Observational Essay
September 30, 2013
“Student Observation”
Within a few weeks of the class beginning, Ms. Mills moved one of my class mates to the front center of the classroom to limit distractions. During lectures she appears attentive, responding to questions and sometimes volunteering to answer questions. During less structured environments, such as labs, the student can be more or less engaged depending on what the activity is and who is her lab partner. She is very social and has a number of friends in the class. She has the most trouble during unstructured time.
When Ms. Mills gives the students class time to work on homework or a lab write-up at their desk, the student frequently will not. She normally has a number of excuses; no pencil, no book, or that the student assistance room wants her to do her homework there. Her preferred activity during these times is to talk to others but if one cuts out these options she is content to do nothing.
When I spoke to the student about school, she volunteered that while it was going all right, she wasn’t doing well in her classes right now. When asked why she identified her homework as the primary problem. She said when she is interested she will do her homework and when she isn’t she may do it partially or not at all. Even after she has done her homework fully or partially, she still may not hand it in though she couldn’t offer a reason for this. She volunteers that the assistant center makes sure that she