT LEARNING 4

where I would be given more time to directly interact with the student. I often think about her,

and since this year her parents had chosen to homeschool her, I fear she may be unprepared for

her later attempts at middle school. After talking again with the Instructional Coach and her

classroom teacher, there was no reason that she wasn’t put on an IEP. The parents weren’t

against it, and the homeroom teacher and myself had provided adequate data, but the school year

finished before the meeting could be put into place and the paperwork put in order. The Check-

in Scheck-out system may have been useful as a data tool, but she was not interested in buying-in

to the program (Ruiz, Smith, Naquin, Morgan-D'atrio, & Dellinger, 2014).

If I were to see this presentation of symptoms again in a future classroom, I would not

hesitate to get parents involved early and often. If I felt that the student were not given adequate

attention or supports by the school, of if I felt that the student would be best served by things

implemented in other classrooms (behavioral support strategies, special education tools, etc) I

would either find ways to make them happen within the classroom, or conference with those

educators to find the resources I would need to service that child (Moyse, & Porter, 2015). I

have found that resources can be slim, and so there may be instances where educators and

administrators are hesitant to document and implement strategies for students, worried it may be

a crutch instead of an opportunity for growth, but common sense demands that when a child is

this distressed they are communicating a need that cannot be ignored for the sake of themselves,

their students, and the potential for burn-out from the educators themselves(Tibbetts, 2016).
STUDENT LEARNING 5

References:
Banda, D. R., & Hart, S. L. (2010). Increasing Peer-to-Peer Social Skills through Direct
Instruction of Two Elementary School Girls with Autism. Journal of Research in Special
Educational Needs, 10(2), 124–132. Retrieved from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ885474&site=ehost-live

Dean, M., Kasari, C., Shih, W., Frankel, F., Whitney, R., Landa, R., … Harwood, R. (2014). The
Peer Relationships of Girls with ASD at School: Comparison to Boys and Girls with and
without ASD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(11), 1218–1225. Retrieved
from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1042827&site=ehost-live

Esser, T. H. (2012, January 1). The Impact of Prolonged Participation in a Pro-Social Cognitive
Behavioral Skills Program on Elementary Age Students, with Behavior Related
Disorders, Behavior Accelerative, Behavior Reductive, and Return to Regular Classroom
Outcomes. ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. Retrieved from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=true&db=eric&AN=ED551614&site=ehost-live

King, A. L. (2016). Evaluation of the effectiveness of a check-in check-out behavioral

intervention program in a title I elementary school (Order No. 10146894). Available from
Education Database. (1829547773). Retrieved from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/1829547773?accountid=44766

McDaniel, S. C. (2011). Check, connect, and expect in a self-contained setting for elementary
students with emotional and behavioral disorders (Order No. 3480305). Available from
Education Database. (899269687). Retrieved from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/899269687?accountid=44766

Moyse, R., & Porter, J. (2015). The Experience of the Hidden Curriculum for Autistic Girls at
Mainstream Primary Schools. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 30(2), 187–
201. Retrieved from

Ruiz, M. I., Smith, T. N., Naquin, G. M., Morgan-D'atrio, C., & Dellinger, A. B. (2014).
Assessing the implementation fidelity of check-in check-out behavioral interventions in
elementary and middle schools. Preventing School Failure, 58(1), 42.

Tibbetts, J. A. (2016). Exploratory single case study of elementary educators teaching children
with behavioral outbursts (Order No. 10155726). Available from Education Database.
(1836801666). Retrieved from
https://egan.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/docview/1836801666?accountid=44766
STUDENT LEARNING 6

Supporting Student Behavioral and Social Needs in the Title One Classroom Through

Observation, Dialogic Intervention, and Growth Structures.

Violet R. Brooks

ED626-JD1: Classroom Research

Dr. Elizabeth Hartley: University of Alaska Southeast

05/02/2018
STUDENT LEARNING 7

Abstract

In this research, I studied the effects of a growth mindset, emotional learning, and teacher-

student relationship building on a student exhibiting disruptive and aggressive behaviors on a

fourth-grade Native Alaskan student in a Title One classroom. This research includes surveys,

research notes, and multiple in-class strategies to help the student identify their own moods,

success behaviors, and unsuccessful behaviors. The student is also coached on the growth

mindset vs. fixed mindset, self- esteem, and personal growth. By giving power to the intrinsic

value of education, and by providing supports for the student’s self-esteem, the researcher

observed fewer disruptive behaviors and in an increase in healthier relationships. The

researcher observed a healthier reaction to stress when confronted with change. With the

student appropriately supported and given tools to empower resilience, long-term academic

growth should be sustainable.

Key Words: Growth Mindset, Resilience, Social Emotional Learning, Esteem, Grit.
STUDENT LEARNING 8

Introduction

When observing a local 4th-grade classroom I noticed a student disrupting her peers with

loud bouts of crying, shredding her paper, or crawling under her desk to avoid other students and

her work. Her tablemates were forced to try to ignore her disruptions but found it difficult when

her behaviors would further escalate into slamming her desk into theirs or pounding her pencil

box on the floor loudly enough to drown out their teacher. Because of these outbursts, others

students did not interact with her as they did others within the classroom and she was often

ignored and isolated when it came to recess or gym activities.

Although her testing stated she was at or above grade level, this student was struggling to

adapt to her new environment. I had interacted with the student several times before and had not

observed this kind of hostility. In this study, I wanted to observe and see what her triggers were

so she could gain better self-control, confidence, and interact successfully with her teachers and

peers. I knew it was an ambitious project, given the three-week period, but by laying some

framework and continuing to work outside the given time, I began to see long-term success

outside of the scope of the study.

STUDENT LEARNING 9

Literature Review
For this review of the literature, resources have been broken down into three categories of

expertise. The first is Social Emotional learning (SEL), which focused on the whole scope of

student accomplishment and development. Then addressing the specifics of growth versus fixed

mindset and how it could be implemented in this classroom. Lastly, how these can come

together to help support minority or special education students.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Jones and Doolittle (2017) make great effort to describe the five key points of SEL within

the classroom. In their article the compare the 5 piece CASEL system to their editors 3 pronged

methods. The five key features of ESL appears to be the preferred take on the model since it is

echoed in Bentley’s Coaching Model (2017) and bullet points the five traits as self-awareness,

self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. The

three-piece approach simplifying these to cognitive regulation, emotional regulation, and

emotional processes. For this paper, we will focus on the CASEL system, since different

conceptual frameworks can lead to different research questions, different intervention

approaches, and different choices for measurement in the evaluation.

SEL skills are also malleable, meaning they could be taught and learned. Specifically,

Doolittle encourages a direct instruction approach that could be modified to the classroom and

the school environment. By changing the environment, the rules and expectations of the

classroom and their interactions with students through the SEL model, they could see a change in

other student mindsets as well. Later this research is presented in Greenberg, Domitrovich,

Weissberg, and Durlak (2017) as a public health tool to help increase support and reduce anxiety

within the school and community.

STUDENT LEARNING 10

Method
Participants

The participant is Daisy (name withheld), a 4th-grade Alaskan native girl at a Matanuska-

Susitna Valley Elementary school. I will be interacting with her because she has shown

difficulty interacting with peers, completing tasks, and displaying appropriate classroom

behavior. Daisy’s behavior is often distracting to others and takes time away from her teacher’s

ability to coach the class. Although her classroom is within a school that promotes growth

mindset, Daisy transferred in at the beginning of the year and has not had the scaffolding in the

program that her class-wide peers have.

Observations

Observations will occur in the classroom at least 2-3 times per week during the afternoon

math block in the mid-morning to early afternoon. The time and place of observations are

chosen because math is where Daisy exhibits the most challenging behavior. The math block is

also directly after lunch and recess, giving me as an observer to see, in theory, well-fed students

who have recently had access to exercise.

The protocol will be to enter the class, take notes, and sit with Daisy to one side of the

class. During pre-research time, I have not interacted with the classroom so that I may create

baseline data. Field notes are completed immediately following the observations. My baseline

data supports the claim of social isolation on Daisy’s part. She does not initiate peer interaction,

she actively avoids partner work by refusing to speak or interact with them, she attempts to pull

her desk away from others, and she will shut down entirely or throw things if she is pushed to

participate. The results of this are Daisy being asked to leave the classroom or being sent home

early. I suspect these may not be fruitful consequences for Daisy and that when she is taken

home, that time is not productive on conducive to her becoming a member of the school
STUDENT LEARNING 11

community.

After speaking with another teacher who has her for skills block, some of her behavior

may be due to peer-on-peer interactions happening during recess. Her homeroom teacher also

suspects she may be having negative interactions both in school and at home. I have witnessed

that Daisy appears to be isolated from classmates, not wanting to join others in games or

socialization.

In my notes I have observed her ripping her worksheets, drawing things on her desk,

distracting other students by pushing their things off their desks, slouching down in her desk and

pushing her chair against desks behind her. Her behavior has escalated since returning Daisyom

winter break. I have noted that her breakdowns happen when she is frustrated at not having a

perfect answer, ie: putting the dollar sign behind her money amount, a decimal being in the

wrong place, her answer being off by one or two digits.

A growth mindset may be the best approach to inspire confidence in her abilities,

improve interactions with peers, and demonstrate graceful acceptance of mistakes. The choice

will also be a key tool. When given set expectations, Daisy will initiate a power struggle that can

lead to her meltdowns. She also makes small mistakes in practice but understands the math

concepts well.

To gauge Daisy’s interactions and emotions I had asked her to keep a daily notebook and

to write in it one time that she was frustrated, angry, upset, annoyed, bored, etc. per day. I will

also ask her to assign a number to each day and circle it so that she can self-assess her own

behavior. I want her to become aware of her frustrations and pinpoint them so that we can work

through them. I will also ask her homeroom teacher to give a quick number assessment as I take

scores.
STUDENT LEARNING 12

Daisy demonstrates a paralyzing fear of rejection, so much so that she will try to work

ahead or ignore work. I have noticed that given lots of positive interaction, she will attempt to

interact with the teacher, but not with fellow students. Even if a teacher that she has built a

positive relationship gives Daisy an assignment to partner read, she will refuse to speak. My

initial concern was that she was not a strong reader, but when tested she exceeded her grade level

expectation and exhibited grade appropriate comprehension. I suspect she does not want to

present an opportunity to be corrected by her peers, and so, shuts down to avoid being corrected

should she run across a word she doesn’t know.

In order to confirm or deny my assessment, I will provide Daisy with a survey and ask

her to gauge her responses as she feels they apply to her and her classmates. At this juncture, I

feel I have enough of a personal relationship with Daisy that she will respond to me honestly.

This survey will focus on questions to determine if Daisy believes in a fixed or growth mindset if

she feels she belongs in the classroom if she feels her input is valuable if she can see herself

being successful in the environment, and what things she feels could help the classroom better

support both candidates. To better understand her concept of others within the class, I will ask

her to answer these questions for a fellow classmate who I suspect she may feel neutral towards.

During this first week, I will concentrate on having Daisy use positive self-motivation.

After her survey, I will show her some videos on a positive mindset and growth mindset and

discuss with her the science behind brain growth. Week one will focus on teaching Daisy to feel

and assess her frustrations. I will include her teacher in this as well. When Daisy is exhibiting

signs of annoyance or frustration (slouching in chair, gripping pencil in a fist, pulling desk away

from others, ignoring directions) I will present the notebook and ask her to score her feeling and

choose a face that explains the feeling. After her emotion has passed, we will conference about
STUDENT LEARNING 13

how she felt and why and praise her on how she handled the emotion well. If she did not handle

it well, I will look for positives and ask her how we can do better next time, reminding her that

behavior and mindset are a process.

Week two will focus on saying “I can do this” and becoming a member of the

community. I will have a mini-conference on Monday and ask Daisy about the previous week.

We will conference about classroom community and being a part of a team or group. I will ask

Daisy to see that her behaviors affect those around her as well and that some people need extra

support to do well in a classroom. These supports can be little, like special pencils, or a break

from instruction when it becomes too much.

Before the class begins, Daisy will choose a positive phrase to write in her notebook.

This is her code phrase for when she begins to feel frustrated, for her to identify before it

becomes too much. When Daisy feels herself escalate, she will say this phrase and draw a face

in her book explaining the emotion. I will thank her for sharing her emotions with me and ask

her what it is that is upsetting her. If she is comfortable to share, we will address it through

growth mindset phrases and positive messages to self. If she is not comfortable, we will move to

the back of the room and wait quietly to allow the class to carry on. Should she follow this

procedure, she will be praised for understanding that the best thing for the community was to be

respectful and let them learn while we worked on ourselves.

Week three will focus on listening to others. Again it will begin with conferencing and

modeling of correction behaviors. Daisy and I will watch a video promoting positive peer-on-

peer interactions. I suspect Daisy will want to talk about this and have questions. She has been

treated poorly within her peer network this year (She was picked on for her pants riding low so

much that she now wears her snow pants and coat all day long) and she may want specific ideas
STUDENT LEARNING 14

of how to interact with bullies. This lesson will emphasize that Daisy belongs in the class and

has a right to be there and not feel negative emotions caused on purpose by classmates.

I will ask Daisy to record peer interactions in her notebook this week, good or bad, and

record how they made her feel. She will be able to sit down and tell me about them afterward

and we can discuss what she thinks went well and what might have gone better. By analyzing

her own feelings, and recording them, it should build her confidence and self-esteem within the

classroom. During this time, I will also ask Daisy to record how long she makes eye-contact

with her homeroom teacher. Given research showing how teachers create bias related to

response and eye contact given by students, I feel this may help improve the relationship

between them.

Results and Analysis

Internal validity in this study was accomplished through triangulation, the analysis of

multiple sources of qualitative data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A narrative analysis of

documents, observations, Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) testing data, and field

notes was conducted. I performed both a case study Daisy and a content analysis. I have

presented this in a narrative style to better illustrate the unique challenges of this particular

student. Baseline data has been collected for several weeks before interventions were attempted.

This included classroom observations on Daisy behaviors, peer interactions, and reactions to

attempted positive support from teachers and peers.

Notebooks

Daisy’s notebook was supposed to provide daily feedback on her understanding of her

environment and her behaviors from day to day. This was also to give her a running record of

good or bad behaviors/ interactions that happened during the day. If we saw more negative than
STUDENT LEARNING 15

positive things, we could modify the notebook where she would be expected to describe the who,

what, and why of the moment. Who was there, why was she feeling a certain way, and what had

happened. As we got into weeks two and three, we could look back on the first week and

compare the information as we moved forward.

This ultimately failed. Daisy had no interest in working with the notebook at all. When

asked to draw a picture of how she felt before the lesson, Daisy knocked the notebook onto the

floor. When it was replaced, she did so again and repeated this interaction until the notebook

was placed on the edge of her worktable where she could not reach it. When given time and

space and asked at the end of the math lesson to draw how she felt the lesson went (smile, frown,

maybe a few words) Daisy scribbled so hard on the paper that she ripped it and broke her pencil

lead. When I offered to write for her, Daisy refused to speak. I observed no improvement in the

second or third days. On the fourth, I split the page into two columns labeled “I feel good.” and

“I don’t feel good.” I asked her totally when she recognized herself feeling that way. She did

not. After this first week, I no longer incorporated the notebooks.

Survey

Daisy completed the mindset survey the first day and again on the last day of the

research. We compared the answers she gave for both herself and her peers in the final analysis.

I was interested to see how Daisy felt and how she believed her peers thought and felt. This

survey gave a great deal of insight into her becoming more community-minded near the end of

the process. Initially, Daisy was hostile toward the survey and me. She gave very short,

aggressive answers and refused to answer some questions altogether. Daisy felt that many

people in her class were a student and that the teacher hated her. She stated that she felt she was

smart. She also exhibited a fixed mindset towards herself and her environment. She felt she
STUDENT LEARNING 16

could not change the things around her. I feel moving toward a growth mindset where she feels

she has the ability to change not only herself but her environment, led to a boost in her self-

esteem and some of her positive responses to the exit survey.

Weekly Conferences

Weekly conferences gave Daisy and me a chance to introduce new growth principles and

reflect on how she felt about the previous week. His usually meant me asking Daisy if she felt

her week had been successful and to name a time things went well and another time things did

not go well. We spent these times discussing how they could improve in the future and

proposing things we thought might help her identify and cope with her feelings. These

interactions would take place during her lunchtime which was directly before her math block.

There was a private office available so we were not interrupted and Daisy was able to

communicate without distractions. Video materials used during these conferences were

approved by the school counselor and took approximately 5-10 minutes. Discussions followed,

during which Daisy was encouraged to ask questions.

Daisy was reluctant to do so, until given 2-4 minutes of silence, then she would quietly

mumble. Over time, she grew more comfortable and more talkative. These conferences were

low pressure, allowing Daisy to have almost complete control over the conversation. This open-

ended format gave Daisy agency and freedom to express her ideas without the fear of reproach.

When Daisy would mention things she was unhappy within the classroom (i.e. an in-

school suspension) I would ask her to explain how she had been feeling and to think about when

she started to feel bad, or mad, or angry, or frustrated. Initially, I kept a feeling chart on the table,

but Daisy stated it was something “for babies” and so I removed it to make the space more

comfortable for her. She was more confident in describing her emotions and thoughts near the
STUDENT LEARNING 17

end of the study, and I began to observe her reacting more positively to the attempts of her

classmates to help her. For example, when a desk mate saw her becoming upset and scribbling

on her worksheet, he got her a nice clean piece of white paper for her to focus her attention on. I

was tempted to introduce the notebooks again for this purpose but wanted to encourage these

positive interactions between herself and her classmates.

In week three, I also observed her willingly picking a partner to work with during math

class. A few weeks after the study, Daisy has begun to dress more casually by no longer wearing

her sweatpants and parka indoors. Daisy is responding better and better to correction from

teachers; no longer shutting down when asked to make a correction, no longer crawling under

her desk to cry, and she has not been suspended in the last few weeks. I continued my supports

and encouraging other staff to increase positive reactions with Daisy, including going out of their

way to welcome her when possible.

Discussion
Can structured support and introduction of growth mindset techniques help a native

student be more successful in a title one school? My data is linked to the psychological and

emotional growth of Daisy, who was a struggling elementary school student who felt isolated

and attacked when corrected within the classroom. With the limited control, we had over her

time spent out of the school, we could only focus on the factors within our sphere. By providing

her the time to analyze her own behavior and provide a support system that allowed her to feel

valued, she was enabled to trust her own feelings and gain confidence within the classroom and

in peer interactions. The greatest issue here was the tiny time frame for research and multiple

interruptions to the process i.e., state testing, spring break, suspensions, student absences, and
STUDENT LEARNING 18

teacher absences. We saw small, but meaningful, improvement within the given time frame, but

the student has continued to grow exponentially outside of the time permitted.

These meaningful supports have allowed Daisy to feel important within her classroom

and empowered her to reach out to the people around her and begin to build trust with other

students. We see her interacting more often with others, asking questions independently in class,

speaking up so that she can be heard, and receiving re-direction without meltdowns. She smiles

more often and accepts compliments without negative remarks.

Daisy also began to seek out staff within her support group, though is still hesitant to talk

about her own feelings. She had begun to ask for affection now, like hugs or would show off

something she is proud of for positive re-enforcement. After the study ended, we have observed

her interacting, with less and less resistance, to peer work and oral reading assignments. Daisy

continued to have occasional bouts of defiance, but these rarely escalate to having to be removed

from the classroom.

As the study concluded, Daisy was beginning to recognizing the importance of a ‘not yet,

but soon’ mindset. I had to be careful of how information was presented since she wanted to be

treated like an adult to achieve best results. If Daisy felt I was treated her like a child or talking

down to her, she would immediately shut down and no longer respond to any prompts or

questions. This growth mindset is helping her to identify choices in her everyday behavior, such

as choosing to do her work or choosing to sit on the floor and pout.

Daisy was a student that seemed to be blooming under this empowerment model. In her

exit interview, she stated that before she always felt she didn’t have any choices, that she had to

do things because she would ‘get in trouble’. With her budding new mindset, she understands

that poor choices are still choices and that in refusing to work or follow not follow directions, she
STUDENT LEARNING 19

is choosing the consequence that follows. I believe, long term, this may soften her defiant

attitude towards people she feels have authority over her by allowing her to see that she had the

power to choose, and she chose the consequence.

Conclusion:
It is easy to assume when entering a classroom that all students require the same things

from their schools. That they are safe at home, well fed, and feel pride and love. In many cases,

this isn’t true. As class sizes rise and budgets are cut, it will become increasingly more difficult

to recognize the needs of individuals, and it can feel like an impossible hurdle to provide the

environments required to meet the needs of students who exhibit extreme behaviors. In the case

of Daisy, it took the entirety of the 4th grade’s teachers, students, and specialists, along with

councilors and myself to help Daisy trust in her environment enough to grow.

Going forward, we will need to continue to build trust with her and help others who

experience her same struggles and emotions to understand where boundaries are and why they

exist. With her preclusions to defiance, the more authority we can give her and the better her

opportunities to feel self-empowered, the most smoothly her elementary experience will be, and

the easier her transition to middle school. With her likelihood of moving, I am continuing to

push for self-reliance and self-advocacy so that if she does move to a second school over the

summer, she will have strategies to help her adapt to her new surroundings and skills to build a

new community there. With Daisy, she knows what she wants, but she still struggles to voice

that need appropriately.

It cannot be understated how much her future relies on her ability to change. We have

adopted several behavioral support strategies with an emphasis on personal relationships and

respect. As we have worked on her support group post-research, she can continue to show

improvement academically. Homework has been returning more often, class work is being
STUDENT LEARNING 20

completed without argument, and she is becoming more vocal with how and when she would

like to work.

I must emphasize, this is not about ‘normalizing’ Daisy. She is her own person and will

be a powerhouse. She is tenacious when she sets her mind to a task. She is clever and can

readily identify ways to get the things she wants. Every step in the process so far, and going

forward, is presented as a way to move Daisy towards success in the real world. By providing

the tools we have, we want to improve her resilience, but also taught her to network and build

her own communities. We are slowly removing the “me vs. them” mentality that had put her so

deeply into isolation. It is breathtaking to see her transformation in just these few short months.

I look forward to seeing her become so much more in the future.

 STUDENT LEARNING 21

References

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STUDENT LEARNING 24

Appendix A

Introduction and Exit Survey

1.) What would you like to be when you grow up?

2.) Do you think (occupation) make a lot of mistakes?

3.) Do you think (occupation) has to work with other people often?

4.) Do you think people are just born smart, or do you think they can become smart?

5.) Who do you think is the most successful person in your class?

6.) Why do you think they do so well?

7.) Do you think you are successful in your classroom?

8.) Is there a way you can think of that would help you do better?

9.) What is your favorite thing to learn about in school?

10.) What do you hate to learn about in school?

11.) Who are your favorite people to hang out with in class?

12.) Who would you never want to sit next to? Why?

13.) How do you think people get better at things they like?

14.) Do you think people know everything there is to know about (favorite thing).

15.) What do you think people should do if they are wrong about something?

16.) If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

17.) If you make a mistake, what’s the best thing to do?

18.) If someone tries their best and works very hard, do you think they could become better at

whatever they set their mind to?

STUDENT LEARNING 25

DAISY Entry Response:

1.) What would you like to be when you grow up? A scientist.

2.) Do you think (occupation) make a lot of mistakes? “No. Cuz when they do, people get hurt.”

3.) Do you think (occupation) has to work with other people often? “No, they just work in labs

and make stuff happen.”

4.) Do you think people are just born smart, or do you think they can become smart? “I don’t

know.”

5.) Who do you think is the most successful person in your class? “No one.”

6.) (What) do you think (someone can do to be successful)? “Not die.”

7.) Do you think you are successful in your classroom? “No. My teacher is boring.”

8.) Is there a way you can think of that would help you do better? “No.”

9.) What is your favorite thing to learn about in school? “Science, and Math.”

10.) What do you hate to learn about in school? “Reading.”

11.) Who are your favorite people to hang out with in class? Mumbled answer. Did not reply.

12.) Who would you never want to sit next to? Why? No answer.

13.) How do you think people get better at things they like? No answer.

14.) Do you think people know everything there is to know about (favorite thing). Rufusal.

15.) What do you think people should do if they are wrong about something? “Nothing.”

16.) If you could go anywhere, where would you go? No answer.

17.) If you make a mistake, what’s the best thing to do? “Throw it away.”

18.) If someone tries their best and works very hard, do you think they could become better at

whatever they set their mind to? “No.”

STUDENT LEARNING 26

DAISY: Exit Interview

1.) What would you like to be when you grow up? “Scientist”

2.) Do you think (occupation) make a lot of mistakes? “Yeah. Remember they messed up all

those dinosaur bones. And when they didn’t wash their hands?”

3.) Do you think (occupation) has to work with other people often? “Yeah. In the labs.”

4.) Do you think people are just born smart, or do you think they can become smart? “I think

you can get smarter, but you’re always going to be dumb or smart.”

5.) Who do you think is the most successful person in your class? “C, she has good grades and

stuff.”

6.) Why do you think they do so well? “She’s really smart. She always gets the problems

right.”

7.) Do you think you are successful in your classroom? “No. I the teacher hates me, she always

says I’m wrong.”

8.) Is there a way you can think of that would help you do better? “I need a better teacher.”

9.) What is your favorite thing to learn about in school? “Science.”

10.) What do you hate to learn about in school? “Reading. We never read anything good.”

11.) Who are your favorite people to hang out with in class? “No one.”

12.) Who would you never want to sit next to? Why? “H is really bossy. I don’t like her.”

13.) How do you think people get better at things they like? “They read about them and do

them.”

14.) Do you think people know everything there is to know about (favorite thing)? “Yeah, cus

they like it, so they work on it.”

15.) What do you think people should do if they are wrong about something? “Give up.”
STUDENT LEARNING 27

16.) If you could go anywhere, where would you go? “Home. I don’t like it here.”

17.) If you make a mistake, what’s the best thing to do? “Ignore it until I feel better, then try to

fix it.”

18.) If someone tries their best and works very hard, do you think they could become better at

whatever they set their mind to? “They have to try really hard if they’re bad at it, or if they’re

just dumb and not good at remembering things.”

 STUDENT LEARNING 28

Appendix B

Examples of Student Work

Figure 2: Bell Work, ripped out vocab list.

Figure 1: DAISY was corrected on the first page Teacher re-assembled with tape and asked
and while the group was receiving instruction, DAISY to complete.
flipped to the last page and began scribbling.
STUDENT LEARNING 29

Figure 3: DAISY First Returned Test scored 20/28 due to

minor miscalculations. Tore up the test bottom,
scribbled out answers. Accepted some help in solving
27a (see my writing). DAISY does not show her work
because she "hates explaining herself to adults".
STUDENT LEARNING 30

Figure 4 DAISY appeared to be in a good mood today. When I asked her to write neatly so I
could more easily read it, she followed through. Notice the tiny, almost illegible handwriting
on the second line of "Read the Problem".