Case Study

Classroom type: Spanish, Level 1

High School grades 9-12, Self-Contained Class
Background Info:
Student 1: Silas
Silas is male, is 16 years old, and in ninth grade. He lives with his mother, and has very strong
reading skills. In fact, he can almost read at his own grade level. Silas also has a good attendance
record, and makes it a priority to come to school. He enjoys skateboarding and playing video
games in his spare time. Fifa and Madden are his favorites. Silas struggles with an emotional
disturbance, and sometimes he takes out his feelings on his peers. He can become verbally or
physically aggressive if anything bothers or annoys him. In addition, Silas does not like math
class and struggles completing problems beyond the fifth grade level.

Student 2: Ava
Ava is in ninth grade, a female, and is fifteen years old. She lives with her mother, and has a
fairly good relationship with her. Ava has many friends in school, as she is quite social. She also
excels in math class and feels accomplished when she understands the material. Ava also likes
cars and motorcycles, and cant wait until she can learn to drive herself. Sometimes, Ava is prone
to throwing tantrums when conversations with adults dont go her way. She has an emotional
disturbance, and can become verbally or physically combative. Ava dislikes reading, and has
issues reading beyond the 3rd grade level. She also does not enjoy problem solving, especially
when it comes to word problems.
Student 3: Leo

Leo is a fifteen-year-old male in ninth grade. He resides with his mother, and makes her proud by
excelling academically. In addition to performing well in school, Leo is an extremely talented
artist. He likes playing video games, and drawing his own versions of the characters. Leo also
enjoys sleeping. Since he is very artistic, sometimes traditional schoolwork bores him. Leo calls
his Spanish class a dumb class, and refuses to complete the tasks. He has an emotional
disturbance, and can be verbally aggressive towards his teacher. In addition, sometimes he
swears at his peers or hits them when teased.
Student 4: Bobby
Bobby is sixteen years old, a male, and in tenth grade. He lives with both of his parents, and has
good relationships with most of his teachers. In addition, Bobby performs well academically and
is near grade-level in all classes. When he is calm, he is in some inclusion courses. Since he can
now legally get his permit, Bobby wants to learn how to drive. He also has been noticing girls
more lately. Bobby has an emotional disturbance, and sometimes verbally taunts his peers. He
also engages in self-abusive behaviors if he is in the middle of a tantrum.
Student 5: Nathan
Nathan is sixteen years old, in tenth grade, and is a male. He lives with his mother, and enjoys
spending time with her and his friends. Nathan always prides himself on dressing well, and being
neat and clean. He is a bright boy, and has the ability to catch up academically if he falls behind.
Although Nathan has friends, sometimes he gets into disagreements or fights with his peers. In
the classroom, reading and math are not his strongest subjects. Nathan can complete these tasks
at the mid fifth grade level. He enjoys his teachers, but sometimes curses at them or refuses to
complete assignments.
Student 6: Chris

Chris is a seventeen-year-old boy in eleventh grade. He currently lives at the residential

treatment facility. Chris enjoys car magazines, and makes clay models of cars in his spare time.
He works well with adults in the classroom, especially if the attention is individualized. In
addition, Chris remains calm when the tasks he is assigned are short and structured. He struggles
with an emotional disturbance and intellectual disability, causing him to struggle with reading
past the mid second grade level. Chris also dislikes story problems in math, due to the number of
words. If he becomes upset, Chris will throw a violent tantrum. For this reason, a teaching
assistant has been assigned to him.
Student 7: Emma
Emma is a fifteen-year-old girl in ninth grade. She lives with a foster family, and enjoys drawing
and making bead jewelry. Emma excels in her math class, and works on grade level. She also
functions well when she is with the special education teacher. Emma dislikes reading instruction,
and has difficulty reading past the sixth grade level. She has an emotional disturbance, and
throws tantrums when she is upset. During these tantrums, Emma can become verbally and
physically aggressive towards adults and peers.
Student 8: Laura
Laura is a fifteen-year-old girl in tenth grade. She lives with her mother, and her favorite thing to
do is read. Laura also likes watching movies and completing word search puzzles. She maintains
good relationships with adults, and reads independently at the mid third grade level. Her
weaknesses include problem solving skills, especially in math story problems. Laura has an
emotional disturbance, and can become physically aggressive with her peers.
Section 2: Classroom Rules
1. Speak only in Spanish while in Spanish class.
2. Raise your hand if you wish to speak, and wait to be called on.

3.
4.
5.
6.

Treat the teacher and all students with kindness and respect.
Complete all homework before the start of class.
Arrive to class on-time, and be in the door before the bell rings.
Sonrie

These rules are plainly stated, and have been written using positive language. They are kept to a
minimum, and are age appropriate. Since the students are in high school, they can handle rules
written in complete sentence form. I think that these rules are the most relevant for the Spanish
classroom, and that through implementation, instruction, and reinforcement, they will lead to an
effective learning environment. They also are in alignment with the school rules. Number two,
three, and five correspond with Be Respectful. Respect is essential in the classroom, and must
be shown towards both teachers and students. One way of showing respect is listening when
others speak, which is why I included raise your hand as the second rule. Rule number one,
four, and five address the Be Responsible regulation of the school. Students can be proactive
by completing their assignments, trying to arrive to class on-time, and staying in the target
language during class. The Be Safe rule is parallel to classroom rule number five. If students
are late, they might be running through the halls which would be potentially harmful. By arriving
early or on-time, this hazard is eliminated.
Section 3: Classroom Rules
A. entering the classroom (high school classroom)
-

Students are to enter into the classroom before the bell rings.

They will greet the teacher at the door, and say hola!

The class would be able to sit where they would like, to ensure peer cooperation.

After they enter the classroom and are all seated, I would begin my intro and welcome in
Spanish.

B. dismissal from class

Students would get a five-minute warning, and to start gathering their belongings and
cleaning up if doing a craft.

We would have a repaso or recap of everything we had learned that day, and students
could provide feedback and thoughts.

They would stay in their seats until the bell rings, not lining up at the door.

The class would say adios to the teacher, and could continue on to the next class.

C. Asking to go to the restroom

- Student will raise his or her hand, and wait to be called on.
- Once the teacher acknowledges the student, he or she will say May I please go to the
-

restroom? in Spanish.
Me permite ir al bao por favor?
If the student forgets how to ask in Spanish, he or she should consult the sign hanging by

the door that offers the phrase.

The teacher will say s.
Student will go to the bathroom quickly, and come right back to class after they have

finished.
D. Routine for Speaking in Class
- All responses must be in Spanish, unless the student asks for permission in Spanish to
-

have English clarification.

Spanish is the language of the classroom.
If a student is confused at any point, he or she should give a thumbs-down to the teacher

to let her know that he or she is lost.

Students will raise their hands to answer questions posed by the teacher.
Once called on, they will answer in the target language to the best of their ability.
If they do not know a word, they should work around it as best as they can before

resorting to English.
Teacher will give feedback to student based on response.

b) I would teach rule C to the class by a role-play scenario. I would ask for two volunteers to
participate. One student would be given a slip of paper that says Can I go to the bathroom? and
the other would be given a card that says No. The class would have to explain why that

example was bad, and which rule the student should follow to be given permission to go to the
restroom. I would call two more students up to the front of the class. One would receive a card
that said, Me permite ir al bao? The other student would respond with S! Once again, the
class would comment on why this was the correct response. It would be fortified by hanging a
sign up by the door with a list of common Spanish phrases, and reinforced frequently until
students grew comfortable with the rule.
Section 4: Creating a Positive Climate
In a Spanish classroom, the affective filter can either inhibit or decrease foreign language
acquisition. According to Stephen Krashen, the affective filter is like an invisible film that drops
when the student is in a low-stress, calm, safe environment and raises when he or she feels
nervous, unsafe, or stressed. Children learn best in safe environments, and when the affective
filter is low, they are able to process language without any resistance from internal factors. To
lower the affective filter in the classroom, the layout must be organized. Everything should have
a place, and there should be no clutter laying around. The desks should be neatly placed in pods
or rows, and the decorations should not be too distracting. If possible, the temperature of the
room should be kept comfortable. In order to lower the anxiety of the students, I would use Total
Physical Response as the teacher. This includes using body movements, gestures, facial
expressions, and sounds to help the class understand what youre trying to convey without
explicitly breaking into English. TPR also helps to lighten the classroom environment, because
the students see that the teacher is comfortable interacting with them. Spanish music would be a
useful tool to make the classroom livelier and inviting, and I could have it playing when they
walked into the room. Finally, I would have a corner in the room set up as a

relaxation/conversation nook with comfortable chairs and a sofa. I think that all of these factors
combined would make the classroom environment efficient, welcoming, and low-stress.
Section 5: Classroom Layout

For
this Spanish classroom, I created a "U" shape with the tables. The teacher's desk has been placed
in front so that I can walk down the middle of the U and interact with each student. It is also
beneficial to have this setup in a foreign language classroom because the affective filter is
lowered. When students can see each other's faces, it relaxes them and can lead to further
cooperation. Especially in the first few weeks, speaking a foreign language can be intimidating.
To be able to see that they are all in it together relaxes the classroom atmosphere. A U-shape can
also allow for partner work, and is easy to split the class into teams for games or debates. Also,
nobodys vision is blocked due to having three students desks in front of them. In addition, there

are a few conversation areas throughout the room. Beanbag chairs and sofas would allow
students to practice speaking Spanish informally. The projector, chalkboard, and TV are all up
front so that the students do not have to relocate to see. There are storage cabinets in the back of
the room for organizational purposes. Everything would be clearly labeled and free of clutter. I
would decorate the walls with authentic Spanish signs, words, phrases, and artistic elements.
However, it would not be overwhelming or distracting. One caution for this setup would be the
comfort areas in the corner. There is a location with beanbag chairs, and another with a few
sofas. I think that it would be beneficial for the students to have a spot where they can relax and
escape the traditional stone-cold school chairs. The only issue would arise if students abused
their privileges of spending time there. There would have to be rules established for when the
students can go (after finishing the task, before class begins, etc.). However, I think that
ultimately it would be a positive addition.
Section 6: Lesson Plan Adaptation
This lesson plan was created for an AP Spanish language course. This in itself will be a
challenge, because I will have to majorly adjust the level and difficulty of the task. However, I
think that it is a lesson that the students would be able to complete. It would be beneficial for
them to learn about immigration, especially in Spanish class, because it is a very prevalent and
debated aspect of our American culture. The topic could help incorporate authentic resources into
the lesson. Challenges or adaptations have been written in red.
Section 7: Defining Behaviors
Silas becomes verbally aggressive with his peers by raising his voice, calling them inappropriate
names, or cursing. Event recording would be appropriate with Silas, because he does not have
aggressive spells frequently. I would note the instances that the behavior occurs in a five-day

timespan. Instead of attacking his peers verbally, the replacement behavior would be giving his
peers a compliment and only using kind words. This would be implemented by instruction of the
behavior, and modeling by the teacher and other students.
Ava can get verbally or physically combative when she does not have her way, and will talk back
to the teacher, mutter curse words under her breath, push, shove, and bang her hands on the desk.
For Ava, I would use an interval recording system because the behavior occurs a few times per
day. She will be observed in five Spanish classes to see how frequently the behavior occurs
within each interval. The replacement behavior would be taking out her stress on a stress ball
instead of violently using her words or actions. I could implement this technique with her by
speaking to her privately after class, and explaining that there are other outlets for her to use.
Leo gets upset and takes out his frustration on his peers by swearing, hitting, or pinching them. I
would use event recording with Leo, because these physical outbursts are easy to identify and
count. With his behavior, the alternative would be calmly telling his peers what is bothering him,
and keeping his hands to himself. I would have a behavior contract with Leo to reinforce this.
Bobby taunts his peers if he becomes upset by calling them rude names and telling them that he
is better at everything. I would use event recording with Bobby to try and decrease the number of
times these instances occur. The replacement behavior would be providing positive comments to
his peers, and would be implemented by social skill teaching.
Nathan refuses to complete assignments by complaining that he is bored to work and waiting
until before the bell rings to write anything. I would take data on him using a latency recording,
and time how long it would take for him to begin his work after the direction is given. Nathans
alternate replacement behavior would be beginning his work immediately after the instructions

are given. It would be reinforced by giving him positive feedback and compliments so that he
feels more motivated to complete the desired behavior.
Chris throws violent tantrums by banging on the desk, yelling, laying on the floor, and kicking
people. For Chris, I would use duration recording to see how long each outburst lasts for, and to
try and decrease the length of time of the episodes. His alternative behavior would be sitting
quietly at his desk instead of causing a disturbance. This could be implemented by redirecting his
attention towards the class by having him participate.
Emma becomes verbally aggressive with her peers when she is upset by calling them stupid,
cursing, and insulting them to the point of tears. Event recording would be appropriate to use
with Emma, with the goal being to decrease the number of times she becomes verbally
aggressive. Emmas alternate behavior is using kind words towards her peers. This would be
reinforced by providing positive comments every time she behaves well towards the other
classmates.
Laura is physically aggressive with her peers and slaps, pinches, and kicks them when she is
upset. I would also use event recording with Laura. The alternate behavior is using a stress ball
when upset instead of physically attacking her peers. This would be taught to her in a
conversation after class, and reinforced by giving her positive feedback.
Section 8: Social Skill Lesson
Inappropriate behavior: not raising hand to speak, talking over peers while they are trying to give
answers.
Rationale for a new behavior: This new behavior is important to develop so that the classroom
functions smoothly and students can hear each others ideas.

Describe the appropriate behavior: Students will need to learn to raise their hands before
speaking out in class, and to wait their turn if a peer is responding.
Skills Components
1. Being able to raise your hand high enough so that the teacher can see it.
2. Raising hand and leaving it in the air without waving arms around.
3. Waiting patiently for the teacher to notice.
4. Remaining quiet while the teacher calls on other students
5. Taking turns and allowing other students to answer
6. Staying in your seat while your hand is raised.
7. Using the appropriate tone of voice
Model demonstration example (after the positive alternative behavior has been identified and
broken into its component parts, the next step is for the adult to demonstrate or model the
behavior; this can involve the student playing the role of the other person involved, for example,
the teacher or peer, while the person assisting the student in developing the new skill will roleplay the student using the new skill.)
Role play activity- student would come to the front of the class and experience what its like to
choose a student to answer when all hands are raised correctly.

Student practice example (this will initially be done in the classroom or wherever the training is
taking place; student must have an opportunity to practice the new behavior in a setting similar to
that in which she will have to use it, for example, if having issues with peer on playground then
the new behavior would need to be practiced on the playground with peers.) I think that a role
play activity involving the students would be the most effective way of communicating this

behavior. One student could be selected to be the teacher, and the rest of the class would be
students. The teacher would be instructed to ask the class, What day is it today? and the
students would be told to jump, stand up, wave their arms around, and speak over each other.
After a few minutes of chaos, the class would stop and try to model the correct behavior. The
activity would be repeated, this time with the appropriate response. Students would be told to
raise their hands, remain quiet when others are answering, and staying in their seats until called
on.
Natural setting practice: Spanish classroom
Homework assignment: hold conversations at dinner so that the students become accustomed to
recognizing the natural pauses in speech, and the correct way to ask questions without speaking
over others.
Individual or group reinforcement strategy: if the entire class correctly raised their hands,
remained in their seats, and listened to each others answers, then they would all get a sticker at
the end of class.