There is a student in the classroom named Maria (pseudonym). She has a delay in her social-emotional development. The teacher told me that as a small child up until she was about 6 years old, she was often told to stop talking and go to her room. This has affected her social skills. She is afraid to talk in class and has very few friends. Maria had now moved in with her aunt and cousins. Her social skills have slightly improved but in order for the teacher to get her to speak it has to be drawn out of her. Even in small group activities, if she does speak it is very quiet. The listener has to be right in front of her to hear what she is saying. Having to deal with that type of emotional abuse has delayed her learning ability. At the beginning of the school year she was below level in all subjects. The teacher’s hard work and dedication has helped bring her to just below level in reading and writing. The teacher gives her all the extra support she needs and it seems to be helping her out. She also has a para come in and work one on one with her to help improve her social and academic skills. This is a good example of the type of student we may see in our future classrooms. As a teacher, it is important to get to know the background of our students as best as possible.
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