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Student Observations

Jolene Sevy

Department of Education, College of Western Idaho

EDUC 230: Intro to Special Education

Mrs. Natalie Tau

May 5, 2021
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Student Observations

Introduction

As a general education teacher, the phrase, “prepare for anything,” can never be taken too

lightly. On any day, a student can walk through the doors of the classroom and present unique

and difficult challenges that must be swiftly met by the general education teacher. Often, the first

step to bettering the direct response and education of these students is to fill out a BELTS

observation tool. BELTS stands for behavior, emotions, thoughts, learning, and social

relationships. All of these factors are important to the student’s ability to function in a classroom,

and it is the job of the teacher to recognize and categorize each factor. On April 29th, 2021, I had

the pleasure of observing a fourth-grade student who was an avid reader and fantastic at

individual schoolwork. He did, however, struggle in group discussions and did not attempt to

socialize with his fellow peers. During my introduction to Tim, I was able to identify his

strengths and needs, as well as analyze his overall behavior, to create strategies that can be

implemented to assist Tim in his educational journey.

General Description

Tim is a nine year old who is enrolled in a general education classroom. He appears to be

a bit below average height with minimal muscle development, however,Tim is able to perform

all physical activities and does not require any assistance in his daily routine. He loves to read

and lives with his dad, mom, and older brother. At home, Tim spends a good amount of time

alone in his room, where he can be found either reading or watching movies. Both of Tim’s

parents work, and they confess to not having much time on Saturdays to enroll Tim in any
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athletic activities. They both worry that Tim is not socializing enough with other people, even in

the familiar environment of his home (KidsMatterAustralia, Case study (Tim) - part three, 2015).

Tim is also relatively new to the school where he was observed. His class size was

around 20 to 30 students, and the teacher had yet to set any strategies into place that would assist

in Tim’s development due to his newness in her classroom. What really worried the teacher and

staff was the fact that Tim had yet to form a friendship at the school, and they worried that this

could keep him from fully settling in at the school (KidsMatterAustralia, Case study (Tim) - part

two, 2015). Tim is a bright student that prefers to be in solitude, and I hope to understand why

this is, and what actions can be taken to help him develop.

Strengths and Needs

On paper, Tim is a wonderful student with few mistakes and above-average skills in

reading comprehension. He cares about the quality of his work and does his best on every

assignment. While the general education teacher is speaking, Tim seems to be a great listener,

giving them his full attention. His drive to perform well in school allows him to be self-

motivated, taking a personal interest in his educational growth. His cognitive development is

caught between Piaget’s preoperational stage and his concrete-operational stage. In academics,

Tim is able to sort through and categorize his knowledge in order to produce excellent written

work (Lightfoot et al., 2018). He can make concrete inferences based on information that he is

given. In these examples, Tim’s strengths seem to be abundant; when taking into account his

social skills, I was able to see the areas of need in Tim.

Socialization is Tim’s greatest area of need. In any situation where Tim is faced with

large-group communication, he becomes overwhelmed and either shrinks into himself or lashes
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out. These actions prohibit valuable interactions that would help Tim raise himself fully into

Piaget’s concrete-operational stage. Instead of realizing that every person has unique ways of

thinking and viewing the world, Tim is egocentric (Lightfoot et al., 2018). He believes that his

thoughts and ideas should be shared by the adults and peers around him, and emotions

overwhelm him when this is not the case. This may be seen best in group work situations. Tim

attempts to share his ideas and is ignored and talked over. Tim lashed out when he realized that

the group was wanting to go in a different direction than he did, and his inability to make them

see his way seemed to upset him more than getting ignored did (KidsMatterAustralia, Case study

(Tim) - part one, 2015). Tim’s socialization and behavioral needs worry his general education

teacher, as well as other staff members in the school and Tim’s parents.

Behavior

In a conference with his parents, Tim’s general education teacher described actions of

Tim’s that seemed most concerning to her. These included not interacting with peers, banging on

the desks, sudden outbursts, and throwing small objects (KidsMatterAustralia, Case study (Tim)

- part three, 2015). Using the BELTS observation tool, I was able to draw the conclusion that

Tim’s emotions often overwhelm him in crowds, and this is the cause for his variety of

behaviors. Tim likes to perform solitary activities because he can control the situation and

outcome. Adding people into his sphere of control throws him off balance, creating high

emotions that can lead to poor decision making and actions.

Tim is currently in Erikson’s fourth stage of development: Industry vs. Inferiority. During

his individual classwork, Tim is industrious. He takes control of his education by reading avidly,

as well as taking great care to produce quality schoolwork. In the social aspect of education, it is
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easy to see Tim fall into Erikson’s side of inferiority, rather than industry (Lightfoot et al., 2018).

While communicating, Tim feels invisible and off balanced. He may find it easier to avoid

socializing altogether than to face the feeling of being inferior to his peers. It is no wonder that

Tim preferred written words over oral when he has such a strong sense of confidence with one,

and self-doubt with the other.

Strategy Suggestions

Tim does not internalize his difficulties when it comes to his discomfort in groups, and

his outbursts have led me to believe that he may have a behavior disorder. It is difficult to

diagnose students with behavior disorders because there is no set test that can say definitely one

way or another, however, Tim’s consistent actions of frustration when in social situations has led

me to form my belief (Kirk et al., 2015). Although his actions have been minor thus far, it is

important for his safety, as well as the safety of the other students, that positive behavior

interventions and supports are put into place to help Tim. This accommodation will be vital in

helping Tim develop more positive reactions to situations, and the teacher must begin the process

by starting conversations with the student about what causes his outbursts (Kirk et al., 2015).

Involving the other staff members at the school, as well as Tim’s parents, in this support system

can allow for a positive growth environment in which Tim can begin to improve his social

abilities, as well as find positive reactions to his overwhelmed emotions.

One teaching strategy that can help support Tim’s learning and social development is to

provide social support. Adding personal share time at the beginning of every day could help Tim

gain confidence in group conversations when he is allowed a set time to talk, and his peers sit

and listen. Tim may also be able to better understand the unique thoughts and ideas of
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individuals, allowing him to lose his egocentric tendencies over time. I would also create a set

format to group work and conversation. Making students use talking sticks can eliminate issues

when it comes to students talking over other students, and not listening to each voice. Tim would

be able to discuss his thoughts and ideas thoroughly, and a sense of control might be attained

when creating a structured environment in group conversations. Finally, I suggest adding

organized activities to the recess time, in which Tim would be encouraged to join. If an adult

supervises the activities, a sense of control can be maintained by Tim, and hopefully there can be

growth in his socialization skill as a result.

Conclusion

Through Tim’s needs and potential behavioral disorder, shines wonderful strengths and

abilities that make him a great student to have in any classroom. It is my hope that implementing

the various teaching strategies and accommodations will assist Tim in achieving academic

growth, as well as social. It is impossible to force a child to suddenly make friends with others,

or make them talk when they are not comfortable. This is why Tim’s cooperation is essential to

his success. Progress will happen with everyone pulling on the same side, and it is up to the

teacher, staff, and parents to help Tim find the strength and confidence to start pulling on his

side, and not pushing.

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References

KidsMatterAustralia. (2015). Case study (Tim) - part one. [YouTube Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkClqz0weW4.

KidsMatterAustralia. (2015). Case study (Tim) - part three. [YouTube Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkClqz0weW4.

KidsMatterAustralia. (2015). Case study (Tim) - part two. [YouTube Video].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkClqz0weW4.

Kirk, S. A., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. R. (2015). Educating exceptional children (14th ed.).

Cengage Learning.

Lightfoot, C., Cole, M. R., & Cole, S. (2018). The development of children (8th ed.). Worth

Publishers.