UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School
ANGEL HUERTAS Case Study PRACTICE OBSERVER MARITZA REYES
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School
may/nineteen/TWO-THOUSAND FIFTEEN.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages I. Demographic Data..................................................................................
II. Justification............................................................................................. ..
III. Hypothetic Account................................................................................
IV. Work Plan One.......................................................................................
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School
V. Analysis of Student's Situation................................................................
VI. Work Plan Two........................................................................................
VII. Final Reactions.......................................................................................
VIII. Appendix...............................................................................................
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School
I.
Demographic Data
The student Joldan Ramos Mercado was born December 29, 2002, so he's 14 years of age. And, yes, his name is spelled with an “l”. He currently studies in the Pedro Rivera Molina School located in the municipality of Juncos, Puerto Rico.
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He's in the 7 grade. Joldan is a kid that suffers from Hemosiderosis and Sickle Cell Anemia. Its manifestation is similar to that Gary Coleman (child actor from 70s/80s Diff'rent Strokes) suffered from. So when you see Joldan, you immediately notice something different about him- at barely 4 feet of height, he draws your attention. Hemosiderosis leads to is the overload of iron and this could affect his liver greatly and leads to great fatigue because of possible over bleeding within the lungs. This limits his physical exercise. At times he will be hyperactive and others he will be rather still. He’s also ADHD. The days he’s “at peace”- you can tell he’s medicated. This helps yet it doesn’t because he’s in a dull state. He closes up
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School and doesn’t want to do much.
At the moment Joldan lives with his mom and stepdad in Las Parcelas Nuevas de Valenciano in the municipality San Lorenzo in Puerto Rico. His stepdad's name is Jose Javier Cabrera Aponte. He works in construction. His mother's name is Awilda Mercado Reyes. She works as a housewife. His biological father's name is Luis Rafael Ramos Arroyo. He's currently in prison since December 2014.
Joldan enjoys playing baseball (at a slow pace because of his condition) and also walking his horse. He seems to really enjoy horses, as he talks about it somewhat frequently. Joldan has had a bit of a rough road. During some time last year, he had to wear a catheter in his chest- due to his delicate condition at that time.
II.
Justification
Since my very first day at the Practice Center, Pedro Rivera Molina School- meeting Joldan
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School was a fascinating experience. He's very relational. In the sense that he curiously approaches that and which he doesn't know. In that moment, it was me. He didn’t seem the slightest bit shy. As he first encountered me, there was little to no sense of reserve from his behalf. He seemed somewhat social. And, needless to say, I found his height intriguing. Later I found out about his health condition via my Coop Teacher, Ms. Viera and later confirmed by his “Salon Recurso” teacher.
During the first few days I observed that Joldan enjoys being the center of attention. So he seeks this somehow. I kind of related with this (internal laughter). First time I saw him, he brought a small container with “Play-Doh”. That was one of my first visual interactions with him. I saw a kid seeking to keep himself entertained with a piece of play-doh. He didn't seem like he was too far off ignoring the teacher, but he was obviously having a little “solo fun time” on his own. I have noticed he's very hands on. The attention-seeking factor could go both ways, “constructively or distractively”.
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Some time ago I was speaking to the class about the Golden Rule. I made the following disclaimer: “As I speak to you guys, I am not attempting to preach or be preachy”. I used Joldan as an example for an exercise and I put my hand on his head and he started speaking in “parody tongues”. I couldn't help but bite my tongue because I wanted to laugh so hard. Later, after class I found out he used to attend a Pentecostal church. It's a fascinating experience to get to know and unveil some of your students. It's perspectivegaining. The few interactions I had with little Joldan, led me to think he'd be an excellent candidate for a Case Study. At the very least, it would be an interesting case. He also seemed very willing to engage with me in conversation and constructive dialogue. It just seemed right.
III.
Hypothetic Account
Joldan isn't that different from children his age. Apart from his condition and all, seeing him and making a comparison between him and others, they4 are rather similar. They want to
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School engage and be challenged. Though at times one might be tempted to “diagnose” making a blanket statement over all and say, they're just lazy. So one must be careful not to do this and be willing to handle each student on a case to case basis.
As time went by, and I observed him during different classes of the week, led me to think he'll engage as long as you don't lecture him as though you would a College Student (and even at that university stage- probably not pedagogically efficient either). So, I have to try to keep away from prolonged monologues. I noticed (this might be obvious- considering his age), he's a very visual kid. He really engages in class when a visual element is drawn out to partake class with. He participates way more. Nevertheless, this could change if he’s all “drugged up”. Those days I’ve noticed he shells up and interacts very little. That includes interaction with both, me as the teacher and his peers. Lectures, monologues, sermons- simply aren't very effective. Another thing I’ve noticed is that he tends to underestimate his parameters and capacity to understand the English language. And, I know this because
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School
of how he responds “to the punch” at times to stuff I say in English. Don't know if that's premeditated or unintentional. I am still aiming to figure that out. That's not an isolated scenario though. Some other students tend to do the same. Meanwhile, I’ve also realized other's genuinely “no entienden ni pío”, so I can’t be quick to judge. Joldan needs to be active. He's an active learner and therefore working tedious and monotone teaching styles will not work with him or many for that matter.
I reckon he probably has gotten away “with murder” at times because of his “cute” size and health condition. He tends to interrupt class at times, many times and on top of that he can be rather cheeky with it. My theory is that he has been able to do this for a long period of time and consequently he’s become a bit spoiled. He fails to see the criticality behind thoughtless and pointless disruptions or drawing attention to himself for the mere boredom’s sake. I resist believing he does it with malevolent motives. Some students are likely to do so, but I don't
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School think that's his case. So, again, his classroom history seems a bit like one of a spoiled kid. I could be very wrong about this, but this is my anticipated theory.
IV.
Work Plan One
Weeks
Date
Fifth Week
[Tues.Feb.10]
Activity
Reason
Contacts
Notes
Informal Talk
Want to get learn Joldan Ramos
Get some insight
with Joldan
about himself,
of his condition
Ramos.
family, things he
from himself in
enjoys doing and
his own words.
his relationship
Learned he likes
with peers.
sports, but can’t play fully because of his condition.
Sixth Week
[Wed.Feb.18]
Meet up
He was
Evi León
conversation with somewhat
With this information I
Joldan’s Special class.
was able to do my
Educator (Salon
own research and educate myself on the
Recurso). [Fri.Feb.20]
gave me the different diagnoses he has.
Evy Leon. She’s disruptive in
Sixth Week
It was insightful. She
matter
Informal talk with
He was
Joldan again.
somewhat
This time after
disruptive in
noticing slight
class.
behavioral issues.
Joldan Ramos
It was somewhat insightful. I kind of knew what I'd discover. Joldan is overall a pretty good student. He volunteers a lot and enthusiastically
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School participates as much as he can, but he has days like today-which I’m aiming to work on.
Eighth Week
[Thu.Mar.2]
Informally Meet
Get an inside
w/Coop Teacher look at what her Teacher Viera
experience with
Joretssie Viera
I realized that she over-stigmatized him as a problem and I’m glad I met with him
him has been
before. There were
like
some things I had already realized, but she seemed somewhat biased.
V.Analysis of Student's Situation From the information and observations I've informally and formally gathered in the last couple weeks, I have to conclude that my hypothesis in this case is somewhat pertinent and accurate. Though I cannot and will not say I have totally explained this young boy's reasons for being the way he is. His condition could have some relation to his conduct. Not directly, but as a subsequent manifestation of the “ay bendito” he gets at times from some of his teachers. His ADHD doesn’t help much. Why? Because they “pill-up” the kid and he’s just not himself. I’d rather deal with hyperactivity (which in his case isn’t out of control), than deal
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School with a dulled out student that wants to sleep more than integrate with the classroom experience. Joldan is a challenge, don’t get me wrong, but I think he's a challenge not so much for how he is, but of how we are. I don't mean to sound like an insurgent romantic. He's a tiny kid, yet he doesn't seem to fit in the monotone and dull system we've shoved him into. Let me just say that I don't intend to pull out the “leftist insurgent guerrilla� card on anyone here, but I've simply been observing how this kid flourishes in the outside world, playing with his peers and seeks to share these experiences with his peers. So he actually has interpersonal social skills. I remember some couple days ago he had some free time and so did I. He taught me how to play baseball tennis, Pedro Rivera Molina style. I was utterly clueless. He was very patient and enthusiastic about teaching me how to play. He was inclusive, welcoming and kind, in his very own unique way. He really wanted to help me understand in order to partake of this game with him and others.
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Joldan likes to be the center of attention at times. I mentioned this before. However, because of this he gets those around him annoyed and pissed. His classmates, I mean. Patience isn’t much of a virtue for seventh graders, I guess. Life is simply centered on them and hence their inability to be more patient. It seems at times he either likes to be other's punching bag or he has no sense of height/stature.
Another possible reason for his provocative behavior and taunting tactics among his classmates, I think could be his relationship to his mom. Could be a far-fetched assumption. Part of the reason I haven't resorted to contacting his mother. According to the coop teacher, Miss Viera, this one time, his mother came to pick him up at school because he was having pains. I felt so bad for the poor kid. I remember he was holding his gut with his hand and bent down in class. Screaming in pain, I sent him to the office so his mom could pick him up. After some time his mom walks into the office where Joldan is desperately waiting. The first thing she hurls at him is an angry demand. “When you get home you better lock yourself up in that
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School room of yours and not come out ok!” This is was all according to Miss Viera. I don't have the whole picture, but hearing that tore me apart. Honestly, I don’t know if this is factual though. Miss Viera tends to exaggerate things or flat out lie about events. So, according to what Viera told me, I became somewhat hesitant to call his mother. I felt it would make matters worse.
VI.
Work Plan Two
Weeks
Date
Tenth Week
[Wed.Mar.18]
Activity
Reason
Contacts
Notes
Met for a second Want to follow up Evi León. time with Evi
and share how
León- his Special things have gone Ed Teacher.
in the past couple of weeks.
Eleventh Week
[Tue.Mar.24]
Met with Awilda
I went ahead and Awilda Mercado
Mercado,
decided to have
Joldan’s mom.
a conversation
I realized that his mother wasn’t what I thought she would be like. Yes, she has
with his mom. I
many illnesses and I
wanted to meet
found out she can’t
her and get perspective for
be 100% there for Jordan. She relies a lot on all kinds of
myself, as to
medication. They
what his family
seem to have
situation might be like.
economic issues too. But, she claims to help him with
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School schoolwork and is well aware he can be a challenge- so in that we found some understanding.
Eleventh Week
VII.
[Wed.Mar.25]
Meet with Joldan Dialogue with
Joldan Ramos
He
him about the
acknowledged
impressions from
that he was
my conversation
going to try
with his mom.
harder to pull
How he felt
together.
about it, cause
He agreed to be
he was partially
more consistent
present in the
with his behavior
meeting.
in class.
Final Reactions
After four months of teaching a specific group of seventh graders, I have learned that it is rather difficult to give all of these students the quality of attention each and every one of them deserves. Especially when things get challenging and they verbally request your help or even when they don’t and you just have to discern it. That’s where experience comes in. This is
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School the experience I crave and currently lack of. I know it’s a matter of time so I’m not implying impatience. In retrospect, the effort and thought-process that goes into getting to know a specific student to be able to transform all of it into practical help is mostly challenging. It’s like going into the realm of the unknown. Not entirely unknown, as one has hints and clues from previous life experiences that help one relate and engage with the student. This can be counter-productive too. Knowing or thinking you know too much about something, when in reality not knowing much, closes the realm of possibilities and ruins the canvas you get to work on. Perceptions, assumptions and prejudices end up ruining it.
When it came down to making observations, in other words, discoveries about Jordan I let opinions, which led to wrongful perceptions, plague my perception of him. Little by little I had to silence some of these plaguing voices in order to hear my own. Working with my cooperating Teacher was a bittersweet experience. She seemed committed to her students, but her opinion of her students were somewhat plagued with a sense of favoritism. I noticed
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School this early on. This urged me to go out and start asking questions. So I did.
Whenever you want to know the truth, seek it. This sounds like a total cliché, but though it is very much cliché-sounding, there’s a heap of wisdom to it. I also found out that you can sense when a person is at the very least attempting to be objective. I found sound objectivity when I spoke to Joldan’s “Salon Recurso” teacher. Though she had only been working with him for close to two semesters, our brief conversations were very insightful. I’d say of all the interviews/conversations hers led to tangible ground.
I proceeded to have more conversations and more frequently with Joldan. Some of these conversations were continuous and had topical conclusions, but many were very shallow and brief. Whenever I saw he was starting to get that tickly feeling to be disruptive, I’d try to get him drain out that eagerness by participating in class. Sometimes it meant I’d have to let him go to the bathroom or to the fountain. Whether the latter were true or not, they helped. This
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School would help him get out of his system his urge to move around, which I think is totally fine and normal. But for the sake of allowing him to experience the class I’d do it. More colorful and interactive classes, I’d get him to be very involved, from his own initiative. The problem I encountered and I deem most counterproductive was when Joldan didn’t want to do anything and just sought out a corner. Sooner than later I figured out this is when he was on his meds. They made him a whole different person. I really disliked these days. It was nearly impossible to get him going. The furthest I got him was to work on his notebook or workbook. But, that required much effort. Remember in the beginning I mentioned my inexperience and how that obviously affects my experience (play of words), well, many of these times I didn’t exactly know what to do.
It goes without saying that I am not crazy about the Education System’s reliance on grades to categorize students in certain boxes, with certain shapes and prejudices. I’m not for that. I have yet to
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School encounter an education system, which doesn’t rely on these standardized ways of evaluation. In the meantime I’m still here. I tried to understand it and therefore use it. The results weren’t satisfactorily resulting. Joldan failed his English class. There are many factors that contributed to this. One factor was simple, the accumulation of baggage from prior grades. Could I have done better in a future scenario with more experience? Yes. That’s very likely. I did however manage to express and show Joldan day in and day out, that he had a place in the classroom. That his contribution to class, was not overlooked. That working alongside our peers is a basic principle for life in general. English class wasn’t just an excuse to spend 50 minutes of class closer to lunch. Hopefully with the numerous attempts of making classes more interesting and engaging, Joldan is a step closer to starting or continuing to realize the valuable input and contribution he can add to the classroom experience and school life in general.
VIII.
Appendix
The main questionnaire I used it for all my interviews. At timed I’d use all of the questions, but other times I’d ask one or two less or one or two more. Most interviews were somewhat
UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Case Study Pedro Rivera Molina School informal. They’d mainly be in the classroom, but at times it occurred in a hallway. These are the core questions I used to interview. Questions: -
Name
-
Profession
-
How long have you known Joldan
-
What positive and negative qualities does he have?
-
What medical conditions does he have?
-
What physical activities can he perform?
-
What form of therapy must he receive?
-
What complaints do you have about him?
-
What are his hobbies?
-
How does he get along with his peers?
-
How does he normally behave in the classroom?
-
What suggestions could you give a new teacher?