Reflection on Case Study

Prospective Teachers or
Interns


• What are the key lessons you learned from David’s case?

• What are the most common strategies for teaching science in your
  classroom? What are the benefits and potential drawbacks of these
  strategies? As you begin to take on more responsibility for
  instructional decisions in your career, what principles will guide your
  decisions in teaching science? Explain
  your answer.

David's attitude was familiar to me, as I work in a school with many children whose first language is not English.  I am always disheartened by teachers who allow their frustration to take over their passion.  Children who are learning English in our schools are having to deal with so much- trying to connect to peers, understand material, and find teachers who can help them.  I can only imagine how scary it must be and how easy it must be to want to give up.
 
In David's case, he was smart to find an ELL teacher who could guide him onto a path of greater understanding.  I can only help that the teachers in the school where I eventually become employed are that willing to collaborate.  I love the idea of presenting children with comprehensible imput- it reminds me of the zone of proximal development.  The teacher who I am interning with is very careful to include kinisthetic, verbal, oral, and visual techniques in all of her lessons, including science lessons.
I think what I will take with me from this case study is the importance of being prepared to work with students at all levels and to have a knowledge base for how to cater to ELL students before I step into any classroom.