James
Background: James is a vibrant and energetic seven years old boy who is currently in 2ndgrade in the south Bronx area. James is an only child, being raised by a single mother who is expecting her second child in a few months and his grandmother. His grandmother picks him up after school since his mother works late; she gets off work at 7 PM. They reported how challenging it is to manage James's behavior at home. Whenever he is in control of a situation, he tends to take full advantage of it. For instance, in the class, when he wants to use the bathroom instead of asking before leaving, he gets up and walks out of the class.
Physical Presence and Gesture: James's physical presence is characterized by fidgety movements in his arms and legs, vivid facial and verbal expressions, and a lot of movement. He has a hard time staying still, often restless when sitting at his desk. He is always standing, leaning on the desk, and takes multiple trips to the bathroom. He is always being asked by the teacher to sit back in his chair. Which he often responds to, with a distant gaze in his eyes, and sometimes he will ignore the teacher looking around the classroom. James' constant movements seem to get in the way of his ability to focus on any assigned task. As a result, he requires more direction and attention from the teacher to get him back on track. During class activities, James tends to jump out of his seat and yell out the answer to a question ignoring the class rule of raising once hand to indicate an intention to speak. He is often impatient and anxious for the teacher's attention, particularly during a group activity.
Relationships with Children and Adults: James's relationship with children and adults in the classroom can be described as cordial. He enjoys talking with staff members and playing imaginary games with his peers during recess. Unlike most kids in the class when asked who is your best friend he replies "everyone in my class is my best friend" however when there is a dispute between him and any of his peers, he will often say "you are no longer my best friend" to which most of the children falls for and allow him to have his way. James is well-liked in the class by his peers, mostly due to his caring disposition. He gets along with his peers, consistently speaks with them in class, to which the teacher always reminds him to turn and talk with his partner only when instructed to do so. James likes engaging in conversations with adults. He particularly likes having one on one interaction with the adults in his class.
Activities and Interests: James like participating in group activities, he loves the idea of collaborating with his peers, while taking the lead role. He is mostly uninterested in any activity that he must complete independently; this constant need to interact with other children in his class is sometimes disruptive, especially during independent work time. Any outdoor activity that requires running and chasing is his favorite. He has a fascination for video games, particularly Star Wars; it often serves as an extrinsic motivation for him to complete an assigned task. He has a fixation for puzzles; when given a choice to choose an activity to keep him engaged puzzles, are always his best option. His attention to detail and concentration when solving a puzzle is impeccable.
Formal Learning: James is always enthusiastic during math lessons; unfortunately, this is not the same for other subject areas, particularly ELA/ writing. His intuitive nature comes to play during math instructional activity; he is always eager to provide solutions to math problems and often frustrated if he did not get the correct answer to a question. Transitioning is a bite of an issue, especially when the transition is from a preferred activity to an un-preferred one. Like, the transition from a math lesson to writing. James is more of a visual learner; he gravitates more towards tangible activities. According to him, he loves coming to school, and his best subject is math.
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From James’s background, I can tell that he needs more attention from his mother, and also, that there need to be more rules at home. So, James can learn how to respect authority. From the second paragraph, see James as an active and energetic child who still is looking for his teachers’ attention. James is polite and well-like and has sensitive feelings. I found this overview very interesting because it presented James as somebody familiar to me.
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During which period does James need to go to bathroom the most? Perhaps if one were to observe the time and setting in which James needs to use the bathroom and tally it up, one can figure out a correlation to the studies being taught and the amount of times James leaves to the bathroom. Maybe James does this as a way to escape from doing something or learning about a subject he does not like or is not good at. Using the bathroom gives him the excuse to not participate and buys him time to avoid doing so.
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