Anna Matykowski
Carleton College Educational Studies Philosophy of Education Resume Subject Matter Competence Service Learning Component Working with Parents Integrating Technology Experiential Learning in Classrooms American Indian Education Case Study of a Student Model Lesson Plan/ Performance Packages Self-Reflection Pieces/ Professional Summary Student Teaching Observation Record	CASE STUDY DeAndre* is an African American boy who is a seventh grader at New Spirit Middle School. At the age of 13, DeAndre already towers over his classmates and some of his teachers. He has an athletic, commanding stature which helps him excel on the basketball court and football field. Like many of his male classmates, DeAndre dreams of suiting up for an NFL football team in the future. In class, DeAndre's behavior was unpredictable and impulsive. On any given day, DeAndre would come into class and act like a model student. On these days, he volunteered to act out scenes from the novel, read paragraphs to the class, or passionately shared his ideas about “Get Back,” a blues song about racial discrimination. DeAndre's “bad” days contrasted drastically with his studious behaviors. On these days, DeAndre’s moody temperament regulated his behavior. For instance, DeAndre occasionally felt too depressed or tired to lift his head from his desk. His emotional behavior was also impulsive and violent. One time, DeAndre exploded in class because I told him that he could not get a drink until he made more progress on his work. DeAndre responded by yelling and slamming his hand on his desk. When I gave him a warning, he took his novel and threw it violently at the whiteboard. After reflecting on these outbursts, I decided that I needed to capitalize on DeAndre’s “good” days to strengthen our student-teacher relationship. When these opportunities arose, I positively reinforced his good ideas by complimenting him and by giving him the opportunity to lead his classmates. For instance, I asked him to record his classmates’ examples on the whiteboard during a discussion. My approach had successful long term effects. After several months of working together, DeAndre would usually respond to a warning with an apology, rather than a tantrum. I also helped DeAndre overcome his moodiness more quickly. For example, one day DeAndre had a small outburst during a poetry writing activity. After he calmed down, I went over to his desk and read his poem. It was quite good, so I complimented his work and asked him to share it with the class during discussion. DeAndre’s face immediately brightened, and he was back on track for the remainder of class. Teaching DeAndre has taught me that student-teacher relationships are the most important component of classroom management. As soon as we developed a respectful relationship, the severity of DeAndre’s behaviors decreased, and he began to take more responsibility for his actions. *Name changed