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Problem and Perspectivces on the Problem
The Problem
Juan is a 6-year-old Kindergarten student. It has became very apparent
to
Juan’s teacher that he is more advanced than his classmates.
She often displays frustration that he is slow to respond to her instructions,
even though she is confident that he understands her and can do the
work required. Juan hesitates to speak up in class because he feels
ashamed that he can not speak as well as his native English classmates.
Juan’s teacher would like the input of the “stakeholders”
in Juan’s education to see if they can come up with a solution
to help him through this stumbling block.
Perspectives on the Problem
His Parents
“As Juan’s parents we feel that the teacher is being too
hard on him because he is not fluent in English. When he gets a bad
grade or the teacher corrects him in front of the class, we feel that
this might be discouraging to him. We want the teacher to correct
him, but not in front of the whole class. We also know that he is
discouraged by the teacher’s curt comments to him. We want him
to feel that his is like all of the other students. We are working
very hard with him and we need to know what more we can do at home
to help him. We want him to become more fluent in his English, so
he won’t feel different than his classmates at school.”
His Kindergarten Teacher
“My concern, as Juan’s teacher, is that if I don’t
correct him like everyone else, then he won’t know what he has
done wrong. Also, if I am giving a lesson and I wait to correct him,
then the moment will be lost and he won’t understand what I
am correcting him about. When I do correct him or try to give him
help one-on-one help, he just shuts down. He feels everyone is watching
him. If we could make him understand that he is not the only student
that I give extra help to, then maybe he won’t be so stubborn
to accept it. If he is not comfortable accepting assistance in the
presence of the class, then perhaps he should spend time at he Learning
Resource Center to get extra help in a more private setting. I also
would like the Learning Resource Teacher to test his intelligence
and comprehension levels. Although Juan is reluctant to ask questions
or respond to me verbally, he shows a very high level of understanding
in science and math. Even though he is usually quiet, he has occasional
outbursts of chattiness or restlessness. I think he is bored with
the lesson and frustrated with his lack of confidence to communicate
this in English”
The ESOL Teacher
“I feel that Juan’s teacher should give him more time
to finish his work, but not in a way that the other kids might notice.
I also think that the Resource Center is an excellent way for Juan
to improve his English in a smaller setting. He can also finish any
work there without the time pressures present in the classroom. His
teacher can collect his work along with the rest of the class, then
he could spend 30-45 minutes at the Resource Center completing his
assignments. There he can get extra help from the Resource Teacher.
I would suggest that spend three afternoons a week in the Resource
Center and the remaining two afternoons in extra language sessions
with me. There are also some additional activities that we can send
home with Juan, since his parents are so willing to give him the necessary
attention at home. There are many English Language Learner resources
available, through the school, that his parents can check out for
home use. The Resource Center provides an excellent opportunity for
the parents and students to bridge the gap between home and school.
Also, our Resource Center Teacher has qualifications to work with
gifted students. Since his teacher feels that Juan shows a high level
of intelligence, she can take Juan through the available tests to
see what his actual intelligence level is. I feel this will be a great
learning opportunity for Juan.”
The School Counselor
“I feel that Juan doesn’t need any counseling. I agree
with the classroom teacher and the ESOL teacher that the Resource
Center will give Juan exactly the help that he needs to help build
his self-esteem and assess the possibility that he should be in a
gifted ESOL program”.
The School Principal
“I feel Juan would greatly benefit all of the programs that
we have to offer through our Learning Resource Center. I believe that
it will work well for Juan, if everyone involved stays on top of their
area. As a team, we can get to the root of Juan’s issues and
bring his true academic and social self to the surface. I suggest
having another meeting the middle of the grading period and one at
the end to assess Juan’s progress.”
--For more information about Gifted and Talented
Minority Language Students, visit the following websites:
http:/www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/giftedandminoritylang.html
http:/www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed321485.html
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