Clinical Experience Double Entry Journal

Cynthia Shepherd

1. Student AN, sophomore, cognitive development average to low average, socially

immature, attention seeking from peers, inattention in class, sleeping, bending rules by
leaving seat, sitting next to friends rather than seating chart, tries to get answers or work in
groups when directed not to, physical with peers to the point of injury.

Teacher behaviors:

-clear rules defined & enforced verbally

-seating chart in place to help student avoid distraction

-frequently redirects to task

-individual discussions with student about expectations, behavior, etc

-conversations with student, reminded that behavior affects athletics

-grades work subjectively to level of student ability

Reflect/Apply: Teacher has known student only 4.5 months and limited rapport with the
student affects mutual respect and adherence to classroom rules. A second year with the
student should improve communication between student and teacher.

2. For 7th grade the teacher had a unit on vertebrates, focusing specifically on fish. Moved
step by step through asking about students current and general knowledge, introduced
vocabulary on whiteboard, showed diagram of fish structure, and went through three
categories of fish.

Hands on perch dissection begun with short YouTube dissection videos that the students
initially watched individually on a day with a substitute. After the video students read
through the lab dissection guide in pairs and prepared questions for the next day.

Teacher spent one day reading lab dissection guide to students as they followed along,
answered question from students, clarified all parts of lab, asked pointed questions of
students to assess understanding of lab safety expectations and what tasks were going to
be completed.

Dissected fish over the course of two days beginning with external features. Teacher went
to each group individually and asked students to show specific parts of fish, asked what the
purpose of various parts, etc. Only moved forward with cutting open the fish when all
students understood external parts of fish, internal features investigated same as external.
When students were done with both these tasks they were allowed to work by themselves to
dissect the skull and identify the brain.

Post dissection activity was the creation of a perch diagram poster and answering a question
about the purpose of various attributes of the fish.

Reflect/Apply: Teacher is aware that 7th grade students do not self-read to learn
information, though they will engage in an activity that they find interesting and relevant to
things they already know. Hands on learning with specific guided instruction can be fun and
learning happens by accident.
 Clinical Experience Double Entry Journal
Cynthia Shepherd

3. 7th male GV:

a. Physical-tall amongst peers, clumsy, dirty, pudgy

b. Cognitive-slow to understand compared to peers, difficulty paying attention, lazy

with school work

c. Social/Emotional-outburst when reprimanded, things arent his fault, pushes/hits

others, poor volume control, attention seeking behavior, sometimes poor choice of friends

d. Moral-says racist comments, doesnt take responsibility

Reflect/Apply: does seem to have any LD/EBD issues, no IEP, just immature compared to
peers, additionally contact with mom reveals student is not held accountable at home for
behavior and is probably experiencing disconnect between home and school in terms of
expectations. His behavior is also connected to which friend group hes hanging around
with; students with better behavior and grades bring him up to their level while students
with difficulties encourage defiance and rule breaking.

7th Female TD:

a. Physical-tall for a girl, straight body shape, very little feminine feature
development, experiments with hair color, unusual cuts/style, and temporary body art

b. Cognitive-difficulty paying attention, needs directions repeated often, artistically

motivated, above average intelligence

c. Social/Emotional: small friend group, fluid gender appearance, sullen attitude,

frequent absences, new to area

d. Moral: wants to follow rules but easily distracted, apologizes for breaking rules

Reflect/Apply: undiagnosed ADD issues, culture much different from other places shes
lived, experimenting with gender identity but doesnt want to make a big deal of it or call
attention to herself. In general keeps her head down and does enough above average to not
have teachers on her case, grades range C-B with little effort, would easily get higher grades
if she turned in work and had better school attendance. Seems to have little interest in peer
connection outside of a couple friends, but also works to not be seen as a target for bullying.

4. Student 7th DH: Behavior in class is argumentative, defiant, obstructs learning of others,
sometimes physical with others, frequent referral to behaviorist. Negative or no
participation in content, refusal to do lab work. Boastful talk/lying when he does interact.
Poor reading/comprehension development, IQ72, No interest in school, poor or no
completion of easy A tasks like coloring pictures. Broken family, recently moved from
urban to rural setting.

Reflect/Apply: The student is very far behind developmentally and suffers for it. Many of
his behaviors may be the result of just not understanding anything thats going on in the
classroom. Its easier for him to be the swaggering tough guy, the cool guy from the city
and cause trouble than it is for him to sit down and listen to instructions or work with others.
Referral has been made for a setting 3 placement for 16/17 school year.
 Clinical Experience Double Entry Journal
Cynthia Shepherd

5. Observe identifiable artifacts of the classroom management plan

a. tables spaced as far apart as possible in an auditorium configuration that face the
front, two tables are arranged in a square for SPED/para work area, teacher desk at
the back of room behind students for best observation point

b. At beginning of class students told to sit, be quiet while attendance is taken

- Teacher begins with announcements/need to knows (school wide stuff)

- Plan for day and outline of week (however not posted on board, need to work on
that)

- Break half way through block period, work time at end of class period in an attempt
to ease homework and be available for help if needed

c. Rules not posted in classroom, however students were given a copy at beginning of
semester to sign and have parents sign for homework points. Rules/Expectations are also
posted on Schoology website which is required for student success school wide

d. Teacher brings inappropriate behavior to attention and asks students to compare

their own behavior to that of adults in building (ie: not touching each other), explains
expectations of adults in society, uses part-time job expectations as example for
possibilities in the real world

- motivates students with bribery of candy, going outside, fun videos, other rewards
for good behavior

- addresses misbehavior with stern words, nagging, referrals to behaviorist (not good
at this)

6. The teachers classroom management philosophy is to have few expectations that were
agreed upon by all affected. There are few expectations, however at the time of
implementation the expectations were not voted on by the entire class. Additionally the
teacher is not clear and consistent with consequences.

Reflect/Apply: Im hoping that a year of fumbling around and seeing what doesnt work will
help me develop classroom management strategies that actually do work.

7. Identifiable instructional strategies that address student learning styles, multiple

intelligences, and performance modalities

a. Giving students a variety of options for learning activities and assessments and
allowing them to choose based on their own strengths rather than forcing one type of
activity on them encourages involvement in their learning process.

b. Teacher allows students to earn extra points by making test corrections. This could
be taken several steps farther by having corrections to all graded assessments

c. Teacher is liberal with praise and excitement towards student participation,

recognize when students have exceeded their comfort zone and acknowledge it with praise,
reward (candy, recess), etc
 Clinical Experience Double Entry Journal
Cynthia Shepherd

d. Encourage students to share their personal experience with subject matter, draw
on their own knowledge and then expand on it

Reflect/Apply: Ultimately all students learning is based on give and take between student
and teacher, without good rapport and trust even the best organized lesson plan and
instructional strategies may be ineffective

8. If the purpose of student learning is to become aware of the world around them and to
become able to function within that world the student needs a guide and a guidebook. To
understand the facets of their world, students need to be introduced to all of them so the
role of subject matter becomes a convenient way to break down information and organize
for student learning.

Exhibiting professional and ethical behavior in a school setting is important for showing
behavioral standards to students who need to have exposure to social expectations beyond
those with which they see at home, at church, at work, etc. The more consistent and
professional behavior that students see in many facets of their world, the more prepared
they will be as they expand their environment.