Ethnographic Narrative

Running head: ETHNOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE 1

ETHNOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE

BY

MICHAEL D. FEGERT

A document submitted to the Faculty of Claremont GraduateUniversity in partial fulfillment of the requirements forthe degree of Master of Arts in Education in the Graduate

Faculty of Teacher Education

Claremont Graduate University

2014


Table of Contents

Preface: 3

Part A: My Story: 4

Part B: City, School, and Classroom: 15City:

16School:

23Classroom:

29Conclusion:

32

Part C: Five Case Study Students: 32Immanuel: Student’s Demographic Information: 34Immanuel: Preliminary Inferences: 34Immanuel: Student’s Story: 37Immanuel: Student’s Academic Standing: 40Immanuel: Student’s Action Plan: 41

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Paul and Mark: Students’ Demographic Information: 42Paul and Mark: Preliminary Inferences: 43Paul and Mark: Students’ Story: 48Paul and Mark: Students’ Academic Standing: 51Paul and Mark: Students’ Action Plan: 52William: Student’s Demographic Information: 53William: Preliminary Inferences: 54William: Student’s Story: 56William: Student’s Academic Standing: 59William: Student’s Action Plan: 60Sheila: Student’s Demographic Information:

61Sheila: Preliminary Inferences: 62Sheila: Student’s Story:

64Sheila: Student’s Academic Standing: 67Sheila: Student’s Action Plan: 68Conclusion:

69

Part D: Reflection: 70

Whole Class Perspective: 70

Individual Student Perspective: Immanuel: 74

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Individual Student Perspective: Paul and Mark: 79

Individual Student Perspective: William: 82

Individual Student Perspective: Sheila: 84Reflection and Next Steps: 86Conclusion:

91

Closure: 92

References: 94Appendices: 99

Preface

This document is my ethnographic narrative. Before I

can expound upon its constitutive elements, I need to define

its nature, which correlates with its purpose. In general,

ethnography is a research methodology that utilizes direct

observation and empirical data to inform plausible

conclusions regarding what is being observed. This document

is my research during the academic year 2013/14. It stems

from my teaching assignment this past year. It consists of

direct and indirect observations and academic and

demographic data on five of my students, and conclusions

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drawn from these various inputs. It is more than just

presentation and analysis, however. My examination is

placed between self-reflection, which contextualizes the

research, and adds a personal element. The purpose of the

reflection and research is to reveal my philosophy of

education, which in turn discloses the reason why I want to

be a teacher in the first place. In addition, this document

was done as part of the requirements for a Master of Arts in

Education and was done while working towards my teaching

credential.

This document consists of four parts. The first part

(i.e., Part A) is an explication and reflection of my story

in relation to my story influencing my decision to become a

teacher for children with special needs. As one will see

from reading this section, there is an easy connection

between being placed in special education as a child, and

wanting to teach children with special needs as an adult.

The second part (i.e., Part B) is a presentation of the

demographic information of the city I work in, the school I

teach at, and the classroom where I engage students. This

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information is vital in that it contextualizes my students

in the sense that it positions them in a social-historical

location. The third part (i.e., Part C) is a series of

descriptions and reflections on five case study students’

academic and social placements. The purpose of these

descriptions and reflections is to inform proposed academic

and behavioral goals I think my students need to achieve.

The fourth part (i.e., Part D) is a reflection on my whole

classroom, my five case study students, and three California

Teaching Performance Expectations I want to improve upon.

In this section, I give an honest evaluation of my first

year of teaching, and propose reasons for success and

failure, and outline an agenda for growth. I now realize

that the practical output of writing this document was to

inform my sense of social justice, and give me the

wherewithal to define such an allusive concept.

Part A: My Story

Many teachers choose their careers on the basis of

positive experiences in the field, and the satisfaction they

glean from these experiences. They have taught Sunday

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school, or been a teacher’s assistant, or any number of

other experiences that instill a sense of happiness. In

some respects, my path follows this template. In other

respects, it does not. Nonetheless, I understand that I am

the sum total of my experiences (good and bad), and my

experiences have greatly influenced my decision to become an

educator.

I was born in 1971, in Caldwell, Idaho, to a single

mother (who did not have a formal education beyond ninth

grade). This social-historical location was impetus for

some interesting experiences and non-experiences (e.g.,

going on vacations). According to my mother, I met my

father once, but I do not remember this meeting, so I assume

it occurred when I was an infant. Thus, I did not have a

close male role model growing up. Having only one parent

made for a childhood that was difficult. My mother worked

two, and sometimes three jobs to make ends meet. Her

primary concern was food and shelter for her child and

herself. This schedule did not allow her to give me

homework help. I did not need her help in kindergarten and

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first grade, but in my first year of second grade, I started

to fall behind with reading. After taking some assessments,

it was determined that I had a learning disability and that

I would benefit by participating in a pull out program for

reading and language acquisition. According to Smith and

Tyler (2010), “reading difficulty is the most common reason

for . . . students’ referral to special education” (p. 161).

I had special education services from my first year of

second grade to fifth grade. In my second year of second

grade, my special education services were increased. I was

pulled out a couple of times a day for reading, writing, and

math instruction. The special education class I attended

housed students with mild to severe disabilities. This

afforded me the opportunity to meet and develop friendships

with interesting people. However, this opportunity came

with negative baggage. When some of my general education

classmates found out that I attended a special needs class,

they categorized me through guilt by association. Since I

attended a class with the “Other” (regardless if I attended

a general education class with them as well), I was the

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“Other” (Said, 1978). This classification followed me

throughout my participation in special education. My

services were decreased from third to fifth grades, but I

still received help for reading and writing.

From sixth through twelfth grades, I did not receive

special education services. I probably would have benefited

from them though. I struggled with all academic subjects in

school, especially core subjects (e.g., English, math, and

science). I started my high school career taking remedial

classes that did not count as required subjects for credit.

For example, during my freshman and sophomore year, I took

basic math and Algebra ½. In order to graduate high school,

I needed two math classes starting from Algebra 1 and

progressing to a higher level. This prerequisite required

me to take two additional math classes, totaling four math

classes for four years of high school. This same scenario

happened with English and science. In Idaho, a student was

required to graduate with a C average in all core classes.

I graduated with a C average, barely. At the end of my

sophomore year, I told my mother I wanted a car—I got my

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driver’s license when I was fourteen years old. Her

response to me was, “Get a job.” That summer I got a job

working at Wendy’s. I worked at Wendy’s from eleventh grade

to my freshman year in college. In addition to allowing me

to get a car, my job also required me to learn time

management skills that inadvertently helped with study

skills, which resulted in better grades. My course work,

during the last two years of high school, brought my grade

point average up and allowed me to graduate high school.

Toward the end of my high school career, my mother got

hurt at one of her jobs. She went on disability, but her

disability pay did not totally replace her income. I had to

increase my hours at Wendy’s and give her my entire check so

that we would not lose our house and we could have enough

food to eat. This was my first real reflective experience

on poverty. I knew growing up that my mother and I were

poor, but I did not think of my family as potentially

destitute. At eighteen years old, I became the primary

provider for my family, with all the responsibility that

follows. If I did not work, I would not get paid, and we

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would not eat. To experience this reality as a teenager was

sobering.

In Idaho, after high school, a person either goes to

college or works at the local gas station (figuratively

speaking). I knew I did not want to do the latter. Since I

increased my grade point average, and scored above average

on the SAT, I was admitted to the local religious liberal

arts college (i.e., Northwest Nazarene College). Since my

only interest was music (I had been taking guitar lessons

since I was fifteen), I majored in music. I did well in

course work, but realized quite quickly that I was not a

musician’s musician, which is something it would take to

become professional at the craft. Around this time, the

church my mother and I were attending hired the pastor’s

nephew as youth pastor. He was only a couple years older

than myself, but showed so much focus. In a sense, I wanted

what he had. Through counsel with him, my pastor, and my

mother, I decided to leave Northwest Nazarene College and

attend a denominational bible school (i.e., Christian Life

College). At Christian Life College, I found the course

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work easy. On the one hand, the course work was easy in

that it was not at the same level of rigor as Northwest

Nazarene College, but on the other, I found the type of

engagement required by religious and philosophical studies

more conducive to my learning type: existential (Tupper,

2002). I did very well academically at Christian Life

College, graduating with highest honors. This did a lot for

my self-esteem and informed my decision to continue my

education with the goal of becoming a theology professor. I

was also introduced to my future wife at Christian Life

College. She is a native of the greater Los Angles area.

That being the case, after I graduated, and got married, I

relocated from Idaho to Southern California.

After Christian Life College, I went on to get another

Bachelor’s at Vanguard University of Southern California

(since Christian Life College was/is unaccredited), a

Master’s at Claremont School of Theology, and a Doctorate in

Religion at Claremont Graduate University. While studying

for my qualifying exams, I started working as a substitute

teacher in a nearby school district. I got the job through

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my wife who had been substitute teaching for a couple of

years while she was working on her teaching credential at

California Polytechnic University, Pomona. My wife’s

connections were primarily in alternative education. Her

connections became my connections, and so I started

substitute teaching a lot at the alternative high schools.

As of today, I have been substitute teaching for over seven

years, with three long-term assignments, all of which were

in alternative education, with the last assignment being in

special education.

When I reflect on my teachers for compulsory education,

it is sad to say, but I do not remember any teachers

standing out in a positive sense. I do, however, remember

three teachers who affected me negatively. First, there was

my third grade teacher, Mrs. “Three.” As previously

mentioned, I had difficulty with reading and writing in the

third grade. This difficulty extended to spelling. As a

side note, I still have difficulty with spelling. On

numerous occasions, Mrs. Three would ask me to go to the

front board, in front of all the students, and spell a word.

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I do not remember ever spelling one of the words correctly.

I can still remember a time when she asked me to spell the

word: come. I tried, but I could not do it. I remember

hearing laughter when she asked me to take my seat. There

was another time when she asked the class to write our

favorite kind of animal on a piece of paper to indicate a

topic for a write-up. I asked the student next to me how to

spell horse. After we wrote our animals on a piece of

paper, Mrs. Three collected and mixed them up for a game.

She read the animals aloud, and let the students guess who

wrote them on the pieces of paper. When she read the word

horse, the student who helped me guessed it was mine. She

ask him how he knew it was mine in front of the class, and

he told her that I asked him how to spell the word. Again,

I heard laughter. This was absolutely humiliating.

Second, there was my fourth grade teacher, Mr. “Four.”

Mr. Four was a good teacher in that I did learn from him.

However, there was an incident toward the beginning of the

school year that made all of his students afraid of him.

One Caucasian student called a Latino student a derogatory

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name. Mr. Four picked the Caucasian student off the ground

and threatened to hit him. Although I shared the teacher’s

rage, I thought the action was excessive, and felt the

atmosphere of the classroom change. The students no longer

felt comfortable joking with Mr. Four, and critical

engagement (i.e. a questioning ethos) all but disappeared.

This fear of the teacher lasted for the rest of the school

year.

Third, there was my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. “Five.”

Mrs. Five had all of her students pick one of the states in

the union, and do a written and oral report on it. I picked

Massachusetts. As part of the assignment, I wrote to one of

Massachusetts’ administrative representatives to get

information sent back to me so that I could write the

report. I never received any correspondence back, so I was

relegated to encyclopedia research to get information. My

report was terrible. At this point, it should be remembered

that my reading and writing skills were substantially below

average. Since my report was terrible, and I knew it, I

refused to give an oral presentation on Massachusetts.

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Later the same day of my scheduled presentation, I heard

Mrs. Five and her teacher’s assistant discussing my project

in which the teacher ended the conversation with the

comment, “I expected this from him.” This comment further

solidified my truncated self-esteem.

To counter these negative experiences from my teachers,

I have had certain people in my life that I looked up to,

which influenced me positively. I met “Gloria” when I was

fourteen years old. She was an established member of a

church my mother and I started attending. Her parents

invited my mother and I to dinner one night and Gloria and I

became friends. Although she was in her early twenties, she

acted immature for her age, so we hung out and did church

youth group things together. Gloria did not care how my

social-historical location informed who I presently was; she

was more concerned about who I could become (in terms of a

religious leader). When she looked at me, she saw potential

and thus held me (and my behavior) to a higher ethical

standard. For example, after I had been working at Wendy’s

for a couple of months, I made friends with some older

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coworkers. These coworkers were able to buy things that were

illegal for me to consume. Gloria, through her example and

instruction, was able to walk the fine line between the real

and ideal. She knew I needed my job, but she knew or

believed that I was too good to behave in the manner my

coworkers were influencing me. Gloria was able to inform me

of possible consequences of making bad life choices in such

a way that empowered me to take control of my life. Never,

up to this point, had I connected with an individual that

expected so much from me. I embraced her vision of me,

which became, in a general sense, the telos or goal for my

life.

Through Gloria, I met “Earl.” Earl was, at the time,

in his early thirties. He had a real heart for the church

youth group. He would do a lot of activities with us, like

water skiing, hiking, camping, etc. Earl wanted to become a

professional fisherman. That was one of his main goals. To

accomplish this goal, he set minor goals to influence

behavior and to improve skill. The process of goal setting

eventually became part of Earl’s philosophy of life.

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Whenever he would sit down and talk with the church youth

group, he would discuss goal setting. Every once in awhile,

he would pull me aside and have a conversation with me about

my goals. At the time, I did not really have a goal. I

would say something to him like, “I want to graduate high

school.” My responses to him were paten answers to keep him

from pestering me about my lack of direction. It was not

until I started excelling academically at Christian Life

College, which, as already stated, positively affected my

self-esteem, that I incorporated his advice into my toolkit

for life skills. I credit Earl, and his goals setting

mantra, with me earning a doctorate. If it was not for his

message of establishing a major goal, and minor goals, as

steps along the way, I would not have had the blueprints for

acquiring an education.

“Brent” became my church’s youth pastor during my

freshman year at Northwest Nazarene College. Brent was/is

the type of guy everyone likes. He had/has a quality about

him that makes him irresistible to people. In addition to

having a magnetic personality, he is very smart. After

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youth pastoring, and upon graduating from university, he was

awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for which he chose to study

Church History. As previously mentioned, I talked to him

when I was considering changing my focus from music to

religious studies. A piece of advice he gave me when

studying matters of philosophical purview was to question

everything. Although his advice is impractical from a real

world perspective, it was life changing for me with respect

to me critically engaging my religious worldview. I have

synthesized Brent’s advice into my life, and it has produced

(or I have generated because of it) some scary, some

enlightening, and some transforming effects.

Again, I am the sum total of my experiences, good and

bad. My experiences are a major influence on me deciding to

become an educator, particularly for mild to moderate

special education populations. Ever since I was twenty-two

years old and decided to go to graduate school, I wanted to

teach at a college or university. I have had multiple

experiences lecturing to and leading discussions with

students in higher education. As of late (within the past

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two to five years), I have had a change of heart. I am no

longer interested in teaching theology and philosophy to

college students. Two of my experiences are primary

informants for this decision. In reverse chronological

order, the first experience is substitute teaching. From a

social-economic point of view, I see myself in my students’

eyes. There were multiple times when my students were too

exhausted, too hungry, and/or too scared to do classwork

and/or homework. Several of my students came from single

parent homes or had parents who were too busy to offer

homework help. Some of my students’ parents have given up

on them completely and thus offer no support and/or

direction. Some of my students’ self-esteems were so low

that they did not believe in themselves enough to care about

anything, let alone their academic progress. I may not have

connected with all of my students on every level, but I

could identify with some of them at their points of need.

These experiences with my students have presented me with

the moral imperative: I must do something (about this).

“This” is a vague category; it signifies whatever the

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student is struggling against. More times than not, through

critical analysis, I determine that “this” is systemic

injustice, which is perpetuated by our societal makeup.

This is the primary reason I have chosen to become a public

school teacher.

The second experience (or set of experiences) is my

receiving special education services throughout my

elementary education. As already stated, I was diagnosed

with a learning disability in my first year of second grade.

I was placed in a pull out program until fifth grade. I

believe that this program was instrumental for my future

academic success. In retrospect, it seems like my

disability was a product of social-historical location.

Since I was raised by a single parent who had little time to

offer homework help, because she was too busy working

multiple jobs to earn a living, I did not have some academic

supports other students might have had. By offering me a

reading supplement, this placement was a lifesaver. This

experience(s) has had a major impact on me in so far as I

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now want to afford others a similar experience by becoming

an education specialist.

I am pursuing a teaching vocation because I want to

help work toward the betterment of humanity. The notion of

betterment assumes a justice norm (Kaufman, 1993). This

norm generates effects that naturally follow. The first

effect is a designation of justice as a material reality

manifest in community (Suchocki, 1987). Tangible modes of

justice supply the standard by which actions are judged; the

nonexistence of justice gives reason to question and

critique actions that do not measure up to the prescribed

norm. The initial valuation of this norm is physical well-

being, which constitutes those substances that are most

important for human life (e.g., food, water, shelter, etc.).

These basic needs are a platform to build upon. The second

effect is human dignity (Suchocki, 1987). This involves the

development of a person’s self-worth, which to some extent

is dependent on recognition and appreciation from others.

My philosophy of education highlights the second effect.

Teaching will afford me opportunities to instill self-worth

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in students. I want to help develop students’ awareness of

significance through critical engagement and constructive

proposal. When students analyze and critique forms of

injustice, and offer viable solutions to problems, their

sense of worth is elevated. This reason reflects the

importance I place on personhood; students are people, and

as such are entitled to a particular standard of life (which

includes education).

My philosophy of education is greatly influenced by

critical pedagogy, and its informant critical theory

(Freire, 1970). I believe this approach to education offers

tools to help students critique forms of injustice, and

offer viable solutions. To help in this endeavor, I think

curriculum should be multidisciplinary and project based.

With respect to the former, in terms of classroom

instruction, I want to practice bricolage. Bricolage can be

utilized as a research methodology that employs a

multidisciplinary approach to education (Kincheloe & Berry,

2004). One of the purposes of this approach is to produce

practical and critical insights into social-historical

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problems (Stout, 1988). For example, when I introduce a

piece of literature to students, I incorporate as many

disciplines as possible to establish context. This offers

students another hermeneutic tool, which they can use to

analyze the text. The students can then synthesize the

text’s central theme(s) into their own context, so as to

critique their locations. I will practice bricolage for two

reasons: first, it requires me and my students to engage

disciplines at critical levels, and second it affords

students opportunities to critically engage social

phenomena. If students experience injustice, this method

provides an instrument to analyze and address it, so as to

promote the betterment of humanity. In this sense,

bricolage can be an important technique within a critical

pedagogical agenda. Regarding the latter, a project-based

curriculum can present narratives. Students will be

assigned the task of deducing and addressing social issues

that arise from these narratives. These narratives may

resemble circumstances in students’ lives, and thus allow

them to engage their social-historical locations.

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Although I have spent many years trying to deny this

fact, I am my experiences. Experiences of dysfunction,

special education, general education, poverty, ridicule,

fear, low expectations (from some), high expectations (from

others), direction, spirituality, and rigor have been

synthesized into my being, and I am the product. My

experiences have led me to this point; the point where I not

only know I want to be an educator, but why I want to be an

educator. I have wanted to teach ever since I was in my

early twenties. But now, I want to teach special education

in public schools because of how my experiences have

informed (or are informing) my understanding of social

justice.

Part B: City, School, and Classroom

According to Clifford (1988), “[Ethnography] is simply

diverse ways of thinking and writing about culture from a

standpoint of participant observation” (p. 9). This is the

undertaking before me with respect to my chosen career. To

help me better understand the educational profession in

general and the importance of teaching in particular, it is

25


determined that ethnography is the modus operandi. By

critically engaging various pedagogic entities, and

reflectively inscribing on my engagement, I will gain

perspective on the aforementioned points. Perspective is

the telos from my point of view.

I am an education specialist at Dewey Elementary School

in Pomona, California. I teach a scripted math curriculum

to seventh and eighth grade students in one of the school’s

Special Day Classes (SDC) offering support to students in

the special education program. To maximize my ability to do

this, three things must be considered. First, my school’s

community is analyzed so that connections and correlations

can be drawn between the larger community and the school in

general. These connections offer insight into my school’s

population, which in turn offers insight into instruction.

Second, my school is examined so that immediate context is

addressed in relation to social-historical location and

student assessment (as it pertains to the state’s

consideration). As the examination shows, there is a

dynamic relationship between location and assessment. Third,

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my classroom is surveyed, which shows barriers to

instruction, but also displays a willingness on my part to

teach despite the barriers. The consideration of these

entities demonstrates the complexity of the task before me.

City

Given my emphasis on social justice and the social-

historical location of my students, Pomona is an excellent

city for me to start my teaching career. In particular,

since Dewey is a microcosm of Pomona, with the community’s

strengths and weaknesses (including matters of advantage and

disadvantage), this school is an optimal place for me, in

terms of social outreach. The first step in connecting with

my students, and their families, is learning about and

analyzing my school’s community.

Pomona is about 27 miles east of the second largest

city in the United States—in terms of population.

Therefore, it is a suburb of Los Angeles, technically

speaking. Although Pomona is considered a suburb, it has an

urban ambiance. Whereas suburbs are (or have) newer

expansions with track home developments, Pomona is an older

27


city, with its establishment predating California’s

statehood, when the territory was still part of Mexico

(Halsey, 1976). It does contain a newer community within

it, that is Phillips Ranch, which began development in the

early 1980s. Phillips Ranch does look like other suburbs

within the greater Los Angeles area. Many of Pomona’s

neighborhoods, however, are older and depressed in

appearance, and thus give the impression of being in poor

condition. Older houses and business structures line

pothole-ridden streets, showing continuity between various

types of urban landscape.

Pomona’s urban feel is accentuated by its location in

relation to neighboring towns. San Dimas is situated to the

northwest. La Verne and Claremont are located to the north.

Montclair and Chino are to Pomona’s east, and Chino Hills

and Diamond Bar are to the south. These neighboring towns

are smaller and wealthier than Pomona, and thus able to

construct a presence that is more desirable for people with

expendable moneys to visit and live. The contrast between

28


Pomona’s harsh exterior and its bordering cities’ superior

façade emphasizes Pomona’s areas of need.

The demographics of Pomona, in large part, parallel my

students and their families. The 2010 census reports that

Pomona has a population of 149,058 (United States Census

Bureau [USCB], 2010). This number is slightly down from

2000 census, which reports a population of 149,473 (United

States Census Bureau [USCB], 2000). The projected number

for 2012, which has not been released by the census bureau,

is 150,812, indicating a 1,754-person increase from 2010

(USCB, 2010). The ethnic breakdown of Pomona (as of 2010)

is: 71,564 (or 48.0%) White, 12,688 (or 8.5%) Asian, 10,924

(or 7.3%) African American, 1,763 (or 1.2%) Native American,

282 (or 0.2%) Pacific Islander, 45,171 (or 30.3%) from other

ethnicities, and 6,666 (or 4.5%) from two or more

ethnicities (USCB, 2010). The census reports that 105,135

(or 70.5%) people are of Hispanic or Latino of any race

(USCB, 2010). This means that, although there is ethnic

diversity in Pomona, the vast majority of people in the city

are of Latin descent. This phenomenon is mirrored in my

29


classroom insofar as 100% of my students are Hispanic and/or

Latino.

Pomona’s inhabitants underscore its urban character.

As previously mentioned, the majority of people living in

Pomona are of Hispanic and/or Latino decent. They are also

of lower, to lower middle, class with respect to annual

income (USCB, 2010). This is not to say, however, that

there is a one-to-one correlation between these two factors,

but it is to say that these two factors are both present in

Pomona and play a major role in the city’s characterization.

The city’s urban landscape reflects the economic standing

and cultural heritage of its population. Pomona’s grocery

store industry supports this claim. For example, the city

has four Cardenas markets within its boundaries. Cardenas

markets are a chain of grocery stores that focus on a

particular cliental by having a cheaper inventory that is

specifically Latin in orientation. There are other chain

grocery stores in Pomona, but they also concentrate their

stock on a similar cliental. An Albertsons used to be

located in north Pomona but closed its doors due to lack of

30


revenue. Residents who want to buy food items that are not

consumed by the ethnic majority must go outside of Pomona to

shop.

An example of Pomona’s social-historical shift is the

Indian Hill Mall. In the early 1980s, a commercial mall

existed where Indian Hill Avenue ends along Holt Boulevard.

The mall housed typical mall-type businesses for customers

to peruse. This mall no longer exists. My employer owns

the building. The school district utilizes this building to

house various offices (e.g., food services, childhood

development, etc.) and the adult education program. On the

eastern most side of the building, an indoor swap meet is

located. The swap meet, through its prices and commodities,

caters particular patrons who do not have a lot of

expendable moneys and are of a specific ethnic heritage.

There is no other commercial mall within Pomona’s city

limits. Residents must go to Montclair Plaza—in Montclair—

to shop at a mall.

Pomona’s ethnic diversity is representative of its

religious disposition(s). The majority of people in Pomona

31


are Catholic. This is not surprising given the fact that

people of Latin ancestry are traditionally Catholic. This

is attested to by the existence of three parochial schools

in the city with sizeable student bodies, all of which are

Catholic. There are, however, Protestant churches as well

throughout Pomona. The Protestant community is primarily

made up of Caucasian and African American residents. The

former maintain economic and political power in the city.

There is also a vibrant Muslim community in north Pomona.

On the corners of Garey Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, one

can see a Sunni mosque and a Shi’ite Islamic center, with

respective elementary schools.

The economy of Pomona is predominantly driven by

education. The city’s 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial

Report indicates that the principal employers are: the

school district (with 3,424 employees), the hospital (with

3,230 employees), the local state university (with 2,316

employees), a private developmental service center (with

1,283 employees), the city of Pomona (with 810 employees), a

private rehabilitation center (with 688 employees), a

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private communications company (with 596 employees), the

County of Los Angeles (with 383 employees), and public

transit (with 320 employees) (Comprehensive Annual Financial

Report [CAFR], 2009). Two of the top three employers are

institutions of education. I think this distinction, in

part, speaks to this community’s commitment to their

immediate offspring and future generations.

As the aforementioned statistics indicate, education is

an abundant resource available to this community. All

students who live in Pomona are slated to attend local

public schools. A new high school was recently built to

service students who live in Phillips Ranch. Students who

live in north Pomona have the option of attending Claremont

public schools (Claremont Unified School District [CUSD],

2013). There are numerous parochial schools open to Pomona

students, ranging from kindergarten to high school. There

is a charter high school, near downtown, open to students

with a proclivity toward the arts. A major state university

is located within the city limits. This university is known

for its technical majors (e.g., agriculture, engineering,

33


and architecture). There is a private university that

focuses on health sciences in Pomona. This university

offers graduate degrees. In a neighboring city, there is a

consortium of liberal arts colleges (with a graduate

university included) that is highly regarded for its world-

class education. Another neighboring city has a community

college, which offers general education courses for transfer

students, associate degrees, and vocational certificates.

Pomona also has a private, for-profit, university, which

focuses on bachelor degrees for vocational subjects. For a

city its size, there are a lot of educational opportunities

in Pomona.

There are also services available to this community.

The school district has teamed up with the abovementioned

health sciences’ university to offer free health screenings

to students—and parents of students. Throughout the school

year, at various school sites, this university sponsors

health fairs to screen vitals for preventative health care.

There are also free medical clinics located throughout the

city for people who cannot afford health care. They offer a

34


needed service to lower income families. Women, Infants,

and Children (WIC) offers free food and nutrition services

to new and/or expectant parents who are unable to give the

necessary nourishment to their families. Lastly, an arts

colony has recently been created, which affords artists a

creative outlet. This works as both therapy (for artists)

and preventative social control, in that troubled students

who participate are less likely to break the law (as is the

rationale).

Pomona’s citizens participate in many community events

and traditions. Because of this city’s location, in

relation to the fair grounds, Pomona’s residents are major

participants in the annual county fair, which consists of

concerts, contests, carnival rides and vendors selling

various things (L. A. County Fair, 2013). The moneys made

form the fair are primarily funneled into the county’s

revenue account, but Pomona’s businesses benefit greatly

from the visitors (from all over southern California). Many

of Pomona’s high school students work the vendor booths,

offering much needed income to families. This event is also

35


a point of pride for the city, in that for the month of

September, Pomona is a point of interest for the greater Los

Angeles area. The fair grounds also have drag races

periodically. A couple of times a year, professional

racers, from all over the world, come to Pomona to compete

in a nationally recognized racing competition (NHRA, 2013).

These are significant events for the community.

As with most social-historical phenomena, Pomona is not

static, but experiences change through development. There

is currently a group of business owners who have aspirations

for Second Street. Downtown Pomona Owners Association

(DPOA) is presently in the process of refurbishing downtown

Pomona to beautify antique row and reinstitute the arts

colony (Downtown Pomona, 2013). With respect to the former,

customers can shop for antiques in a convenient cluster of

renovated stores. Regarding the latter, once a month, DPOA

sponsors an art walk where patrons can peruse through over

three dozen art galleries. A charter high school that

focuses on the arts, in close proximity to downtown, admits

several of its students’ work in the walk. These are two

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examples of this community’s present/future plans for

Pomona’s betterment.

One cannot analyze Pomona without examining its gangs.

There are approximately 15 gangs throughout the city (this

number is in a constant state of flux) (California Gang

Territories [CGT], 2013). For my purposes, I will focus on

four. The oldest and biggest gang in Pomona is the 12th

Street Sharkies—or 12th Street. 12th Street is principally a

Latin gang. 12th Street’s territory starts at Mission

Boulevard, between Reservoir Street and the 71 Freeway, and

goes south to Philadelphia Street (CGT, 2013). They usually

feud with Cherrieville, Sur Olive, and any African American

gangs in Pomona (CGT, 2013). Cherrieville and Sur Olive are

smaller gangs that started out as outgrowths of 12th Street.

Dewey Elementary School is in 12th Street’s territory, but

it is only one block north of Sur Olive’s territory, and two

blocks south of the Southside Village Crips (an African

American gang) (CGT, 2013). This is the indigenous

community of my school. This phenomenon—because of its

destructive nature— necessarily affects my students, and

37


thus an ethical mandate is placed upon me to address its

effects, in terms of social justice.

I am thoroughly excited to be teaching in Pomona. This

city has such a rich history and so much potential, which

its citizens rightly recognize. Its location in relation to

Los Angeles, its weathered appearance, its demographic

construction, the resources and services it affords its

residents, and the plans and aspirations its people have for

their community motivate me to be the best teacher I can be.

Given the social-historical position of my students, I am

located within a normative paradigm that necessities actions

for social justice.

School

When analyzing a school, there are two ways to approach

the task. One way is by looking at quantitative data. This

data could inform judgments about the school. Another way

is by making observations and drawing inferences from them.

These inferences are qualitative by nature. For this

section, I will start with the former and conclude with the

latter, and show a disconnect between the two.

38


As previously mentioned, Dewey Elementary School

reflects its larger community. Dewey has a student body of

708 students (California Department of Education [CDE],

2013). The demographic breakdown of this school is as

follows: 660 students (Hispanic or Latino of any race), 21

students (African American), 11 students (Asian), 9 students

(Filipino), 3 students (Two or More Races), 2 students

(White), and 1 student (not reported) (CDE, 2013).

According to these figures, 93% of the students at Dewey are

Hispanic or Latino. This demographic breakdown provides

context for my community analysis, particularly my

description of Pomona’s ethnic landscape.

It is not fair to assume that schools with minority

students are laden with English language learners. However,

this parallel does exist at Dewey. There are 292 English

Language Learners identified at this school, thus 41% of the

total population are classified as such (CDE, 2013). Given

that the majority of students at Dewey are Hispanic or

Latino, it is not surprising that the primary language of

the ELLs is Spanish. The language percentage breakdown is

39


as follows: 283 (or 96.92%) ELLs have a primary language of

Spanish, 5 (or 1.71%) ELLs have a primary language

classification of other non-English languages, 2 (or 0.68%)

ELLs have a primary language of Vietnamese, and 2 (or 0.68%)

ELLs have a primary language of Khmer (or Cambodian) (CDE,

2013). These percentages further solidify my comparison and

correlation between Dewey Elementary School and Pomona.

Because of the nature of California public schools, and

the emphasis on English as the primary language of American

citizens (given political agendas), there is a connection

between English Language Learners and the California English

Language Development Test (CELDT). The purpose of this test

is to gauge performance and progression levels of students

who are classified as English Language Learners. The CELDT

assessment team at Dewey tested 361 students (California

Department of Education [CDE], 2012). Out of these

students, 27 (7.0%) were Advanced, 100 (28.0%) were Early

Advanced, 123 (34.0%) were Intermediate, 67 (19.0%) were

Early Intermediate, and 44 (12.0%) were Beginning (CDE,

2012). These students will be reassessed every year until

40


they either RFEP (i.e., Reclassified Fluent English

Proficient) or graduate high school. The ideal (or goal) is

to have students RFEP, which shows that students have

learned the English language. For motivation purposes,

California Department of Education links students’ CELDT

scores to their respective schools’ Academic Performance

Index (API), which in turn is connected to allocation of

public funds.

Dewey did not meet their API growth goal. API is

scored from 200 to 1000—200 being bad and 1000 being good

(CDE, 2013). California Department of Education has set the

score of 800 as the minimum target score for all schools in

the state (CDE, 2013). There are multiple factors that play

into the determination of a school’s score. A consideration

of these factors is beyond the scope of this ethnography.

However, because of these factors, a lot of schools do not

meet the target score. Dewey’s base score for 2012 was 731,

and their growth score for 2013 is 733, indicating a growth

of 2 points (CDE, 2013). Dewey’s target growth was 5

points, so they did not meet their growth goal (CDE, 2013).

41


The fact that they did not meet their API growth goal

affects their Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Report.

Dewey did not make their AYP (CDE, 2013). There are

four statewide performance level requirements a school must

meet to make their AYP (California Department of Education

[CDE], 2013). A school must have a 95% student

participation rate on statewide tests, an 89.2% passage of

proficient on English Language Arts statewide tests, an

89.2% passage of proficient on mathematics statewide tests,

and an API score of 770 or 1-point growth (CDE, 2013).

Dewey did meet the 95% participation rate and the increase

of 1-point growth on API (CDE, 2013). They did not,

however, meet the passage of proficient on the English

Language Arts and mathematics statewide tests (CDE, 2013).

In addition to not making their AYP, the failure to meet

these two requirements has put Dewey in a precarious

position.

Dewey Elementary School is in their fourth year of

program improvement (PI) (CDE, 2013). If a Title 1-funded

school (i.e., a school that receives state funds, of which

42


Dewey is one) does not make their AYP for two consecutive

years, they are placed on PI (CDE, 2013). A school has five

years to get off of PI before California Department of

Education steps in and takes over the school (CDE, 2013). A

school can get off of PI by making their AYP for two

consecutive years (CDE, 2013). Every year a school is on

PI, there are certain requirements that must be followed in

order to show the state that progress toward improvement is

being made in (and by) the school (CDE, 2013). In the

fourth and fifth years of PI, major restructuring should

take place (CDE, 2013). The specifics of this restructuring

are determined by the school site and district. If the

state does not see substantial growth, then they may elect

to implement alternative governance options (CDE, 2013). I

do not know the particulars of Dewey’s situation (in terms

of its faculty’s course of action to meet this challenge),

but I think the next two years are going to be of the upmost

importance for asking critical questions and making

constructive transformation to save this school.

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From this data, one can conclude that Dewey Elementary

School is not a good school. This conclusion may be

supported by an initial truncated observation. Before I can

give an explication of Dewey’s appearance, however, I must

first introduce its school wide norms, which are

instrumental in establishing its ambiance. Dewey’s faculty

has developed a “Classroom Discipline Plan” (Macmillan,

2013). This document is sent home to all its students’

parents. Both students and parents must sign and date it to

acknowledge their awareness of the norms. The plan has

three parts. First, there are three Golden Rules to guide

general behavior: “respect yourself, respect others, and

respect your environment” (Macmillan, 2013). Second, there

are six norms that are applicable to all classrooms: “1.

Follow directions the first time they are given. 2. Do not

get out of your seat without permission. 3. Raise your hand

and be recognized before you speak. 4. Keep your hands,

feet, and objects to yourself. 5. No candy or gum chewing.

6. No swearing, teasing, or name-calling. [and] 7. No cell

phones, MP3 players, or other electronics allowed”

44


(Macmillan, 2013). Third, there are consequences for

breaking rules: “first time gets a verbal warning, second

time loses privileges and gets a conference with teacher,

third time loses privileges and gets detention with a parent

contact (Macmillan, 2013). If a student is severely

disruptive, then he or she gets sent to the principal’s

office (Macmillan, 2013). This plan is strictly adhered to,

which has a twofold effect on students. On the one hand,

students are worried because there is no room for compromise

with respect to the consequences, but on the other, they

feel empowered, in a sense, because they are in charge of

the own actions and corresponding results. This effect

yields an atmosphere of respect, control, and

responsibility.

As already stated, the physical appearance of Dewey

parallels its larger community. In my examination of

Pomona, I portrayed it as relatively worn. Dewey’s

appearance echoes this depiction. The school’s brick

structures look aged. Its playground is tattered, and its

portables, although newer than the rest of the school, look

45


neglected. However, given this depiction, it would be a

colossal mistake to draw a necessary correlation between

Dewey Elementary School (the exterior manifestation) and

Dewey Elementary School (the vibrant community of

administrators, teachers, and students).

Dewey is in a unique position. It serves kindergarten

through eighth grade. Originally, it was just an elementary

school, in that it only served kindergarten through sixth

grade. Three years ago, when the local junior high

converted into a technical academy to suspend a state

annexation due to it reaching its fifth year in PI, the

school district added seventh and eighth grades to Dewey out

of obligation to accommodate displaced students. This

addition creates some organizational problems; not only does

Dewey need to house a sizeable student body (for its

physical dimensions), but also its faculty has to keep lower

and upper grades relativity separate—for the formers’

safety. Moreover, Dewey is kitty-corner to one of the

largest high schools in Pomona. A couple thousand students,

from kindergarten to twelfth grade, are contained within a

46


short distance from each other. This generates a logistical

challenge in terms of population control.

These factors do not seem to affect the morale of

Dewey’s faculty and students. When I walk through campus

during lunchtime, I see kids running and playing on the

playground. When I walk by classrooms, I hear teachers

teaching and students learning—as evidenced by hearing

critical questions and thoughtful answers. When I observe

teacher-student interactions, I see connections between

people. These connections, which in my opinion are one of

the most important things produced by the teacher-student

relationship, lead to student empowerment, in that the

interactions between the parties instill power into the

relation dynamic. Jim Cummins (2001) contends, “that human

relationships are at the heart of schooling” (p. 1).

Elsewhere, he states, “[E]mpowerment can be defined as the

collaborative creation of power” (p. 16). If Dewey’s

teachers and students are working together (i.e.,

collaborating) to construct a power relation that imparts

empowerment to its students, then much-needed change can

47


occur. As my description of Pomona and Dewey indicates, its

students are positioned in a social-historical location that

is replete with hardship, which I think is a product of an

unjust power structure. If this is the case, and Cummins is

correct, then Dewey’s teachers are doing precisely what they

are supposed to be doing, in terms of inspiring their

students.

The quantitative data and physical appearance of Dewey

Elementary School do not paint a pleasant picture. However,

my observations and the qualitative conclusions I draw from

them lead me to believe that Dewey is a much better school

than what is being represented. If Dewey is producing

empowered students who will become critical and productive

citizens, then this school is doing a fantastic job.

Classroom

In this section, I will explore my classroom, with

respect to appearance, policy, configuration, and resource.

When exploring a classroom, there are two things to take

into account. First, one should look at the physical

environment of the classroom itself. Second, one should

48


consider the population inhabiting the physical environment.

There is a necessary relationship between these two entities

that ultimately affects my students’ learning. The purpose

of the exploration is to help extrapolate these effects.

My classroom looks and feels like a science lab. It

looks and feels this way because it is a science lab. I

share my classroom with two other teachers, one of which is

the eighth grade math/science teacher. Instead of desks, or

normal sized tables, my classroom has tall laboratory

centers with stools around them. This setup functions well

enough, but is not optimal given the nature of my

instruction (i.e., a scripted math curriculum). In the back

right hand corner of my classroom, there are boxes of

laboratory supplies. I periodically have to remind my

students to leave these supplies alone. In the back left

hand corner, I set up a bulletin board to display student

work. I had to get permission from the other two teachers

to set up my bulletin board. Fortunately, they more than

understood the need for such a thing. In the front left

hand corner, there is a bulletin board for the after school

49


program teacher. These bulletin boards sandwich the

whiteboard, where most of my modeling of math problems takes

place. Thus, the students face the whiteboard and two

bulletin boards during instruction. There is a sink with a

water fountain in the front left hand counter as well. This

arrangement is not deliberate, and should be changed, but

cannot given the nature of my assignment (i.e. a half day

support for another special education teacher).

Dewey Elementary School has a school wide discipline

plan for all classroom teachers to follow. I introduced the

plan in the previous section of this ethnography. This plan

is deliberate and I am mandated, as an employee of Dewey, to

follow it. None of the norms on the plan were student

generated. As the document shows, six teachers collaborated

together to formulate it. I follow a behavior policy for my

classroom in conjunction with the discipline plan. Students

have three opportunities to correct their behaviors—aligned

with the plan—before I institute the sequence of

consequences given on the plan. These “opportunities” are

displayed on the whiteboard (under the agenda) next to

50


students’ names. Three demerits on a given day will result

in actions delineated on the school wide discipline plan.

My classroom protocols were given to me by my lead teacher

so as to be consistent with her protocols, and not confuse

our shared students.

The composition of my two classes is quite similar.

Both classes have four students in them. All of my students

are of Hispanic or Latino decent. Each class has three boys

and one girl. The two girls are quite talkative, and

instigate disobedient behavior from the boys. I have had to

isolate the girls, in terms of seating location, from the

boys in order to curb bad behavior. In other respects,

however, my classes are different. One of my classes is

seventh grade and the other is eighth. There is a big

difference, in terms of maturity, between the classes. The

seventh grade girl is the most disruptive, and has

progressed through the classroom discipline plan to an

office referral. One of my seventh grade boys is an English

Language Learner with a classification of Beginning (Y.

Macmillan, personal communication, October 7, 2013). Two of

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my eighth graders (one boy and the girl) are English

Language Learners with classifications of Early Advanced (Y.

Macmillan, personal communication, October 7, 2013). The

seventh grade girl is the only student who is not bilingual,

with a classification of English Only (Y. Macmillan,

personal communication, October 7, 2013).

With respect to resources, my assignment has afforded

me two important assets, but has some major limitations as

well. Regarding the former, I am given the curriculum from

the special education department. Because my curriculum is

a scripted math program, my lesson planning is minimal.

This frees up time to focus on other things (e.g., teaching

strategies). Also, my teacher-to-student ratio is 1:4,

which allows for a lot of differentiation and prime

learning. However, because my assignment is a partial day,

I am given a classroom that I must share, and thus cannot

modify for optimal instruction. Also, due of the nature of

my assignment, I cannot connect with my students at the

level I would like to, because I am essentially a helper to

52


their case carrier (my position has been made clear to

them).

The examination of my classroom, regarding

appearance, policy, configuration, and resource, has offered

insight into what my students need to maximize their

learning. Although there are positives with respect to

policy and resource, the negative aspects overshadow the

positive, concerning the range of factors considered. For

reasons listed above, I do not think that my students are

experiencing an optimal learning environment. I am

pessimistic, furthermore, that the situation will change

given the transient nature of my assignment.

Conclusion

One point of this ethnography is to help illuminate

realities facing me in my place of employment. I have

referred to them elsewhere as “perspective.” To accomplish

this task, three things were considered: 1. The city of

Pomona, which is the geographic location of my school,

informs the social-historical position(s) of my students.

53


2. Dewey Elementary School is my place of employment, thus

it is the immediate environment where education and

assessment occurs. Therefore, its profile influences the

success or failure of my students. 3. My classroom is where

instruction transpires. Its survey was informative to me in

that it revealed my location with respect to the greater

system in which I belong. The examination of these entities

has demonstrated the difficulty of the task before me.

Part C: Five Case Study Students

According to Delpit (2012), “If the curriculum we use

to teach our children does not connect in positive ways to

the culture young people bring to school, it is doomed to

failure” (p. 21). This statement alludes to the intention

of this study. That is to say, the purpose of my

ethnographic research is to make me a better teacher. To be

a better teacher, I need to be able to connect my curriculum

to my students. In order to connect my curriculum to my

students, I need to learn the culture of my students. This

study is an opportunity for me to learn the culture of my

students through direct observations and personal

54


conversations. If I fail to make the connection between

curriculum and students, then, as Delpit points out, I fail

as a teacher. However, if I am able to make the connection,

which is predicated on learning about, and getting to know,

my students, in essence making a connection with my

students, then I take the first steps toward being a better

teacher (Cummins, 2001). This is my goal for this project.

This part of the ethnographic narrative is an analysis

of five students. Their pseudonyms are: Immanuel, Paul,

Mark, William, and Sheila. The first three students are

seventh graders, and the last two students are eighth

graders. All of the students are boys, except Sheila. All

of the students receive special education services. All of

the students attend one of my math classes. All of the

students are of Latino decent. All of the students live

within walking distance of Dewey Elementary School (their

school of residence). All of the students are low to lower

middle class. As one can see, there are many similarities

among these students—with a few differences. Despite the

55


similarities, these students are individuals, and thus must

be considered as such.

For each student, I discuss five pertinent areas that

lead to needed information to help me accomplish my desired

goal. The first area is “Student’s Demographic

Information,” which presents school related quantitative

data for preliminary analysis. The second area is

“Preliminary Inferences,” where I discuss my observations of

respective students (without the insight of talking to close

family members), and draw inferences from these

examinations. The third area is “Student’s Story” where I

consider my interview with student’s family, in order to

glean context and understanding of their academic

performance and social connection. The fourth area is

“Student’s Academic Standing,” where I relay strengths and

weaknesses, in relation to course objectives and pertinent

standardized tests. The fifth area is “Student’s Action

Plan.” In this area, I establish academic and nonacademic

goals, which are the product of my analysis of the previous

sections. My research shows that, given the individuality

56


of my students and the social dysfunction they exude, they

are in need of personalized academic instruction and

positive social modification.

Immanuel: Student’s Demographic Information

I will begin my ethnographic analysis of Immanuel by

presenting school related data. Immanuel is a male student

of Hispanic ethnicity (for all the data in this paragraph,

see Appendix A1). He is in the seventh grade. His language

proficiency is identified as, “Limited English Proficient,”

and his CELDT level is “Early Intermediate.” He is placed

in an “English Plus” EL program at school. Immanuel’s

special education qualification is “Specific learning

Disability.” He receives special education services with an

allotment of 49% or less. He is enrolled in three general

education classes: Pre-Algebra, Introduction to Life

Science, and Physical Education. He is enrolled in two

special education classes: Language Arts (double block) and

Pre-Algebra 1.1. My special education lead at Dewey is

Immanuel’s teacher for Language Arts, and I am his teacher

for Pre-Algebra 1.1 (Dettmer, Knackendoffel, & Thurston,

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2013). The purpose of this data is to establish context for

forthcoming conclusions.

Immanuel: Preliminary Inferences

I had a general sense of who Immanuel was prior to

visiting with his family. My sense was informed by my many

interactions, observations, and conversations with him. I

will start with neutral information I obtained from the

subject and his case carrier (my special education lead at

Dewey). Immanuel lives in Pomona, California about three

blocks away from school (due north on Park Avenue). He

walks to and from school. He resides in a two-bedroom

apartment with his mother, her boyfriend, and his twin

brother. Immanuel was retained in second grade prior to

being assessed and qualifying for special education services

(Y. Macmillan, personal communication, November 11, 2013).

His twin brother is in eighth grade, and does not receive

special education services (Y. Macmillan, personal

communication, November 11, 2013). Immanuel’s twin does not

attend Dewey Elementary School because he was expelled

earlier this year for smoking marijuana on school grounds

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(Y. Macmillan, personal communication, November 11, 2013).

His brother attends a nearby middle school in the same

school district (Y. Macmillan, personal communication,

November 11, 2013). Immanuel’s biological father is

incarcerated (Y. Macmillan, personal communication, November

11, 2013).

Immanuel is a nice boy. He has a happy-go-lucky

attitude, which makes him endearing to his teachers. He

likes to joke around. For example, he often pretends that

he did not do his homework for class, which corresponds to a

consequence I instituted because he was not doing his

homework. When corrected for negative behavior, Immanuel

apologizes and modifies his actions. He is friendly when he

sees me out of class, which I think is a big deal for a

seventh grade student trying to fit in. I believe Immanuel

has a good heart and wants to be a good boy, but is

surrounded by negativity, which informs his undertakings.

Immanuel is a troubled student. His attendance at

school is less than desirable; he misses one day every week.

This affects his academic standing given that it limits his

59


access to information. When he does come to school, he is

late to class. He receives referrals to the office on a

regular basis. Personally, I have referred him three times

for picking on other students (bullying is not tolerated at

Dewey). I am continually refocusing him on my lecture

and/or his schoolwork during class time. He is talkative

during class and has conflicts with other students.

Immanuel and two other students, in particular, bicker

during class, which disrupts instruction and vies for other

students’ attention. I have had to isolate Immanuel from

the rest of the class by having him sit at a table by

himself, which serves to modify behavior.

Immanuel does not do his homework. He is able to do

it, as determined by observation and assessment, but chooses

not to. I have called his mother and given him detention

for this on many occasions. It has finally come to the

point where I have set up an agreement with him about this

issue. Per our agreement, I do not give him daily homework.

Rather, he stays in my class for one hour after school on

Wednesdays—Wednesdays are early release—and I give him all

60


the week’s homework, and he completes it then. This

agreement has been in effect for about a month, and thus far

it works; he completes the work in the time allotted and

gets one-on-one tutoring from me if needed.

Immanuel bullies other students in special education.

This has occurred in my class as witnessed by personal

observation and through testimonial from other students.

This has occurred in other general and special education

classes as well. Because of this behavior, after holiday

break, my special education lead, Immanuel’s mother, Dewey’s

administration, and myself are going to sit down and develop

a behavior plan for him (Y. Macmillan, personal

communication, November 11, 2013). The primary reason for

developing this plan is to modify negative behavior with

clear consequences, and thus allowing other students in

special education to feel safe. However, if this plan does

not have its desired effect, a secondary reason is to have a

validation for administration’s decision to expel Immanuel

from school (Y. Macmillan, personal communication, November

11, 2013).

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Immanuel: Student’s Story

The abovementioned description of Immanuel does not

paint a pretty picture. Although I shared some positive

aspects about him, the majority of my comments were

negative. It would be a mistake, however, to take my

comments at face value without some contextualization. At

this point, it is important for me to convey information I

received from my visit with Immanuel’s mother, and draw

inferences from that information. To get a clear indication

of who, what, and why Immanuel is the way he is, it is

essential to look at the phenomena that influence him.

According to his mother, the single most important event in

Immanuel’s life, which shaped his personality and his

general view of the world, was the incarceration of his

father (see Appendix A4). Given the delicate nature of this

subject, I did not ask probing questions about it, but from

overall conversation, I concluded that the confinement

occurred a couple of years ago. Immanuel was old enough to

realize what was happening, and still remembers the ordeal.

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His mother blames this occurrence for his current problems

in school (see Appendix A4).

Due to the contributory nature of this event in shaping

Immanuel into the person he is, I tend to think his father,

although absent, is the most influential figure in his life.

When I asked his mother if Immanuel still sees his father,

the answer was a quick and definitive “no!” His father, at

this point, is completely out of the picture (see Appendix

A4). Although I still stand by my conclusion regarding

Immanuel and his father, this answer from his mother led me

in a different direction. During my visit, I started

looking for other familial influences that might affect my

student. I think I found one while observing the

interactions between Immanuel and his brother in that his

brother tends to determine agendas for the two boys (see

Appendix A4). It seems to me that his twin brother has

taken the position of patriarch (even though the mother has

a boyfriend living in the house). I do not know who is

technically older, Immanuel or his brother, but I get the

sense that, since the former is in special education, the

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latter is the leader of the two. This might explain why

Immanuel’s behavior has become more extreme (in a negative

sense) since his brother was expelled from school. From my

visit with Immanuel’s mother, I conclude that she loves her

son, and wants the best for him. However, given my

observations of Immanuel at school and my conversation with

his mother at home, I think home life is having a negative

influence on him.

Generally speaking, given the correlation between my

preliminary observations and my conversation with Immanuel’s

mother, I think the atmosphere at home is having an effect

on his perception of school. When I asked Immanuel about

his feelings of school (in front of his mother), he

responded by identifying the talking points about the

importance of doing well and staying in school (see Appendix

A4). I recognize, however, a disconnect between what he

says about school and what he does in school. I have

already identified problem areas with Immanuel and school in

my preliminary observations; his behavior toward other

students in special education is a case in point. I think

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this disconnect is informed by his social-historical

location, which in turn influences his perception of what

school should be. That is to say, his familial context,

with its multiple components, informs his definition of

school (and the future for that matter). Immanuel treats

education as a means to an end. If the end—whatever that

may be—does not align with what he wants for his life, then

there is no point to education. It seems to me that, for

now, the end Immanuel is seeking is a good time. Given this

end, education is determined not fundamentally necessary.

As a follow-up question, I asked his mother about

Immanuel’s successes and setbacks in school. She replied

that his successes are social in nature and his problems

take an academic purview (see Appendix A4). I find this

response interesting given that, from my point of view,

Immanuel’s successes and problems are reversed from this

format. He is very social, but the type of social exchanges

he partakes in, in my class, brings about negative results.

From this discussion with his mother, I do not think we

agree in our interpretation of Immanuel’s situation at

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school. I propose that his home life is influencing (i.e.

is more influential than his mother realizes) his

performance at school in such a manner that performance at

school needs immediate correction.

As the aforementioned comments attest to, Immanuel is

socially connected to his family and friends. His mother

rightly identifies conviviality as his strength (from her

perspective) (see Appendix A4). There are moments of

amiability in my class, which are established by his

pleasant personality. He can be both supportive and

emboldening if he chooses. During these times of

encouragement, his classmates are truly appreciative as

demonstrated by their responses to him. Immanuel’s behavior

outside with his friends is more difficult to decipher.

There are times when he knows he is being observed;

therefore, he behaves in a manner that he thinks teachers

expect. This behavior is reminiscent of what I just

described in my class. However, there are other times when

he takes on the role of the aggressor and starts, from my

point of view, oppressing people around him. I have

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witnessed this in my class as well. It is difficult to draw

a conclusion regarding his friends’ placement in the web of

relationships. I do not know if Immanuel’s friends are

supporting or hindering him because of the inconsistency of

his behavior. Also, given his dominant personality, I am

led to believe that he is in the position to offer support

(or hinder) his friends. Immanuel is socially connected to

his family as well, but as with school, his behavior can be

good or bad depending on multiple factors (e.g., the role of

hegemony in the relationship).

Immanuel: Student’s Academic Standing

As previously mentioned, Immanuel attends my class:

Pre-Algebra 1.1. This class is a special day class, where I

instruct students using a scripted math program (at third

grade level). His strengths are in basic arithmetic, where

he performs single digit addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division (see Appendix A2). He is

accustomed to scoring one hundred percent on timed

worksheets that exhibit the abovementioned skills (see

Appendix A2). The program reinforces these skills

67


throughout because the authors assume that more difficult

problems will build upon them. Immanuel’s weakness, on the

other hand, is number families (see Appendix A2). Number

families are particular ways of setting up word problems to

help students decide whether they should use addition or

subtraction to determine given answers. He tends to reverse

mathematical functions, which results in wrong answers. The

math program is not governed by standards as such, whether

they are state or common core, but internal objectives that

coincide with its intended skills. Immanuel meets (and

struggles with) the objectives that correlate with the

aforesaid abilities. He performs well on formative

assessments. When I check for understanding, he is often

times correct. On the last summative assessment, Immanuel

scored eighty-seven percent (see Appendix A4). This is a

good score. However, it was the lowest score in the class.

He got this score because he scored poorly on the number

family section in the manner I have described (see Appendix

A4). If he had done well on this section, he would have

scored one hundred percent. For standardized tests,

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Immanuel scored 298 on the California Modified Assessment:

Mathematics, which is below basic (see Appendix A1). The

disconnect between my assessments and the standardized test

can be explained due to the program’s lack of academic

rigor.

Immanuel: Student’s Action Plan

I have one academic goal for Immanuel. My goal is to

have him master the concept of number families; mastery

denotes correct usage in eight out of ten problems. In the

last section test (i.e., Test 5), Immanuel scored three out

of ten points for number families, which indicates a failing

grade for this section (see Appendix A4). This poor

performance, as already stated, caused him to get an eighty-

seven percent on the test. Although this is a good grade,

Immanuel would have scored substantially higher if he had

done better in this section. Daily work shows consistency

with regards to his understanding of number families. My

plan for achieving this goal is fourfold: 1. frontloading

instruction by highlighting mathematical vocabulary, 2.

modeling correct usage to review appropriate arrangements,

69


3. using manipulatives to make theoretical instruction more

practical, and 4. playing number family games, which are

imbedded in the program to help students go over proper

procedures (Vaughn & Bos, 2012). Throughout this plan, I

will check for understanding to determine areas of need and

points to reteach. I think this plan will work because it

utilizes different strategies to teach the same concept,

thus addressing different learning modalities. Progress

toward this goal will be determined by formative and

summative assessments as given by the scripted program.

I also have a non-academic goal for Immanuel, which is

correct socialization. As previously mentioned, this

student is a social person, but he tends to pick on other

students whom he considers are more aligned to his

perception of special education. My goal is to have this

behavior stop. Per Dewey’s behavior policy, this behavior

necessitates negative consequences—I introduced this policy

in Part B of this ethnography. However, I will also

implement a positive consequence in the form of a marble jar

in that good behavior (i.e. treating other students with

70


respect) adds marbles to a jar, which allows Immanuel to

work with the class toward a pizza party as determined by a

full marble jar. According to my lead, these two types of

consequences (i.e. negative and positive) tend to work with

this student to modify behavior.

Paul and Mark: Students’ Demographic Information

Since Paul and Mark are twin brothers, I will treat my

analysis of them as a unit. I will begin with Paul by

presenting school related data. He is a male student of

Hispanic ethnicity (for all the data in this paragraph, see

Appendix B1). He is in the seventh grade. His language

proficiency is identified as, “Other/Unknown,” and his CELDT

level is “Unknown or Not Applicable.” He is not in an EL

program at school. Paul’s special education qualification

is “Visual Impairment.” He receives special education

services with an allotment of 49% or less. He is enrolled

in three general education classes: Pre-Algebra,

Introduction to Life Science, and Physical Education. He is

enrolled in two special education classes: Language Arts

(double block) and Pre-Algebra 1.1. My special education

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lead is Paul’s teacher for Language Arts, and I am his

teacher for Pre-Algebra 1.1.

Mark’s data is similar to Paul’s with a few

differences. Mark is a male student of Hispanic ethnicity

(for all the data in this paragraph, see Appendix C1). He

is in the seventh grade. His language proficiency is

identified as, “Non Assessed Fluent English Prof,” and his

CELDT level is “Unknown or Not Applicable.” He is also not

in an EL program at school. Mark’s special education

qualifications are “Visual Impairment” and “Other Health

Impairment.” He has a nonfunctioning feeding tube in his

stomach. He receives special education services with an

allotment of 49% or less. As with his brother, he is

enrolled in three general education classes: Pre-Algebra,

Introduction to Life Science, and Physical Education. He is

also enrolled in two special education classes: Language

Arts (double block) and Pre-Algebra 1.1. My special

education lead is Mark’s teacher for Language Arts, and I am

his teacher for Pre-Algebra 1.1. The purpose of this data

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(for both students) is to establish context for forthcoming

conclusions.

Paul and Mark: Preliminary Inferences

I will start with neutral information I obtained from

Paul and Mark and their case carrier. They live in Pomona,

California across the street from Dewey Elementary School on

Park Avenue. Their grandmother walks them to and from

school every day. They reside in a two-bedroom apartment

with their grandmother and mother. Their grandmother uses

one bedroom and they share the other bedroom with their

mother. Their grandmother works as a babysitter during the

day and their mother works at a candy manufacturer during

the night. Paul and Mark’s grandmother is their legal

guardian. She signs all school related paperwork, including

their Individual Education Program invitation and signature

page (Y. Macmillan, personal communication, September 23,

2013). They were born two months premature, which affected

their health—particularly their eyesight—and stature (Y.

Macmillan, personal communication, September 23, 2013).

They have an older half-brother who lives in Texas with his

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father (who is not theirs). They sometimes refer to their

brother as their father. Paul and Mark have never met their

biological father.

I will start with my observations of Paul. He is a

nice boy. He is respectful to fellow students and me.

Fellow students reciprocate this respect back to him. To

illustrate this point, I have a problem in my seventh grade

class with students interjecting their opinions in other

students’ conversations, or just interjecting their opinions

and wills onto others generally. This usually escalates

into heated verbal exchanges. Paul does not usually

participate in these developments. When he does interpose

his judgment, it is academically related, and he is

typically correct in his analysis. The other students, with

the exception of one, recognize his social position in the

class, and concede their points. I also respond to Paul in

like manner, because his thoughtfulness is evident in his

behavior. Throughout the fall semester, he saw me drinking

coffee during scripted instruction. For Christmas, he gave

me a mug so that I would have a new cup with which to drink

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my coffee. I know that Paul’s family is struggling

financially. I have had many conversations with his case

carrier about his lack of resources, and how this affects

his academic productivity. Yet, I felt compelled to accept

his gift to maintain student-teacher connection. I

recognize his family’s sacrifice, and his motivation behind

the gift. The general spirit of his actions engenders a

particular outlook of who he is, and in turn an equivalent

response.

Paul is my highest academic achiever in seventh grade.

When I check for understanding during instruction and

independent work, he is correct ninety-five percent of the

time. He scores between ninety and one hundred percent on

all homework and timed worksheets (see Appendix B2). Since

I have taken the class, I have given three section tests.

He scored a ninety-five percent on the first test, and one

hundred percent on the second and third tests (see Appendix

B3). Because of these grades, I think the level of

instruction is too easy for him, but according to his case

carrier his grade in general education math and his

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percentage of special education placement justify his

residency in my class (Y. Macmillan, personal communication,

December 24, 2013).

Paul’s level of academic achievement comes with a

negative side effect. I have another student who is a high

achiever as well, but not as high as Paul. She is jealous

of him. Because of his grades (and small stature), she

bullies him, and tries to get him to miss problems on

purpose, so that she can score higher. My special education

lead (who is case carrier for both students) has added a

behavior plan to the girl’s Individual Education Program to

curtail this phenomenon (Y. Macmillan, personal

communication, December 24, 2013).

Paul is a couple of minutes older than Mark. Paul’s

stature is bigger than Mark’s. Paul’s academic acumen is

higher than Mark’s. There is a trend here. This trend

informs a dynamic in the relationship between these two

brothers. As both Paul and Mark recognize, Paul is the

leader of the two in that he determines the agenda for given

activities. It is also his job to look after his brother.

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I have seen Paul organize his brother’s homework, clarify

questions his brother does not understand, and even get

aggressive with those who treat his brother less than what

Paul thinks his brother deserves. For example, Paul will

not stand up for himself when the girl who is jealous of him

is bullying him, but he will be aggressive with her when she

is picking on Mark. From this, I conclude that his internal

drive to protect his brother is stronger than self-

preservation. Although I do not condone student-to-student

confrontation, I respect Paul for his sense of family, as

represented by how he treats his brother.

I will now turn my attention to Mark. He is also a

nice boy. As compared to his brother, he does not have the

same classroom presence, and thus he tends to get lost

and/or left behind—in terms of social and/or academic

progress. To compensate for his inconspicuousness, Mark

complements me every day to draw my attention toward him.

He says things like: “you are amazing,” “you are handsome,”

and “you are the best teacher.” I believe these complements

are sincere. However, as his classmates point out, he says

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these same things to all of his teachers. The other

students do not think of these comments as brown-nosing, but

as a display of Mark’s peculiarity. To further inform and

solidify this perception of him, he touches and scratches

areas of his body that are private in nature. This disturbs

fellow students (other than his brother). I have talked to

his case carrier about this, and her reply was that he has

Eczema (Y. Macmillan, personal communication, December 24,

2013). Although this justifies his behavior, it does not

repair his reputation; his classmates still think he is

weird. Because of his reputation, and the treatment from

other students it insights, I have taken it upon myself to

protect him from their acts. This course of action,

however, has backfired in that the other students now think

I favor Mark, which has influenced more austere treatment

toward him.

As previously mentioned, Paul is my most advanced

seventh-grader. Mark, on the other hand, is my lowest

performing seventh-grader—in terms of academic

accomplishment. When I ask Mark questions, as part of

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formative assessment, he does well in that he is most often

times correct. He also scores well on his homework. He is

custom to attaining between ninety and one hundred percent

(see Appendix C2). However, he does not do well on section

tests, and since section tests essentially comprise the

final grade for the course, he is not doing well in my

class. Out of three section tests, he has scored a fifty-

two percent, a sixty-four percent, and an eighty-nine

percent (see Appendix C3). The first two scores are

considered failing for the scripted program, but the third

score is four percentage points above mastery. In addition

to major reviewing, to get Mark to do this well on the last

section test, I had to scaffold and use many different

strategies in frontloading instruction. Whereas this

course’s level of instruction is not rigorous to most of my

students, it is for Mark.

Mark displays peculiar behaviors when he struggles with

academic content that impede successful completion of tasks.

For example, when my other students struggle with math

problems, they either deconstruct the problems in that they

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break the problems into their constitutive parts, and work

them through as such, or if the problems are still too

difficult, they skip the problems altogether. This is a

valid strategy for timed worksheets and section tests.

Mark does not do this. Rather, he fixates on problems he

does not know, and therefore does not progress through given

assignments. This causes him to fail these assignments.

This is precisely what happened on the first two section

tests. In addition, when Mark misses a problem, he gets

upset, questions my answer, and then when I adequately argue

my case, he gets more frustrated with my explanation. I

conclude from this that he does not take correction well,

which does not bode well for students in general, because it

shows a lack of teachablility.

Paul and Mark: Students’ Story

The above descriptions of Paul and Mark highlight both

positive and negative aspects. As with my examination of

Immanuel, it would be a mistake to accept my comments

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without some sort of contextualization. At this point, it

is important for me to convey information I received from my

visit with Paul and Mark’s grandmother, and draw inferences

from that information. As a side note, I think it is

important to point out that the boys’ mother was asleep in

an adjacent bedroom while this interview took place. This

is fitting given that the grandmother is their primary

guardian and contact for school related matters. To get a

clear indication of who Paul and Mark are, it is essential

to look at the phenomena that influence them. When I asked

their grandmother about the most important event that shaped

or influenced them, her reply identified the event of their

birth (see Appendix B4). As already stated, Paul and Mark

were born premature. Their bodies were not fully developed

at the time of their birth. The primary effects this had on

them were impaired eyesight (they are legally blind, but can

see a little with corrective lenses) and truncated bodies

(they are substantially shorter than other children their

age). The former effect establishes their placement in

special education, and their reception of such services.

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Upon preliminary observation, I tended to think that

the most important individual in Paul and Mark’s life is

their grandmother, but when I asked her who was most

influential to the boys, she identified their mother (see

Appendix B4). The grandmother’s rational for this answer

highlighted some key points. First, their mother gave them

life. Second, she sacrificed her life for them in terms of

changing her lifestyle for their betterment. Third, she

sacrificed her life again in terms of swallowing her pride

to seek help when she realized she could not raise them on

her own. When she realized this, she and the boys moved in

with the grandmother (see Appendix B4). The latter point

has given the boys an opportunity to attend Dewey, and

receive academic support from their case carrier, which

according to the grandmother has transformed their lives

(see Appendix B4). Upon further reflection, given my

initial assumption and the grandmother’s response, I think I

confused the categories of “importance” and “influence.”

These categories are not necessarily the same. I can see

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how sacrifice correlates to influence, particularly with

residual developments that positively affect family.

After talking about influences, I segued the

conversation toward Paul and Mark’s views about school. I

asked the grandmother, “How do they feel about Dewey

Elementary?” Her reply did not surprise me. According to

her, Paul loves school and Mark does not (see Appendix B4).

I asked her why she thinks this is the case. She alluded to

Paul’s success in school, and Mark’s tendency to stress out

when he struggles with method and content (see Appendix B4).

The language she used made me suspect of reiteration. I

asked her if she had this conversation with Paul and Mark’s

case carrier, and she responded in the affirmative (about

two weeks prior to my interview) (see Appendix B4). Even

though this correspondence predetermines the data, I found

it necessary to continue my line of questioning. I asked

the grandmother when the boys feel most and lease successful

in school. She replied that the boys feel most successful

while in special education classes and least successful

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while in general education classes (see Appendix B4). I

think this response was predetermined as well.

Given the nature of the grandmother’s answers to the

aforesaid questions, I decided to try and glean information

through observation. Even with two incomes in the family, I

would consider Paul and Mark poor. There are many factors

to indicate this (e.g., apartment location and appearance).

Yet, given economic hardship, there seems to be a

substantial desire within the family for material things in

that there is a flat screen television in their living room

with multiple game consoles. There is a big stereo next to

the television. I asked the grandmother if the boys had

access to a computer to do research, and she countered by

saying that their only access is at school (see Appendix

B4). As a side note, I have heard general education

teachers complain about accommodations they make for Paul

and Mark, due to their lack of resources. I classify this

information under cultural and economic influences, but in

my mind that seems to justify the disconnect in priority for

material goods and needed resources. I really do not know

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how to synthesize and internalize this information to make

me a better teacher for Paul and Mark.

The boys are socially connected (and disconnected) in

so far as they are only connected to each other. I have

never seen them play with other students during nutrition

break and/or lunch recess. They are always standing next to

the boy’s restroom, waiting for the bell to ring to indicate

the end of recess. They interact with other students during

class, but never as friends. When I asked their grandmother

a question regarding their social connectedness, her reply

added context to my observations. According to her

testimony, the boys do not need “friends” as such; they have

family (see Appendix B4). On the one hand, I can see that a

strong family unit is an asset, especially during times of

struggle, but on the other, I think emphasizing family to

the exclusion of friends is myopic and socially problematic

for reasons of future sustainability. I think her reply is

informed by a history of mistreatment of Paul and Mark by

other children, and thus is an attempt to protect them.

Paul and Mark: Students’ Academic Standing

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As previously mentioned, Paul and Mark attend my class:

Pre-Algebra 1.1. This class is a special day class, where I

instruct students using a scripted math program (at third

grade level). In relation to this class, in terms of

academics, I cannot analyze Paul as I do other students,

looking at their strengths and weaknesses, because he is

above this program’s level of competency. He does not have

a weakness as far as I can see, and therefore does not

struggle with a corresponding standard. I have already

addressed his performance on formative and summative

assessments. I would like to either pass him out of my

class, but for reasons previously mentioned I cannot, or

give him more rigorous work, which would be a logistical

nightmare and against the special education department’s

protocol. Paul scored 402 on the California Modified

Assessment: Mathematics, which is proficient (see Appendix

B1). There is uniformity between my analysis of his ability

and the score he got on this standardized test

Mark is a different story. His strengths are in basic

arithmetic, where he performs single digit addition,

86


subtraction, multiplication, and division. He is accustomed

to scoring ninety-five to one hundred percent on timed

worksheets that exhibit the abovementioned skills (see

Appendix B2). Conversely, Mark’s weakness is number

families. I have given a thorough description of number

families in my analysis of Immanuel. Mark’s problem with

number families parallels Immanuel’s. As already stated,

the math program is not governed by standards, but by

internal objectives that coincide with its intended skills.

Mark meets (and struggles with) the objectives that

correlate with the aforesaid abilities. He performs well on

formative assessments; when I check for understanding, he is

most often times correct. On the last summative assessment,

Mark scored eighty-nine percent (see Appendix C3). This is

a good score. I have already given reasons for this grade.

For standardized tests, Mark scored 308 on the California

Modified Assessment: Mathematics, which is basic (see

Appendix C1). There seems to be consistency between my

summative assessments and the standardized test

Paul and Mark: Students’ Action Plan

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I do not have an academic goal for Paul, given his

level of competency and the level of rigor for the math

program, but I do for Mark. Since Mark is struggling with

the same thing as Immanuel, my goal for the former is the

same as the latter. My goal is to have Mark master the

concept of number families; mastery denotes correct usage in

eight out of ten problems. My plan for achieving this goal

is fourfold: 1. frontloading instruction by highlighting

mathematical vocabulary, 2. modeling correct usage to review

appropriate arrangements 3. using manipulatives to make

theoretical instruction more practical, and 4. playing

number family games, which are imbedded in the program, to

help the student go over proper procedures. Throughout this

plan, I will continually check for understanding to

determine areas of need and points to reteach. I think this

plan will work because it utilizes different strategies to

teach the same concept, thus addressing different learning

modalities. Progress toward this goal will be determined by

formative and summative assessments as given by the scripted

program.

88


Since Paul and Mark struggle with the same social

problem, I have the same non-academic goal for both

students, which is correct socialization. As previously

mentioned, these boys are socially connected, but only to

each other. They have no friends as such. I want to change

this (with the permission of their grandmother). I want to

introduce them to other students who they can possibly

develop friendships with. I plan on accomplishing this goal

by teaming up with a general education teacher—a teacher who

knows the boys well—so that he or she can suggest people who

can partner up with Paul and Mark for extra curricular

activities. I understand that I cannot determine

friendships per se, but I can help these boys develop

friendships by facilitating opportunities for interaction.

William: Student’s Demographic Information

As with the other students in this ethnography, I will

begin my analysis of William by presenting school related

data. William is a male student of Hispanic ethnicity (for

all the data in this paragraph, see Appendix D1). He is in

the eighth grade. His language proficiency is identified

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as, “Limited English Proficient,” and his CELDT level is

“Intermediate.” He is placed in an “English Plus” EL

program at school. William’s special education

qualification is “Specific Learning Disability.” He

receives special education services with an allotment of 49%

or less. He is enrolled in three general education classes:

Algebra, United States History, and Physical Education. He

is enrolled in two special education classes: Language Arts

(double block) and Pre-Algebra 1.2. My special education

lead at Dewey is William’s teacher for Language Arts, and I

am his teacher for Pre-Algebra 1.2. The purpose of this

data is to establish context for forthcoming conclusions I

draw from observations and conversations.

William: Preliminary Inferences

Through interactions, observations, and conversations

with William, I have developed a general sense of who he is

prior to visiting with his family. I will start with

impartial information I obtained from the subject and his

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case carrier. William lives in Pomona, California about

four blocks away from school (due West on Lexington Avenue).

He walks to and from school. He resides in a three-bedroom

rented house with his father, mother, and three older

siblings—all of which are girls. William is substantially

young than his siblings (about eight years their junior).

He has an older sister—the eldest—who no longer lives at

home. She is twenty-nine years old, and lives in Los

Angeles with her boyfriend and their child. William’s

parents are immigrants from Mexico. His father speaks

broken English while his mother is not bilingual—speaks only

Spanish (Y. Macmillan, personal communication, September 23,

2013). William and all his siblings grew up (are growing up)

and went (are going) to school in Pomona. They have an

established history in their community.

William is personable. This results in him being

extremely popular among his teachers and fellow students.

He often sets tones for my classroom. When he is upset, the

other students exhibit tension; when he is depressed, the

other students communicate a melancholy air; when he is

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happy, the other students extend a cheerful ambiance. He is

also intelligent. He is well informed about American pop

culture, and is able to make connections among musical,

theatrical, and literary themes. We often philosophize

about such themes in relation to ethical mores. When my

lead teacher informed him about the nature of my academic

research, he started asking me questions of a philo-

religious motif. He inquired about the arguments for and

against the existence of God, the nature of heaven and hell,

and in particular about different views regarding the

religious “Other.” Although I wanted to talk to him about

these things, I quickly diverted the subject, so as to not

be guilty of discussing “religion” in a public arena, which

is legally questionable. This description of his

inquisitiveness, nonetheless, shows the type of student I am

attending to with William.

In addition to being personable and intelligent,

William is extremely talkative. This phenomenon often times

transforms into something problematic. Although there are

only three other students in my class, William is able to

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escalate, at will, inattention and disruption. For example,

he often asks questions that are unrelated to the subject

matter, and this easily ignites into full-blown

conversations among the students. This requires me to

constantly refocus the students to the task at hand. That

being said, the opposite is also the case; when William is

focused on the lecture and/or classwork, the rest of the

class follows his model.

In terms of formative assessment questions and

summative assessment percentages, William is the highest

performer in my eighth grade math class. The course work

for the Pre-Algebra 1.2 scripted program is at a fourth

grade level. As previously mentioned, he is also taking

Algebra in general education. There is a four-year

difference between what I am teaching William, with respect

to content, and what his eighth grade Algebra teacher is

teaching him. The scripted program interlaces basic

arithmetic into pre-algebraic formulas. According to

William’s own admission, this work is too easy for him.

However, according to his case carrier, his overall

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performance is keeping him in special education, and thus in

my math class (Y. Macmillan, personal communication,

November 5, 2013). The result of this placement and his

approach to the subject matter creates two potential

problems: 1. he rushes through all the assignments,

including section tests, and 2. he works ahead on daily

work. These actions affect his academic standing and

classroom behavior.

With respect to the former, William rushes through

assignments and tests, which causes him to make careless

mistakes. These mistakes are lowering his grade. For

example, on one of his section tests, he missed numerous

basic arithmetic questions, which brought his grade down to

a C (see Appendix D3). When I reviewed the test, and asked

him if he knew the math problems, his frustration with his

performance showed me that he knew the material, but made

foolish errors. However, even with his frustration over

under performance, the abovementioned behavior does not

change; he still consistently rushes through assignments and

tests. Regarding the latter point, William works ahead on

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daily work, which affords him free time toward the end of

class. He uses this free time to distract other students

from my instruction and their coursework. This causes other

students to fall behind on their work. From a teacher’s

point of view, William’s behavior is unacceptable due to the

product it produces. I must address his conduct, which

divides my attention by causing me to stop instruction and

refocus the class to the task at hand. In an attempt to

possibly help William and curtail poor behavior, which would

have the residual effect of helping other students stay

focused in class, I have chosen him for this project.

William: Student’s Story

The above description of William highlights both

positive and negative aspects. There seems to be a

correlation among them as determined by observation. As

with the other students I analyzed, it would be a mistake to

accept my comments without contextualization. At this

point, it is important for me to convey information I

received from my visit with William’s parents, and draw


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of whom William is, and why he is that way, it is essential

to look at the phenomena that influence him. When I asked

his parents about the most important event that shaped or

influenced him, their reply signified an occurrence that

transpired before he was born (see Appendix D4). His

parents, who are around sixty years old, immigrated to the

United States from Mexico in the mid-to-late nineteen-

seventies (see Appendix D4). With foresight, they moved to

the United States after they got married to help provide for

a better future for their forthcoming offspring (see

Appendix D4). According to William’s parents, this effort

worked; his life, in their opinion, is much better than it

would have been if they had stayed in Mexico (see Appendix

D4). His parents are particularly happy with the education

he is receiving in school. They are thankful for his

qualification in special education (see Appendix D4). I am

not familiar with public education in Mexico, but his

parents are convinced that he would not get his educational

needs met there given his special circumstances.

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As a natural follow-up question, I asked William’s

parents, “Who is the most influential figure(s) in his

life?” Their response was twofold. The first person is his

mother (see Appendix D4). As already stated, William is the

youngest of five children. He is substantially younger than

his siblings. All of his siblings are girls—he is the only

boy. His mother admittedly states that William is her

favorite child and that their relationship is special as

compared to his sisters (see Appendix D4). To be quite

honest, in one sense, this admission shocks me; I do not

know how a parent can favor one child over others. However,

from a different point of view (i.e., one infused with

cultural sensibilities), this confession makes perfect sense

(Smith & Tyler, 2010). William’s family is Latino, and

traditional Latino culture esteems masculinity over

femininity. Since William is the only male child, his

mother (and father for that matter) considers him the proper

heir of the family, which informs his favored position, and

sets the parameter of their relationship. This dynamic

clearly affects Williams’s sense of self, which in turn

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affects his behavior. The second person his parents

consider influential is his eldest sister (see Appendix D4).

He has personally told me that he considers her the “smart”

sister. She is self-sufficient in that she works two jobs,

is raising a child, and has moved out of the familial

dwelling. According to William, she is accomplishing what

he aspires to achieve. Because she is self-sufficient, and

they are family, he can be self-sufficient as well. She

gives him hope. From this conversation with William’s

parents, I conclude that his relationship with his mother

can be problematic in that she tends to enable him, which

spoils him, but his relationship with his sister is positive

because she demonstrates real life possibilities.

There is a disconnect between the conclusions I drew

from my observations at school and what William’s parents

think about the institution in relation to his location. As

previously mentioned, his behavior is sporadic at school; it

ebbs and flows between the ideal student and an instigator

of disruption. His parents, however, think the former is

the norm and, from my questioning of William during the

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interview, they have no reason to think otherwise. When I

asked him how he feels about school, his reply mirrored his

parents’ sentiments regarding its necessity for future

opportunity (see Appendix D4). I conclude from this that

school, for this student, is an essential annoyance for the

purpose of potential development. Education is a means to

an end, and the end is success (however William defines it).

I think his cultural and economic background influence his

perception of school. His parents rational for leaving

Mexico and immigrating to the United States to reach “the

other side” for survival have seeped into the subconscious

motivations of William. One of my forthcoming goals is to

teach him about the intrinsic worth of education; that is to

say, education is an end in and of itself. If I can

accomplish this task, then I think his behavior will

equalize, as determined by inherent motivations.

William is socially connected. He gets along well with

other students in special education. He appears to be the

leader in the sense of determining the general behavioral

ethos of the classroom. During nutrition breaks and lunch

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recesses, I see him talking with other students, who I

assume are his friends, who are not in special education.

He seems to be able to equalize the social boundaries

between special and general education. At home, although

this may be a skewed conclusion given the nature of my

visit, William appears to be the focus of the family (see

Appendix D4). He is the center of attention, and sets the

agenda for the household. His family supports him

academically in terms of being actively involved with

school, and in the IEP process. I think the reason for this

harkens back to his parents push and pull factors for

immigrating. His social connectedness looks to be a support

for academic achievement.

William: Student’s Academic Standing

As previously mentioned, William attends my class: Pre-

Algebra 1.2. This class is a special day class, where I

instruct students using a scripted math program (at fourth

grade level). His strength is math in general; he does need

much support in this subject area. He does very well on

timed worksheets and lesson specific homework (see Appendix

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D2). William’s weakness, on the other hand, is section

tests (see Appendix D3). As already stated, he tends to

rush through tests, which causes him to make careless

mistakes, and score lower than what he should given his

level of mathematical competency. The math program is not

governed by standards as such, but internal objectives that

coincide with its intended skills. William meets the

objectives that correlate with the daily lessons. He

performs very well on formative assessments. When I check

for understanding, he is almost always correct. On the last

summative assessment, William scored eighty-one percent (see

Appendix D3). Eighty-five percent is considered mastery.

For the statewide assessment test, William scored 442 on the

California Modified Assessment: Mathematics, which is

“Proficient” (see Appendix D1). The disconnect between the

formative assessments I give and the standardized test he

takes can be explained through of his lack of motivation,

due to the lack of importance he places on the section

tests. I have a plan to correct the discrepancy.

William: Student’s Action Plan

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I have one academic goal and one non-academic goal for

William. There is a close connection between these two

goals in so far as the achievement of the latter will help

with the achievement of the former. Regarding the former,

my academic goal for William is to have him do better on his

section tests. Admittedly, this is a vague goal. William

has a B average for his test scores (see Appendix D4). This

is considered passing for the scripted math program, and

thus deemed acceptable to the special education department.

However, as determined by formative assessments, I know that

William should be scoring between B+ and A- on his tests.

My goal is to have William get a minimum of B+ on the next

two section tests. I think this goal can be achieved by

getting William to alter his approach to tests, and slow

down. However, this objective prompts the question, “How

might I do this?” As previously mentioned, William has a

preconceived notion about the purpose of education. I think

his “philosophy” of education is informing his caviler

treatment of section tests. I need to teach him about the

intrinsic worth of education.

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My non-academic goal for William is a paradigm shift

regarding his rationale for going to school. I have already

made a connection with this student, and I think that

through open and honest dialogue regarding this subject, his

opinion can be changed. In my judgment, when he realizes

the inherent worth of education, his conduct with respect to

his schooling will change toward actions that are deemed

more respectful. If he is more respectful of tests and the

test taking process, perhaps he will spend more time on

them.

Sheila: Student’s Demographic Information

I will begin my analysis of Sheila by presenting school

related data. She is a female student of Hispanic ethnicity

(for all the data in this paragraph, see Appendix E1). She

is in the eighth grade. Her language proficiency is

identified as, “Limited English Proficient,” and her CELDT

level is “Beginning.” She is placed in an “Other EL

Instruction” program at school. Sheila’s special education

qualification is “Specific Learning Disability.” She

receives special education services with an allotment of 50%

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or more. She is enrolled in three general education

classes: Algebra, United States History, and Physical

Education. She is enrolled in two special education

classes: Language Arts (double block) and Pre-Algebra 1.2.

My special education lead at Dewey is Sheila’s teacher for

Language Arts, and I am her teacher for Pre-Algebra 1.2.

The purpose of this data is to establish context for

forthcoming conclusions I draw from observations and

conversations.

Sheila: Preliminary Inferences

Through observations and conversations with Sheila, I

have developed a general sense of who she is (prior to

visiting with her family). I will start with impartial

information I obtained from the subject and her case

carrier. Sheila lives in Pomona, California about one block

away from school (due East on Lexington Avenue). She walks

to and from school. She resides in a three-bedroom rented

house with her father, mother, and three siblings—one older

sister, one younger brother, and one younger sister.

Sheila’s parents are immigrants from Mexico. Both her

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parents are bilingual; they speak English with an accent (Y.

Macmillan, personal communication, September 23, 2013).

Sheila and all her siblings are growing up and going to

school in Pomona. Her older sister is a junior at a nearby

academy, and her two younger siblings attend Dewey. Her

family is active in their community.

Sheila is a friendly individual. She is gregarious and

convivial to other people she wants to befriend. This

personality trait can be both positive and negative.

Regarding the former, she is the first student to welcome me

when I started at Dewey. Her willingness to initiate the

student-teacher connection so soon upon meeting me is

significant because my placement occurred two weeks after

school started, after she had already established a routine,

and her residency in my classroom took her away from another

teacher with whom she had already built a connection. Our

relationship has not diminished with time. She still stays

after school to help me with house keeping and to discuss

her social activities. Her behavior towards me is not

particular to me. Sheila is also a good friend with the

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other students in her class. This bods well for her—and

myself—given that she is the only girl among several swirly

boys who are rough around the edges.

Unfortunately, this personality trait can also be

negative. I have observed Sheila during nutrition breaks

and lunch recesses. She plays with her friends most of the

time. However, there are other times when she is the

outsider (or being treated like an outsider), but does not

realize it. Some students treat her differently, but due to

her disposition, she continues to seek their acceptance.

Her actions, during these times, usually enforce and

solidify these students’ treatment. I have witnessed a

proctor separating Sheila from a group of students. When I

talked to the proctor about the incident, he informed me

that his actions where to save her from further

embarrassment. According to his description, Sheila was

imposing herself onto the group, and when the students

shunned her, she started groveling for their friendship. In

this sense, her friendliness turns into neediness, which

works as a negative for creating friendships.

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In addition to, and perhaps a close correlation with,

her friendliness and neediness, Sheila has extreme mood

swings. At one point, she can be talkative and engaged, but

upon minor correction, she can change to be quiet and

detached. She can be joking and laughing at another point,

but upon hearing an inconsequential comment, she can become

outraged and unruly. For example, I heard one student in my

class make a comment about Sheila’s weight; she got very

angry and started yelling at him. The vile that came out of

her mouth shocked everyone. I had to correct her. She

reported the incident to office personnel, and got her

parents to begin harassment proceedings. Upon hearing the

evidence, the school board dropped the case. However, this

incident shows the extreme nature of her moods.

Sheila is close to being my lowest performer in terms

of academic capability. Although my math class is beneath

her with regards to grade level, the program still assumes a

certain level of math competency that she does not possess.

The program assumes that students know multiplication.

Sheila does not have her multiplication facts memorized.

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For classwork and daily homework, this does not drastically

affect her because she can use a multiplication table for

support. However, for section tests, she is not afforded

this convenience. The rule that students cannot use

external supports during testing is dictated by the program

itself, which is officially sponsored by the school

district’s special education department. Sheila’s last two

test scores are around thirty percent (see Appendix E3).

Since the program places little emphasis on classwork and

homework, and stresses tests scores to determine grades, she

is failing the course.

Sheila: Student’s Story

The abovementioned description of Sheila communicates

both positive and negative aspects about her. From my point

of view, there seems to be a correlation between these

aspects. It would be a mistake, however, to take my

comments at face value without some contextualization. At

this point, it is important for me to convey information I

received from my visit with Sheila’s parents, and draw


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of who Sheila is, it is essential to look at the phenomena

that influence her. When I asked her parents about the most

important event that shaped or influenced her, their reply

was not informative. They were not committed to one event,

or even a series of events (see Appendix E4). I tried to

draw them out by suggesting some possibilities, but they

still did not lead in any particular direction. Although

this exchange did not relay desired information, it did give

me insight to Sheila’s decision-making skills. When I ask

her questions in class during instruction, she is very

noncommittal. It is hard to get her to decide on answers;

she tends to guess, while reading my face for affirmation.

I followed up the initial question with a second: Who

has been the most influential figure in Sheila’s life, and

why? Her mother immediately indicated her father, and then

a minor argument ensued between them (see Appendix E4).

From what I gather, Sheila’s father is the only one she

listens to. The reason for this, according to the mother,

is because he spoils her (see Appendix E4). The mother

cannot get her to do anything around the house, and her

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father, to get production from her, must buy her things (see

Appendix E4). I think this is a precedence he has set. A

major point of contention between her parents is the

difference in the father’s treatment of his children.

According to the mother, he treats Sheila “better” than her

siblings (see Appendix E4). His defense for this behavior

is her placement in special education. Her siblings do not

receive special education services, so according to his

argument she needs more support (see Appendix E4). Sheila

is well aware of this phenomena; she has bragged about it

many times to her classmates and myself. I think this

treatment from her father is a bad influence on her. In my

judgment, it is partly responsible for her mood swings in

that she is spoiled, and others will not treat her like her

father. She reacts in like manner at school as she does at

home, but with different results, which in turn produces

ostracism.

Although Sheila is not academically successful and

struggles with moments of exclusion, she seems to like

school. Her parents verify this conclusion (see Appendix

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E4). There is a disconnect, in my mind, between these two

things. Why does she like school if she is not successful?

When I asked her parents about this, her mother’s reply

indicated the social aspect of school (see Appendix E4).

School, for Sheila, is primarily and predominately a

communal endeavor. Even though she is excluded from some

social circles, she either is unaware of the exclusion, or

simply does not care, and thus school remains a place to

associate with people. Since she emphasizes, in terms of

purpose, the social aspect of school, and deemphasizes the

academic aspect, it is not surprising that she is most

successful with the former, and least successful with the

latter. Her comfort follows the abovementioned trend. When

I asked her parents how her background has influenced her

attitude toward school, their answer gravitated toward her

special needs (see Appendix E4). Although I tried to lead

the conversation toward cultural factors, their response

remained the same. Sheila has special needs, and these

needs help influence her accomplishments (in and out of

school), and determine her academic struggles.

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As already stated, Sheila is socially connected. Even

when she is not connected, the disconnected sentiment does

not seem to affect her as it would other students. In

relation to this, I asked her parents, “Do her friends

support or hinder her?” They were not able to answer this

question to my satisfaction (see Appendix E4). Their lack

of awareness (with regards to their daughter’s social

circle) surprises me, and initiates a response from my

perspective. It seems to me that Sheila has a lot of

“friends,” but these “friends” are not close enough to

really affect her in terms of supporting or hindering her in

(or at) school. This, however, prompts the question, “Who

is her primary support?” This is to ask, whom does she

consider most important so that their approval or

disapproval determines her behavior? I think the answer to

this question is her father, because her father is her chief

motivator. Her father seems to be the only individual who

can induce positive social and academic behavior from her.

Sheila has goals for the future. Her parents

wholeheartedly support her aspirations and dreams (see

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Appendix E4). She is interested in photography and acting.

When she grows up, she wants to become a photographer and an

actress. As an extra curricular activity, she participates

in yearbook as a photographer. I have seen her work, and it

shows promise; she has an eye for contrast. I do not know

if she has had any experience acting. Her dream of acting

seems patent and formulaic to me. I do not know if she did

serious consideration of this, but that does not seem to be

the case. When I interviewed Sheila in front of her

parents, I tried to focus my line of questioning with

respect to goals and goal setting toward more practical

matters, yet it did not work. I asked her about her

ambitions for this year, but she referred back to her

previous answers. It is troubling to me that none of her

attention takes an academic scope.

Sheila: Student’s Academic Standing

As previously mentioned, Sheila attends my class: Pre-

Algebra 1.2. This class is a special day class, where I

instruct students using a scripted math program (at fourth

grade level). Her strength is basic arithmetic, where she

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performs single and multiple digit addition and subtraction.

She usually gets high grades on timed worksheets that call

for these skills (see Appendix E2). The program highlights

these skills throughout because more difficult problems

build upon them. Sheila’s weakness, on the other hand, is

multiplication. As already stated, she does not have the

multiplication facts memorized, which affects work that

presupposes the skill. Her inability to do multiplication

is causing her to fail section tests (see Appendix E3).

Sheila meets (and struggles with) the objectives that

correlate with the aforesaid abilities. She performs well

on rudimentary formative assessments, but struggles with

more advanced questions. When I check for understanding,

she is usually wrong. On the last summative assessment, she

scored thirty-seven percent (see Appendix E3). This is a

failing score. Due to this score, per the math program’s

guidelines, I must reteach this section and reassess her on

applicable skills. Sheila scored 175 on the California

Modified Assessment: Mathematics, which is far below basic

(see Appendix E1). There is consistency between my

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assessments and the standardized test, which exhibit a

student who needs more support in math.

Sheila: Student’s Action Plan

I have one academic goal for Sheila. My goal is to

have her master the multiplication facts for the number

seven. Mastery is determined by complete memorization. In

the last section test, the multiplication facts for seven

were embedded, and since she did not know them, she did not

do well. This poor performance resulted in her getting a

thirty-seven percent on the test (see Appendix E4). Thirty-

seven percent is substantially below the eighty-five percent

that is considered mastery by the program. Daily work shows

consistency with regards to her comprehension of content.

My plan for achieving this goal is threefold: 1.

frontloading instruction by stressing memorization, 2.

modeling procedures to determine correct sums, and 3. giving

timed worksheets to increase fluency. Throughout this plan,

I will continually check for understanding to determine

areas of need and points to reteach. I think this plan will

work because it utilizes different strategies to teach the

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same concept, thus addressing different learning modalities.

Progress toward this goal will be determined by formative

and summative assessments as given by the scripted program.

My non-academic goal for Sheila is proper

socialization. As previously mentioned, Sheila is a social

person, but she has a tendency to misread social cues when

other students ignore her. I want her to be more socially

conscientious (e.g., not infringing on other peoples’

space). I will work toward this goal by having targeted

discussions with her about reading people, and instructing

her on the social conventions that are appropriate responses

to given situations. Mastery will be determined by real-

life interactions with people, as regulated by authority

figures.

Conclusion

The key findings from my investigation are twofold.

First, although the students in this ethnography are quite

similar on multiple levels, their differences determine my

practices, strategies, and beliefs. For example, Immanuel

and Mark both struggle with number families. I will

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initially approach both with the same instructional

strategies to teach the concept, but I will 1) use different

strategies as determined by their individual receptivity,

and 2) differentiate my general approach given the variances

in their temperaments. Second, although the students in

this ethnography are socially connected in one way or

another, they all have some form of problematic social

behavior, and thus are in need of social modification. For

example, Sheila misreads peoples’ signals, and therefore

does not know when (and how) to give people space. My

instruction to these students needs to be primarily

academic, and secondarily ethical, in terms of teaching them

social mores that are appropriate for people living in

community. These findings, as already mentioned, will

greatly influence my teaching (and how I approach teaching)

in that they highlight my students’ needs, which are

originators to personalized instruction.

Part D: Reflection

This section of the ethnography is primarily reflection

upon part C. It consists of three parts. In the first

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part, I reflect on my class as a whole, and discuss evidence

to determine academic progress for my students. In the

second part, I consider my five case study students, and

examine my treatment of their academic and behavioral goals

to see if they are met. In the third part, I reflect on

three California Teaching Performance Expectations that I

think need growth. I end with a discussion about my

students affect on me to initiate growth in my social,

emotional, and motivational facets. The purpose of these

considerations is to highlight this year’s teaching

successes and failures, which I think, in large part, are

determined by teacher-to-student connection.

Whole Class Perspective

My students are making academic progress. The students

I chose for part C of this ethnography came from two

different classes. I chose three seventh graders and two

eighth graders. Both classes are progressing through their

respective scripted math programs. I started teaching my

students in early September. I began on lesson twenty with

the seventh graders, and lesson thirty with the eighth

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graders. The students’ case carrier started the scripted

programs for these students last year, so I did not begin on

the first lesson. As of April, the seventh grade class

finished test number seven, and is starting lesson seventy-

one, while the eighth grade class is finishing lesson sixty-

three. The seventh grade class has done fifty lessons in

seven months, which works out to be two to three days per

lesson. The eighth graders, on the other hand, have moved

more slowly through the program, in that they have completed

thirty-three lessons in seven months, which works out to be

about one lesson per week. There are two reasons for the

eighth graders’ slower academic progress. First, their

academic performance, as determined by formative and

summative assessments, is lower than the seventh graders,

and second, they did not pass test number six, and therefore

had to repeat lessons fifty-one through fifty-nine.

Although the eighth graders are moving more slowly through

the program, both classes are steadily advancing, and thus

making academic progress.

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Formative and summative assessments reveal academic

performance, and expose areas of needed support for both

classes. Regarding summative assessments, the scripted

program requires students to be tested every ten lessons

(these are referred to as unit tests), has students take

cumulative tests every thirty lessons, and requires students

to take an exit exam upon finishing the program. 85% on

given tests is consider mastery; students must get this

score to pass individual tests. If 40% (or greater) of a

class does not score 85% (or higher) on given tests, then

the respective unit must be repeated. If less than 40% of

the class gets less than 85% on given tests, then re-

teaching of certain concepts, as determined by an analysis

of the graded assessments, is in order. The school and

district’s special education departments strictly adhere to

these protocols.

For my seventh grade students, there is a close

correlation between their formative and summative

assessments. With respect to the former, which primarily

take the form of checking for understanding, these students

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answer my exploratory and review questions correctly about

90% of the time. Regarding the latter, their scores usually

fall between 85% and 95%. These scores, as previously

mentioned, indicate mastery of content material. With a

success rate of 90% on formative assessments, and a success

rate of 90% average of summative assessments, there is a

parallel success rate, which signifies an average that is

above the mastery level minimum for the scripted program.

This quantitative data informs my qualitative judgment that

my seventh graders are performing academically above program

expectations, and thus successfully obtaining content.

For my eighth grade students, there is a correlation

between their formative and summative assessments as well.

My eighth grade class consists of four students. Two

students answer formative assessments correctly between 85%

and 90% of the time. The other two students answer

formative assessments correctly about 30% of the time. The

eighth graders’ summative assessments follow this pattern.

Two students have mastery of content material, and two

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students do not—as determined by the scripted programs’

strictures.

To date, I have only repeated one unit because of low

percentages on summative assessments. My special education

lead, which is the case carrier of my students, has informed

me of a strategy (she uses), so that the classes can

progress through academic content without getting stuck in a

never-ending cycle of re-teaching due to lower test scores.

Students are allowed to take unit and cumulative tests three

times. The tests are broken up into parts, and each part

pertains to specific skills that have been covered in the

lessons. If a student fails a test (as a whole), he or she

must retake the test, but only those parts he or she

struggled with, as determined by individual part

percentages. Two of my eighth graders have retaken several

unit tests. Unit six (lessons fifty-one through fifty-nine)

was repeated because, after three retakes, these students

did not obtain scores that indicate mastery. Since mastery

was not obtained, a reiterating of content material was

deemed necessary. From the beginning of the year, I have

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slowed down pacing substantially (for my eighth graders) and

chose to differentiate course material (for both seventh and

eighth graders), despite the scripted program’s dictates,

which has increase academic performance, as determined by

formative and summative assessments.

I have implemented numerous strategies in my classes to

cultivate academic progress for my students, but three have

been continual. In a previous part of this ethnography, I

have described my teaching assignment, and the restrictions

placed on me by the program I am executing. I am not

allowed to deviate from the script, but I have been able to

find places within the script where I can use strategies to

differentiate instruction. The first strategy I use is

interactive board work. This strategy is commonsensical,

but prodigious in that it requires me to deviate from the

script a little. When the program calls for call and

response interaction between the teacher and students, I

have the students come to the white board and work out

respective problems. Once a student does a problem on the

white board, I have the other students interact with the

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initial student to determine correctness. This process

allows my students to address “why” questions, which calls

for higher level thinking, in addition to “what” questions,

which are concerned with right and wrong answers. This

strategy works to cultivate academic progress because of the

dual nature of the inquiry.

The other two methodological schemes I use are Kagan

Cooperative Learning strategies. For Quiz-Quiz-Trade, Kagan

and Kagan (2009) state, “students quiz a partner, get

quizzed by a partner, and then trade cards to repeat the

process with a new partner” (p. 6.32). This strategy

requires me to develop content questions (with answers), put

the questions (and answers) on index cards, pass out the

cards to the students, and monitor students as they go

around asking each other the questions. Through this

process, I am able to check for understanding and build

knowledge. This information, in turn, informs me of areas

to re-teach and skills my students have that I can utilize

to further build upon with academic content. For Timed Pair

Share, Kagan and Kagan (2009) write, “students share with a

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partner for a predetermined time while the partner listens.

Then partners switch roles” (p. 6.38). This strategy allows

me to partner up particular students, depending on academic

achievement, have these students discuss content with each

other, and share out with the rest of the class. Through

this process, I am also able to check for understanding and

build knowledge with the aforesaid residual effects. These

strategies work to cultivate academic progress because of

the dual nature of the information they relay to me.

There are two areas that need additional work in my

classes to aid progress. For my seventh graders, they

exhibit, as a whole, a relatively high level of academic

performance. They have consistently mastered the

mathematical skills, as informed by their unit and

cumulative tests. However, a new unit, they just started,

begins by having them determine fractions from pictorial

representations, like number lines and pie charts. They are

struggling with this skillset, as informed by my checking

for understanding. My initial plan to address this need is

to employ the abovementioned strategies to bring about

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various opportunities to practice the needed skill. For my

eighth graders, they are at different stages. The students,

who are doing well in class, are not struggling with

anything at this time; they have mastered all of the

mathematical skills, as determined by formative and

summative assessments. The curriculum for the scripted

program seems to be beneath their academic performance

levels. The students, who are not doing well, however, are

struggling with present levels, because they do not have

multiplication facts memorized, and success in what they are

working on right now is dependent on a working knowledge of

multiplication facts. I am addressing this need by having

these students work on timed worksheets to increase ability

and fluency.

Individual Student Perspective: Immanuel

Immanuel was introduced in part C. What follows is a

review of his context, and an analysis and discussion of his

academic and life long learning (i.e., behavioral)

development. He is in the seventh grade and attends my

class: Pre-Algebra 1.1. In terms of academics, his

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strengths are in basic arithmetic and his weakness is number

families. Number families, as already stated, are

particular ways of setting up word problems to help students

determine which mathematical function (e.g., addition or

subtraction) they should use to get correct answers.

Immanuel tends to reverse mathematical functions, which

results in wrong answers. Regarding behavior, he is a

troubled student. He has poor attendance at school, which

affects his access to academic content and behavioral

support. When he does come to school, he receives referrals

to the office on a regular basis for multiple reasons, but

in particular for bullying other students. He is talkative

during class and needs to continually be refocused during

direct instruction and independent work. I have had to

isolate Immanuel from the rest of the class by having him

sit at a table by himself, which serves to modify his

behavior.

In part C of this ethnography, I set one academic

goal for Immanuel. My goal was to have him master the

concept of number families. I established mastery to be an

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80% success rate. To help me accomplish this goal, I had

Immanuel be my case study student for the progress

monitoring project. The purpose of this project was to

chose a student who was having difficulty with a particular

skill, differentiate instruction, and monitor growth through

assessment (i.e., the administration of probes). For this

project, I modified the scripted math program greatly, set a

targeted goal, and assessed Immanuel on a weekly basis.

1 2 3 40%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

StudentTarget

The above graph is a pictorial representation of

Immanuel’s scores in relation to the targeted goal. A

description of the graph is necessary before an analysis of

the data can be presented. Along the x-axis, there are four

sequential numbers; these numbers indicate the number of

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probes given to the student. There were four probes given

over the duration of four weeks (from February 17 through

March 14). Along the y-axis, there are a number of

percentages given that range from 0% to 120%. 120% is not a

grade option, but is presented here to draw one’s attention

to 100%. The targeted goal for Immanuel was 80%. I wanted

him to score a minimum of 80% on all four probes. He scored

100% on one probe, 80% on two probes, and 40% on one probe

(see Appendix F). My student met the targeted goal three

out of four times (i.e., 75% of the time).

The purpose of these probes was to assess this

student’s increased knowledge of number families. The

scripted math program has me cover number families in every

lesson. The strategy embedded in the program is call-and-

response. Generally speaking, I cover questions in a

workbook and/or textbook that students have access to, and

ask students to do math problems, and give me correct

answers. This strategy, thus far, has not worked for

Immanuel. For the purpose of the progress monitoring

project, and to help him meet the 80% targeted goal, I

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included the strategies of: board work, shoulder partners,

fluency worksheets, and continual checking for

understanding.

For the most part, these strategies worked. The

targeted goal was met on three out of four probes (see

Appendix F). On one probe (i.e., number three), the student

scored 40% (see Appendix F). I concluded from observation

that this score is not a product of insufficient knowledge

or skillset, but the result of the student’s demeanor on

that day. Immanuel came to class upset, because he got in

trouble with administration during lunchtime. He came into

class, saw the probe, and got further aggravated that he had

to preform a menial task—to express his sentiment in proper

parlance. He rushed through the assessment, while purposely

writing illegibly. I had to mark many questions wrong

because I could not read his answers. I elected not to quiz

him again (due to his opinion of the probes), and let the

score stand, because I know his level of mastery is

sufficient (given his other scores). Immanuel’s other

scores (i.e., 100%, 80%, and 80%) indicate that he has

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mastered number families (see Appendix F). Since this is

the case, I conclude that he has accomplished the academic

goal I set for him in part C of this document.

I also set a non-academic goal for Immanuel. It was

correct socialization. Correct socialization, in the sense

that I am referring to it, is a far-reaching category that

includes peer interactions, proper attitude, engagement, and

preparation. As previously mentioned, this student is a

social person, but he tends to pick on other students whom

he considers are more aligned to his perception of special

education. My goal was to have this behavior stop. To

expedite good behavior in general and correct socialization

in particular, Immanuel’s case carrier, in consultation with

myself, has added a behavior plan to his Individualized

Education Plan. This plan states that if the student is not

on task, in terms of academics and/or behavior, then he gets

one verbal warning in class, one conference with the teacher

outside of class, and then a referral to the office—this

process must occur within the span of one class hour, and

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begins anew each day. If Immanuel accumulates fifteen

referrals, then he will be expelled from school.

This behavior plan offers a negative consequence for

bad behavior, but does not offer positive rewards for good

behavior. In an attempt to create a more balanced approach

to Immanuel’s behavioral goal, I have incorporated positive

rewards in the form of gift cards. If Immanuel scores an

85% (or higher) on summative assessments, and has good

behavior (as determined by his behavior plan and classroom

norms) during the duration of the lessons that are

incorporated into the assessment, then he gets a gift card

from the store of his choice. As of yet, he has not met the

goal of correct socialization, but it is my hope that the

abovementioned positive and negative consequences will

influence Immanuel toward positive peer interactions.

Individual Student Perspective: Paul and Mark

Paul and Mark were also introduced in part C of this

document. Since they are twin brothers, with similar

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backgrounds and settings, I will reflect on them together.

What follows is a review of their context, and an analysis

and discussion of their academic and life long learning

(i.e., behavioral) developments. Paul is in the seventh

grade and attends my class: Pre-Algebra 1.1. His special

education qualification is “Visual Impairment.” He uses a

monocular during class to access board work and see smaller

print in textbooks and workbooks. In terms of academics, he

is my highest academic achiever. He consecutively scores

between 90% and 100% on both formative and summative

assessments. His grade percentages on summative assessments

are well above the needed 85%, which is deemed necessary for

mastery. He has mastered the content material thus far.

With respect to behavior, Paul is socially connected to his

immediate family, but does not have friends outside his

familial purview.

Mark is also in the seventh grade and attends my class:

Pre-Algebra 1.1. His special education qualification is

“Visual Impairment” as well. He also uses a monocular

during class to access board work and see smaller print in

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textbooks and workbooks. His vision is more impaired than

his brother’s, and therefore he gets preferential seating—

near the front of class—according to his need. In terms of

academics, as opposed to his brother, he is my lowest

academic achiever. His strengths and weaknesses parallel

Immanuel insofar as he is good at basic arithmetic (i.e.,

adding, subtracting, multiplying, and division) and

struggles with number families. I have already described

number families in part C of this ethnography and reiterated

their general definition in my analysis of Immanuel. Like

Immanuel, Mark tends to reverse mathematical functions,

which is caused by incorrect placement of values, and

results in wrong answers.

I did not set an academic goal for Paul because I think

the content I teach in class is too easy for him. As

informed by both formative and summative assessments, I

conclude that his level of competency is higher than the

level of rigor for the scripted math program. I did,

however, set an academic goal for Mark. Since Mark was

struggling with the same thing as Immanuel, my goal for the

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former was the same as the latter. My goal was to have Mark

master the concept of number families, with mastery being

the correct usage in eight out of ten problems (i.e., an 80%

success rate). Since Mark’s weakness paralleled Immanuel’s,

and Mark’s goal was the same as Immanuel’s, the method I

employed to accomplish Mark’s goal was similar to the method

I used to help Immanuel meet his goal. I included Mark in

the progress monitoring project.

1 2 3 40%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

StudentTarget

An analysis of the above data is necessary before my

reflection on Mark’s academic goal can be discussed. The

targeted goal for Mark was 80%. I wanted him to score a

minimum of 80% on all four probes. He scored 100% on one

probe, 90% on one probe, 80% on one probe, and did not take

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one probe (see Appendix G). He met the targeted goal three

out of four times (i.e., 75% of the time) (see Appendix G).

The purpose of these probes was to assess Mark’s increased

knowledge of number families. The scripted math program, as

previously mentioned, has me cover number families in every

lesson. The strategy embedded in the program is call-and-

response. This strategy was not successful with Mark when

used in isolation. To differentiate instruction, I included

the strategies of: board work, shoulder partners, fluency

worksheets, and continual checking for understanding.

These strategies did work. The targeted goal was met

on three out of four probes (see Appendix G). On one probe

(i.e., number two), the student did not score anything

because he did not take the probe. Mark missed that day of

school, and I did not have him make up the probe for two

reasons. First, he was not my case study student for the

progress monitoring project, so I did not think all the data

was necessary. Second, I think three passing scores are

enough to determine content and skillset mastery. Mark’s

scores (i.e., 100%, 90%, and 80%) indicate that he has

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mastered number families. Since this is the case, I

conclude that he has accomplished the goal I set for him in

part C of this document.

Since Paul and Mark struggled with the same social

problem, I set the same non-academic (i.e., behavioral) goal

for both students. This goal was correct socialization.

Correct socialization is a far-reaching category that

includes peer interactions (or influences), proper attitude,

and engagement. As previously mentioned, these boys were

socially connected, but only to each other. They had no

friends other than each other. I wanted to change this

phenomenon. I wanted to introduce them to other students

who they could possibly develop friendships with. I planned

on accomplishing this goal by teaming up with a general

education teacher so that he or she could suggest people who

could partner up with Paul and Mark for extra curricular

activities. I understood that I could not determine

friendships as such, but I could help the boys develop

friendships by facilitating opportunities for interaction.

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I did not accomplish this goal. I did not collaborate

with a general education teacher to find other kids for them

to team up with for extra curricular activities. There are

two reasons for this: 1. There was not enough time between

setting the goal in late January and reflecting on my

success or failure in late April. The nature of the goal

requires a lengthy amount of time. 2. The goal of helping

students make friends is not a good behavioral goal for a

teacher to set. There are too many variables involved that

are determined by the students. I cannot regulate

similarities, differences, or personalities. These

variables make this goal almost impossible to accomplish.

Individual Student Perspective: William

William was also introduced in part C of this

ethnography. What follows is a review of his context, and

an analysis and discussion of his academic and life long

learning (i.e., behavioral) development. He is in the

eighth grade and attends my class: Pre-Algebra 1.2. In

terms of academics, he is the highest performer in my eighth

grade class. I think course work in my class is too easy

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for him. The result of his placement and his approach to

the subject matter creates two potential problems: 1. he

rushes through all the assignments, including section tests,

and 2. he works ahead on daily work. These actions affect

his academic standing and classroom behavior. With respect

to the former, William rushes through assignments and tests,

which causes him to make careless mistakes. These mistakes

are lowering his grade. In section C of this ethnography, I

identified his weakness as section tests because of his

treatment of classwork.

Regarding behavior, William has a tendency to disrupt

class. Because course work is easy, he works ahead on daily

work, which affords him free time toward the end of class.

He uses this free time to distract other students from my

instruction and their coursework. This causes other

students to fall behind on their work. From a teacher’s

point of view, William’s behavior is unacceptable due to the

product it produces. I must address his conduct, which

divides my attention by causing me to stop instruction and

refocus the class to the task at hand. I needed to address

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William’s behavior because it affects the whole class, in

terms of production and general behavior.

In part C of this ethnography, I set one academic goal

for William. His academic goal was to do better on section

tests. As previously mentioned, William has a C+ average

for his test scores. This is considered passing for the

scripted math program, and thus deemed acceptable to the

special education department. However, as determined by

formative assessments, I know that William should be scoring

between B+ and A- on his tests. My goal was to have William

get a minimum of B+ on the next two section tests. I think

this goal could be achieved by getting William to alter his

approach to tests, and slow down.

William has not taken another section test since part C

was written. Therefore, technically speaking, I do not know

if this goal is accomplished. However, I can look at his

lesson homework and see simple mistakes, which give me an

indication that he is still rushing through is coursework

(see Appendix H). For example, as revealed through

formative and summative assessments, I can determine that

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William knows his multiplication and division facts.

However, in Lessons 64, 65, and 66, he misses several basic

multiplication and division problems (see Appendix H). From

this, I conclude that this goal is not met. I do not think

there was enough time lapse to accomplish it, because it

requires a paradigm shift (in referencing his behavioral

goal), which is difficult to do in three months.

The non-academic or behavioral goal I set for William

was a paradigm shift regarding his rationale for going to

school. I had already made a connection with this student,

and I thought that through open and honest dialogue

regarding this subject, his opinion could be changed. In my

judgment, when he realized the inherent worth of education,

his conduct with respect to his schooling would change

toward actions that are deemed more respectful. If he was

more respectful of tests and the test taking process,

perhaps he would spend more time on them. Since William’s

academic goal and behavioral goal were closely connected,

and he did not accomplish his academic goal for reasons

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already stated, he did not accomplish his behavioral goal

either.

Individual Student Perspective: Sheila

Sheila was also introduced in part C of this

ethnography. What follows is a review of her context, and

an analysis and discussion of her academic and life long

learning (i.e., behavioral) development. She is in the

eighth grade and attends my class: Pre-Algebra 1.2. In

terms of academics, her strength is basic arithmetic, where

she performs single and multiple digit addition and

subtraction. The program highlights these skills throughout

because more difficult problems build upon them. Her

weakness is multiplication. As previously mentioned, she

does not have the multiplication facts memorized, which

affects work that presupposes the skill. Her inability to

do multiplication is causing her to fail section tests.

With respect to behavior, Sheila is socially connected.

Even when she is not connected, the disconnected sentiment

does not seem to affect her as it would other students. It

seems to me that Sheila has a lot of “friends,” but these

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“friends” are not close enough to really affect her in terms

of supporting or hindering her in (or at) school. Her

father seems to be the only individual who can induce

positive social and academic behavior from her.

In part C, I set one academic goal for Sheila. My

goal was to have her master the multiplication facts for the

number seven. Mastery was determined by complete

memorization. My plan for achieving this goal was

threefold: 1. frontloading instruction by stressing

memorization, 2. modeling procedures to determine correct

sums, and 3. giving timed worksheets to increase fluency.

Throughout this plan, I continually checked for

understanding to determine areas of need and points to

reteach. Progress toward this goal was determined by

formative and summative assessments as given by the scripted

program. I consider this goal partially met. The

abovementioned three strategies were utilized to teach and

reteach the multiplication facts for the number seven to

Sheila. She did well on formative assessments gauging her

content knowledge. Checking for understandings were

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consistently answered correctly. She scored 100% on a

fluency worksheet that tested sevens (see Appendix I).

Sheila has not, however, taken the summative assessment,

number seven, to determine complete mastery. Therefore, I

conclude that this goal is partially met.

I also set a non-academic (or behavioral) goal for

Sheila. As with Immanuel, Paul, and Mark, her behavioral

goal was proper socialization. As previously mentioned,

Sheila is a social person, but she has a tendency to misread

social cues when other students ignore her. She lacks a

sense of personal space. I wanted her to be more socially

conscientious by not infringing on other peoples’ space.

I stated in part C that I would work toward this goal by

having targeted discussions with her about reading people,

and instructing her on the social conventions that are

appropriate responses to given situations. This goal was

not met. I initiated a conversation with Sheila about

social conventions, and her demeanor change toward me, and

her attitude got aggressive. I interpreted this experience

as an introduction to a topic that is off limits to this

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student. The subject was broached a couple more times, but

with the same response. I eventually gave up, and decided

that the goal would not be met.

Reflection and Next Steps

At certain points throughout this program, my lead

teacher (during pre-teaching) and advisor (during my

internship) discussed California Teaching Performance

Expectations (hereafter: TPEs) with me. One of the purposes

of these discussions was to initiate reflection by me on

actual and needed growth in specific areas. In this

section, I will reflect on three TPEs, where I feel I need

to grow, and will consider next steps for accomplishing

development. The three TPEs I chose are: number four

(Making Content Accessible), number eight (Learning about

Students), and number thirteen (Professional Growth). I

will also reflect upon my social, emotional, and

motivational growth, in relation to present experiences at

Dewey Elementary. This latter point harkens back to part A

of this ethnography, and my discussion on social justice.

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The first TPE I will reflect upon is number four, which

pertains to making content accessible to students. The

Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2013) categorizes this

TPE under the heading: “Engaging and Supporting Students in

Learning” (p. 9). When describing this TPE, the Commission

states, “Candidates incorporate specific strategies,

teaching/instructional activities, procedures and

experiences that address state-adopted academic content

standards for students in order to provide a balanced and

comprehensive curriculum” (p. 9). Since I am an Education

Specialist candidate, the Commission has recommendations

particular for me. They write, “Education Specialist

candidates demonstrate the ability to participate in the

development and implementation of IEP instruction goals

aligned with California content standards to the effective

inclusion in the general education core curriculum with the

use of appropriate instructional materials, supports and

classroom procedures” (p 10). I interpret this TPE as

declaring that I need to know and use strategies that make

general education content accessible to students who receive

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special education services. In addition, I need to set IEP

goals, which are supported by, or find their justification

in, Common Core State Standards (since California content

standards are no long applicable).

Upon reflection, I conclude that I have improved in

this area this year. In my opinion, however, my wheelhouse

of strategies is not—and probably will never be—complete. I

do self-directed research to learn new strategies that will

help me 1) make content assessable to various students with

different learning styles, and 2) differentiate and scaffold

instruction, so as to allow students with special needs

access to content while staying in their respective general

education environments. Villa, Thousand, Nevin, and Liston

(2005) introduce and define seven instructional strategies

that will help me in this endeavor. They are:

“differentiated instruction” (to move toward universal

design), “interdisciplinary curriculum,” “use of

technology,” “student collaboration,” “cooperative

learning,” “partner learning,” and “accommodations for

inclusion” (p. 34-38). Not only do these strategies help me

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make content accessible to students, but also they are

useful for addressing the more rigorous Common Core State

Standards.

The second TPE I will reflect upon is number eight,

which is concerned with learning about students. The

Commission on Teacher Credentialing (2013) categorizes this

TPE under the heading: “Planning Instruction and Designing

Learning Experiences for Students” (p. 12). When describing

this TPE, the commission states,

Candidates draw upon an understanding of patterns of

child and adolescent development to understand their

students. Using formal and informal methods, they

assess students’ prior mastery of academic language

abilities, content knowledge, and skills, and maximize

learning opportunities for all students. Through

interpersonal interactions, they learn about students’

abilities, ideas, interests and aspirations. Candidates

are knowledgeable about students’ community contexts

and socio-economic, culture and language backgrounds.

They understand how these factors influence student

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interactions and student learning. They understand how

multiple factors, including gender and health, can

influence students’ behavior, and understand the

connections between students’ health and their ability

to learn. (p. 12-13)

I interpret this TPE as saying that, in part, successful

instruction of content is dependent on knowledge of

students, and that knowledge of students includes multiple

factors. These multiple factors contain, but not limited

to, the various components of students’ social-historical

contexts.

My philosophy of education is driven by the belief that

teacher-to-student connection is the most important factor

informing students’ education. That is to say, student

learning is secondary to relationship, in the sense that

learning is dependent on this relationship. For teachers to

connect with their students, they must know about their

students’ social-historical locations. This is the case,

because there is a close correlation between student

learning and students’ social-economic factors (Portelli,

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Sheilds, & Vibert, 2007). Knowledge of student’s social-

historical locations, however, is not the end to be

achieved, but the beginning in that it should be used to

provoke understanding and empathy. I will be the first to

admit that I am ignorant of psychological aspects of human

development. According to this TPE, this is something I

must to learn. Nonetheless, I am aware of the multiple

factors (at least, that there are multiple factors) that

inform students’ ability to learn. This prompts in me a

desire to learn about my students.

The third TPE I will reflect upon is number thirteen,

which is about professional growth. The Commission on

Teacher Credentialing (2013) categorizes this TPE under the

heading: “Developing as a Professional Educator” (p. 13).

When describing this TPE, the commission states,

Candidates evaluate their own teaching practices and

subject matter knowledge in light of information about

the state-adopted academic content standards for

students and student learning. They improve their

teaching practices by soliciting feedback and engaging

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in cycles of planning, teaching, reflecting, discerning

problems, and applying new strategies. Candidates use

reflection and feedback to formulate and prioritize

goals for increasing their subject matter knowledge and

teaching effectiveness. (p. 15)

I interpret this TPE as saying that teachers will

continually seek to improve their content knowledge (in

terms of learning more about particular subjects) and

teaching craft (in terms of learning instructional

strategies).

I am a teacher and a student. In actuality, I am

primarily a student, and secondarily a teacher. I am

currently in the process of developing a research agenda

that will help me address this TPE. This agenda has me

alternating between content and craft material. My goal is

to become knowledgeable enough to construct and teach a

multi-disciplinary curriculum that is project based in

outcome, and critical in perspective. Because of its

nature, this curriculum will address Common Core State

Standards. These standards are a major informant

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influencing the development of this curriculum, and thus the

construction of the research agenda itself. The irony

behind this development, however, is the contention that

Common Core State Standards lack the framework for providing

much needed professional growth (Abadiano, Turner, &

Valerie, 2013). Whatever the case may be (my assumption is

that growth opportunities will follow), I am taking

responsibility for my own professional growth.

This year of teaching at Dewey Elementary School has

afforded me the opportunity to grow with respect to my

social, emotional, and motivational facets. First, my

social purview has been expanded to include my students. I

do not have the same experiences as my students. Their

experiences inform their sense of social justice, just as my

experiences inform my sense of social justice. After a year

of interaction with my students, and interviews with some of

their parents, I have widen my experiential range, which

influences my definition of social justice toward more

practical matters, like access to base necessities. Second,

my students have affected my emotional self. I am not an

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emotional person. However, when I learned about my

students’ social-historical locations, I became more

empathic toward their academic and behavioral issues. I now

realize that I am not teaching isolated selves, but selves

who are greatly influenced by their social-historical

baggage. For some of my students, this baggage is

destructive. My students’ contexts have made me sensitive

to their personal realities, which affects my approach to

our shared reality. Third, I am more motivated to make a

difference in my students’ lives because I am aware of the

first two points. The teacher-to-student connection I have

with my students, which is a product of the first two

points, drives me to teach my students in order to make a

difference in their lives. The process of writing this

ethnographic narrative was instrumental in developing in me

a robust sense of social justice because it prompted

reflection on my social, emotional, and motivational facets.

Conclusion

The purpose of part D is to offer an analysis of my

teaching experiences this year. Of course, this analysis is

153


from my perspective, which is informed by my reflection on

different factors. The first element I reflect upon is my

class as a whole. I concluded that both of my math classes

made academic progress this year, as determined by their

progression through the scripted program, and their scores

on formative and summative assessments. The second element

I reflect upon is my five case study students. I concluded

that most of them accomplished their academic goals, but

most of them did not accomplish their behavioral goals. I

think the latter is the case, because “proper socialization”

is too nebulas of a goal to regulate. That is to say, the

phrase has normative import that is subjective to begin

with, and thus it is impossible (or very difficult) to

determine as met. The third element I reflect upon is my

next steps. I picked three TPEs to discuss and work on, and

consider my social, emotional, and motivational facets. I

concluded that this ethnographic narrative was (is)

instrumental in developing a sense of social justice, and

the meta-ethical wherewithal to define the concept.

Closure

154


The process of writing this ethnographic narrative (and

doing the research that it required) has taught me three

things. First, in a general sense, it has taught me how to

do this type of research. My research in the past has been

predominantly qualitative in nature. For my dissertation, I

read books, synthesized concepts, and proposed normative

judgments. This was my first opportunity to collect and

analyze empirical data, and develop qualitative conclusions

from quantitative figures. I am still, however, skeptical

of the “objective” nature of quantitative research. I think

all conclusions, no matter their orientations, are

interpretations, and thus infused with subjectivity. I

think there should be a balance between the two orientations

(i.e. qualitative and quantitative). Second, this project

has taught me valuable skills with regards to what good

teachers perform. The exercises of data collection (through

its various forms) and reflection have taught me the

importance of contextualizing students to determine their

needs. Good teachers, in my opinion, need this information

to differentiate instruction and engagement to meet the

155


students at their social-historical locations. Third, the

process of writing this document started by having me

propose a definition of social justice. At this point, the

parameters of the concept were clear to me. The

interactions I had with my students and their families to

write Part C complicated the matter. Their experiences,

which were different from mine, informed their notions of

social justice. Through this process, I learned that social

justice is a communal idea (or should be), and that shared

experience is necessary for development.

156


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Appendix A1

164

ETHNOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE 165







Appendix A2

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Appendix A3

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Appendix A4

1. What major events have shaped/influenced my student? Student’s father was incarcerated a couple of years ago. Heremembers the ordeal. This has had a major influence on himfor the negative. Student’s behavior has gotten worse sinceoccurrence. Student has no contact with father at this time.

2. Who have been the most influential figures (positive or negative) in the student’s life: and why? Observation: it seems that the student’s brother is an influence on him.

3. How is the student influenced by his/her home life? Observation: it seems as if home life is chaotic. The student has free rein. This might explain why he does not do his homework.

4. How does the student feel about school; and why? Studentsays that he wants to do well and stay in school to become someone.

5. When and why was the student most/least successful in school? Student’s successes are social and his problems areacademic. He is in special education.

6. How has this student’s background (cultural, linguistic, and economic) influenced his/her attitude toward school and the future? I did not ask this question.

7. Where is he/she most/least comfortable at school? Student is most comfortable when playing with his friends, and least comfortable in class.

8. How socially connected or disconnected is this student? Observation: student is socially connected to brother and friends, but not the mother. I have heard him say that his mother does not care for him. During the interview, I sensed a disconnect between the two.

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9. Do student’s friends support or hinder him/her? His friends hinder him because they do drugs and are no good.

10. What are this student’s strengths and weaknesses outsideof the classroom? Student is friendly.

11. How does the student interact socially and academically with his/her family? Observation: student does not interact academically with his family. See question number 8.

12. What are this student’s aspirations and dreams? For thisyear? For the future? Student could not answer this question.

Appendix B1

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Appendix B2

186








Appendix B3

193






Appendix B4

1. What major events have shaped/influenced my students? Themost influential event for these students was their birth. They were born premature, which affected their health and size.

2. Who have been the most influential figures (positive or negative) in the students’ life: and why? Their mother is the most influential figure given that she has sacrificed herself for her sons. She moved in with her mother, the boys grandmother.

3. How are the students influenced by his/her home life? Observation: there economic situation affects their ability to do work.

4. How does the students feel about school; and why? One student loves school, while the other does not necessarily like it. The former does well in school, while the latter stresses out when he struggles academically. However, their case carrier has worked miracles with these boys. They are doing substantially better now that they are placed with her. (Grandparent has a conversation with case carrier a few weeks ago.)

5. When and why was the students most/least successful in school? They feel most successful in special education classes, and least successful in general education classes.

6. How has this students’ background (cultural, linguistic, and economic) influenced his/her attitude toward school and the future? Observation: students have little resources forschool, which affects their ability to do projects. Their case carrier is aware of this, and has advocated for them. (There is a lot of expensive electronics in the living room.)

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7. Where are they most/least comfortable at school? Most: special education classes, Lease: general education classes

8. How socially connected or disconnected is this student? Students have each other and their mother and grandmother, and that is all they need.

9. Do students’ friends support or hinder him/her? I did not ask this question.

10. What are this student’s strengths and weaknesses outsideof the classroom? I did not ask this question.

11. How does the student interact socially and academically with his/her family? Observation: From a social point of view, it seems like their grandmother protects the boys. They live a sheltered life.

12. What are this student’s aspirations and dreams? For thisyear? For the future? I did not ask this question.

Appendix C1

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Appendix C2

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Appendix C3

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Appendix D1

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Appendix D2

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Appendix D3

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Appendix D4

1. What major events have shaped/influenced my student? The major event that influenced my student was his parents’ immigration to the United States from Mexico. This occurred before he was born. His parents immigrated here in the late nineteen-seventies. They immigrated here to give their future children more opportunities. This has happened, because their children do have more opportunities than relatives in Mexico. His parents are particularly happy with the education their children are (have) receiving in the United States, and specifically my student’s placement in special education.

2. Who have been the most influential figures (positive or negative) in the student’s life: and why? According to the father, my student’s mother, because she favors him (he is the only boy). The eldest sister is also influential since she is smart and gives my student advice he listens to. Sheis successful, because she is able to take care of herself.

3. How are the students influenced by his/her home life? Observation: student seems to assume favored status, which he brings from home.

4. How does the students feel about school; and why? Student does not necessarily like school, but finds it necessary for future success.

5. When and why was the student most/least successful in school? Student is academically successful, but his behaviorgets him in trouble sometimes.

6. How has this students’ background (cultural, linguistic, and economic) influenced his/her attitude toward school and the future? Observation: students looks at school as a meansto an end, not as a good in and of itself.

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7. Where are they most/least comfortable at school? Studentis comfortable in school.

8. How socially connected or disconnected is this student? Observation: student is socially connected. He is popular at school and home. He is able to go between special education and general education boundaries.

9. Do students’ friends support or hinder him/her? Student’s friends hinder in so far as they take attention away from school.

10. What are this student’s strengths and weaknesses outsideof the classroom? Student is friendly. He can become socially connected without much effort.

11. How does the student interact socially and academically with his/her family? Student is the focus of attention at home. Parents leave academics to the teachers.

12. What are this student’s aspirations and dreams? For thisyear? For the future? Student wants to be self-sustaining. No specific future dreams.

Appendix E1

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Appendix E2

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Appendix E3

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Appendix E4

1. What major events have shaped/influenced my student? Theparents could not decide on one event.

2. Who have been the most influential figures (positive or negative) in the student’s life: and why? The mother says that the father is the most influential person, because he is the only one who can get my student to do anything. He can get her to do things, because he spoils her. He always buys her things. He treats her “better” than his other children. According to the father, he does this because sheis special; she needs the support.

3. How are the students influenced by his/her home life? Observation: she is favored at home, and tends to want the same treatment at school.

4. How does the students feel about school; and why? Studentloves school because it is primarily a place to hang out with friends.

5. When and why was the student most/least successful in school? Student is not academically successful. According to the parents, she is socially successful.

6. How has this students’ background (cultural, linguistic, and economic) influenced his/her attitude toward school and the future? Her special needs determine her view of school.

7. Where are they most/least comfortable at school? Parentssay, and the student verifies, that the student is very comfortable at school in general, because it is a place to be with friends.

8. How socially connected or disconnected is this student? Parents say that the student is socially connected. Observation: student is not socially connected, but does notrealize it.

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9. Do students’ friends support or hinder him/her? No clear answer.

10. What are this student’s strengths and weaknesses outsideof the classroom? Observation: student is very sociable, butdoes not know about personal space or when to leave people alone.

11. How does the student interact socially and academically with his/her family? Observation: student tends to determine families agenda. Does not interact academically with family. Academics are the school’s job.

12. What are this student’s aspirations and dreams? For thisyear? For the future? Student wants to be a photographer and an actress.

Appendix F

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Appendix G

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Appendix H

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Appendix I

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