Developing my Wondering based on Data

• I would have to say that my favorite part about interning in the classroom, would be collecting and organizing the data that I get from my teachers and observing the student. To me, it's like every piece of data I find is another clue into why students behave the way they do in the classroom. I am very interested in how the classroom environment, organization, and management all effect the students in the classroom. I have realized that even with the best classroom methods and strategies, sometimes the student's home life affects them in a way that leaves teachers' hands tied. Even if we cannot necessarily change the environment that our students live in, it is always the best feeling when we see the slightest change in them in our classroom when we perservere in using affected methods and strategies that we acquire through our own wonderings in how to make the class as a whole run more smoothly and effectively.

With that being said, over the past few weeks from the beginning of the school year to now, I have been collecting data about my students, individually and as a whole class. I started this semester in collecting data about the whole class. This includes information about the students academic information which gives information about their behavior, social skills, whether they are ELL or ESE, and if they have speech difficulties. This is all information from their teachers from kindergarten. This was given to their first grade teachers so that they could have more information about the students coming into their classrooms. After the first week of school, Ms. Coker and I (my co-intern), conducted a student interest survey so that we could understand things about our students like their favoritet subject, what they want to be when they grow up, and what they like to do when they are home. We chose a survey that was very simple and limited that only gave the students limited options. I believe that Ms. Coker and I will collect for in-depth surveys as the year goes on. We have already conducted one survey on one of the more disruptive students in the classroom to see where he feels more comfortable learning. Another type of data that I have collect would be the procedures used in the classroom. This includes how they transition, how the teachers get the students attention, and how they have the student in the classroom to certain tasks or jobs. For example, the teacher has each desk in the desk groups numbered from 1-4 and she will pick a number to distribute the materials for the math or science lessons. Also, they teachers use a clip system so that the stdents know howo there behavior is for the day. They are ablel to place their clip higher on the chart of they show improvment or are doing exceedingly well that day. Daily, I am able to get data about which students are repeatedly are on "yellow" or "red" and what students stay on green or blue or purple. This helps me focus on what students are having continuous difficulies in the classroom.

Aside from whole classroom data, in my data binder, I am starting to accumilate information about individuals within the classroom. The obvious students with the most difficulty in the classroom are the easiest to collect continous data on, but I want to also start collecting data on students who are more quiet in the classroom, who has mutiple emotional breakdowns within a week, and those who are just seem to be floating in the middle with little or no improvment. I am starting to collect information about students such as their strengths, what they struggle with and the date that they have shown improvment. As I have said earlier, I plan on sitting with individual students to hear their opinions on what they prefer in the classroom and how they feel they learn best. With some of the more difficult students, I have already started collecting observational data on them. I see when the student gets up, durinig what subject, when they are having behavioral problems and when, and what the teacher is doing to deviate the situation. This will give me insight on when to start a strategy before a particular student has a chance to act out in class. I have learned this way of observing and writing down data based on my inquiry from last year on my individual student.

Based on the data I have collected so far, I realize that most ofthe student who are causing the most disruptions in class or that have the most difficulties are the ones who have ADHD and it is more often when they are not on their medicine. Also, those students who tend to hav problems in the classroom are the older students. The students who are more queit and not as engaged in the classroom would be the Spanish or ELL students. Most of the disruptions or unengagement happen when the students feel like they are not being seen by the teachers, whether that be when they are at their desks or at centers. I see these claims intersect because this gives me information about when and why the students behave the way they do. I would like to make improvements as a teacher that will make every student feel like they are getting my attention at all times within the classroom, even when I am preoccupied with other students or if I am working with a small group.

This ultimately leads me to making my wondering to lead towards my inquiry, I am wondering what extra support could be given to my, disruptive, distracted, unengaged, and emotional students to help them behaviorally in the classroom.This could range from what methods I could change as a teacher that will help the whole classroom, to finding stratgies to help individual students so that the whole class can run smoothly.