Education Assignment

Alignment: Understanding Your Students

Directions

This is the third of four activities you will need to complete for this section. It is important that you complete the activities in the appropriate order. If you have not already completed Activities 1 and 2, please stop now and complete them before you engage in this one.

This activity will require you to schedule a time to eat lunch with each of the challenging students independently. Depending on the grade level and lunch schedule of your school, this may be a challenge in itself. You may need to arrange with another teacher to cover your class or switch schedules for a day. To be most effective, this activity should be repeated twice with each student.

Begin this activity by scheduling a time to eat lunch with one of the three challenging students identified in the first activity. We recommend that you locate an area in the cafeteria, the commons area, or your own classroom where you can dialogue with the student without the influence of the student’s peers (If you are in your own classroom, keep the door open). Your goal during lunch is not to talk about you, but to listen to the student. Use question primers to encourage conversation. This activity is not easy. Challenging students will often try to avoid conversation with you and may become defensive. It is always important to consider the students and their comfort zones. When students resist sharing information, recognize the validity of their feelings, and resist pushing for more dialogue.
After the lunch, record your observations on the website.

Complete for Student 1:

• First name:
• What does this student like/dislike?
• Academic strengths:
• Least favorite subject:
• Student 1 reflection regarding school, his or her academic progress, and what he or she sees as impeding success: