Case Book Three

Char Emmer has set up a meeting with Zelda, one of her students. Char is concerned about her own skill level for dealing with the situation, so she has arranged the meeting so that Melba Thomas her mentor can join them. Char wants to learn where Zelda is in her cognitive development and her zone of proximal development.

MS. EMMER: Zelda, thank you for coming in today. Do you know Ms. Thomas? Ms. Thomas is my teacher, my mentor here at school. She watches me, and gives me help to be a better teacher. Is it okay with you if she sits in on our meeting today? She won't talk or interfere, but she may takes some notes to help me do my job better.

ZELDA: Okay, I guess. Hi, Ms. Thomas. I saw you around the school before.

MS. THOMAS: Hi, Zelda. Are you sure this is okay? You sound reluctant.

ZELDA: You gonna write about me?

MS. THOMAS: No, I won't. In fact, If you want, I will read my notes to you at the end, and you can decide if I keep them or toss them. Okay?

ZELDA: Okay.

MS. EMMER: Zelda, I am so glad you agreed to meet. I really need to understand how to facilitate your learning, and I am feeling that I really don't know enough. One of the things that I did, when you came here, was to look at your school records. I have to say, I am really impressed. You were always top in your class. You were always getting top scores on whatever achievement tests you were given. You skipped second grade altogether. Notes from your teachers said you were a top reader, sometimes doing over 100 books a year. You would come in from summer with lists of books you read and book reports set for the year! Wow!

ZELDA: It was nothing. I just liked to read, and summer is so boring. Reading at least gave me an escape.

MS. EMMER: Now we get to this year. You enter in the fourth week, new kid in the school, but everyone at this grade is new to the school. The other teachers on the team say that you have been doing your work, and it seems okay, just okay. However, when it comes to math, my part of the team, it seems to me like something is not working, like you are not learning everything. I have tried to be observant, and I thought I knew that your need to generally work alone, using an adult for supporting your learning when you need. However, you haven't come to me, and I don't see much work from you. I need to know how you learn math, how to help you.

ZELDA: I don't know. I guess that math is different. I don't like math much. Reading is easy and better. I can take a book and read it and think about it. The questions on book reports are easy. At my old school, all the learning was just from the reading. We really didn't have to do things like we do here.

MS. EMMER: At your old school, how did you learn best?

ZELDA: I don't know what you mean Ms. Emmer.

MS. EMMER: When it comes to math, do you learn best when you read the text, when you see problems done on the board, when you try to do problems with others, when you can think about things and not do the problems?

ZELDA: I just did worksheets on math problems at my old school. I am good at worksheets. I would sit and read the book and then do the worksheet. When teachers talk about math, it gets so confusing. Nothing against you Ms. Emmer but when you start to explain things, my mind just goes poof! I don't get it. I like it when you explain to me alone, but not when you are at the board trying to show everyone. That's hard. Plus, Ms. Emmer, don't take it wrong, but math isn't really for all the girls, and around here I am sure that you know that most girls are not into math.

MS. EMMER: Are you saying that you think you learn better if you read the text and then do problems?

ZELDA: Yeah.

MS. EMMER: Tell me more, please, about fitting in, and not doing math.

ZELDA: Math is a geek thing. I don't want to be seen as a geek. Don't sweat it, Ms. Emmer, you are not too geeky, but you know, among the girls..

MS. EMMER: I used to be one of those girls, and then I realized that with math I could be anyone I wanted to be. I could own my own world. I needed math!

ZELDA: We about done? I gotta get going.

MS. EMMER: What if you and I make a deal, and you turn your work in to me in an envelope, and I turn it back to you that way, you pick up the envelope from me, and no-one but you sees what you did. You know I don't discuss grades or work done or not done aloud in the class. So, you could be cool with your girls and I could make sure you are doing your math.

ZELDA: I guess we could try it. I really have to run now. Thanks for talking to me Ms. Emmer. Hey, before I go, let me see those notes, please, Ms. Thomas.

MS. THOMAS: Here, I wrote down that Ms. Emmer asked several questions, but most of them were things that let you answer yes or no. I also wrote down that Ms. Emmer didn't find out if you had any concerns with your learning in other areas.

Char Emmer has set up a meeting with Zelda, one of her students. Char is concerned about her own skill level for dealing with the situation, so she has arranged the meeting so that Melba Thomas her mentor can join them. Char wants to learn where Zelda is in her cognitive development and her zone of proximal development.

MS. EMMER: Zelda, thank you for coming in today. Do you know Ms. Thomas? Ms. Thomas is my teacher, my mentor here at school. She watches me, and gives me help to be a better teacher. Is it okay with you if she sits in on our meeting today? She won't talk or interfere, but she may takes some notes to help me do my job better.

ZELDA: Okay, I guess. Hi, Ms. Thomas. I saw you around the school before.

MS. THOMAS: Hi, Zelda. Are you sure this is okay? You sound reluctant.

ZELDA: You gonna write about me?

MS. THOMAS: No, I won't. In fact, If you want, I will read my notes to you at the end, and you can decide if I keep them or toss them. Okay?

ZELDA: Okay.

MS. EMMER: Zelda, I am so glad you agreed to meet. I really need to understand how to facilitate your learning, and I am feeling that I really don't know enough. One of the things that I did, when you came here, was to look at your school records. I have to say, I am really impressed. You were always top in your class. You were always getting top scores on whatever achievement tests you were given. You skipped second grade altogether. Notes from your teachers said you were a top reader, sometimes doing over 100 books a year. You would come in from summer with lists of books you read and book reports set for the year! Wow!

ZELDA: It was nothing. I just liked to read, and summer is so boring. Reading at least gave me an escape.

MS. EMMER: Now we get to this year. You enter in the fourth week, new kid in the school, but everyone at this grade is new to the school. The other teachers on the team say that you have been doing your work, and it seems okay, just okay. However, when it comes to math, my part of the team, it seems to me like something is not working, like you are not learning everything. I have tried to be observant, and I thought I knew that your need to generally work alone, using an adult for supporting your learning when you need. However, you haven't come to me, and I don't see much work from you. I need to know how you learn math, how to help you.

ZELDA: I don't know. I guess that math is different. I don't like math much. Reading is easy and better. I can take a book and read it and think about it. The questions on book reports are easy. At my old school, all the learning was just from the reading. We really didn't have to do things like we do here.

MS. EMMER: At your old school, how did you learn best?

ZELDA: I don't know what you mean Ms. Emmer.

MS. EMMER: When it comes to math, do you learn best when you read the text, when you see problems done on the board, when you try to do problems with others, when you can think about things and not do the problems?

ZELDA: I just did worksheets on math problems at my old school. I am good at worksheets. I would sit and read the book and then do the worksheet. When teachers talk about math, it gets so confusing. Nothing against you Ms. Emmer but when you start to explain things, my mind just goes poof! I don't get it. I like it when you explain to me alone, but not when you are at the board trying to show everyone. That's hard. Plus, Ms. Emmer, don't take it wrong, but math isn't really for all the girls, and around here I am sure that you know that most girls are not into math.

MS. EMMER: Are you saying that you think you learn better if you read the text and then do problems?

ZELDA: Yeah.

MS. EMMER: Tell me more, please, about fitting in, and not doing math.

ZELDA: Math is a geek thing. I don't want to be seen as a geek. Don't sweat it, Ms. Emmer, you are not too geeky, but you know, among the girls..

MS. EMMER: I used to be one of those girls, and then I realized that with math I could be anyone I wanted to be. I could own my own world. I needed math!

ZELDA: We about done? I gotta get going.

MS. EMMER: What if you and I make a deal, and you turn your work in to me in an envelope, and I turn it back to you that way, you pick up the envelope from me, and no-one but you sees what you did. You know I don't discuss grades or work done or not done aloud in the class. So, you could be cool with your girls and I could make sure you are doing your math.

ZELDA: I guess we could try it. I really have to run now. Thanks for talking to me Ms. Emmer. Hey, before I go, let me see those notes, please, Ms. Thomas.

MS. THOMAS: Here, I wrote down that Ms. Emmer asked several questions, but most of them were things that let you answer yes or no. I also wrote down that Ms. Emmer didn't find out if you had any concerns with your learning in other areas.

ZELDA: No, things are okay. I don't have any concerns. I just think that learning here is different and what I have to do is different. I'll adjust. Keep the notes, Ms. Thomas.

Teacher Notes:

• Individual meetings with students to try to understand their learning or to deal with other concerns are usually far better than trying to talk to the student during class, or singling out the student in front of his/her peers. However, you need to schedule these so that they are not seen as threatening by the student. Often another staff person is there to help document the ideas that come out of the conversation.
• Asking questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no" often does not elicit the information that helps you make good decisions in teaching. Rewording to ask students to tell you what they think when… or similar questions is typically very helpful.