TWS-C Shadow Reflection Activity Outline

As part of TWS-C you will create a case study using one of the students in the class in which you will be
teaching your unit plan. You will choose student on an IEP, 504, BIP, or being observed as struggling
student.

Early on (a week or two into the placement), select your case study student. You will observe him or her in at
least two different classrooms. This is a guide for your reflection that will be due September 23rd, by
11:30p.m.

Pre-Observation:
1. Why did you choose this student?
a. I chose this student because he was in the first class that I took over in my course load. I felt that I
would be able to get the most work time with this student and be able to accommodate or modify my
lessons for him. Also, I found that he be a challenge to connect with due to his history with new
teachers. There is always a para in the room with him, so he often time goes to her with questions. I
wanted to focus on this student to help take down the barrier of always going to the para.
2. What question(s) do you have that you think will be answered by observing him/her in other
environments?
a. I believe I will a better understanding of students with autism and how to accommodate them in my
classroom. There is a lot to learn from students with autism as far as how different each student
thinks. I believe I will gain a better understanding of my teaching style and learn to communicate with
my special education resources. I also was wondering initially how students with special needs all are
so different. I have two classes with students with autism and wanted to see the variations in the two.

During the observation (NOTE: the purpose of this is not to be critical of the student or teacher, but simply
to observe and reflect):
3. Sometimes it’s enlightening to walk in the student’s shoes for a while. What are your impressions of the
student’s day?
a. After putting myself in this student’s shoes, I first off saw all the frustration this student may
experience on a day to day basis. When he attempts to work on the activity or assignment, I don’t see
the frustration which was surprising. This student also requires extra time to answer questions. The
student is very close to the para which helps him in class, but also negatively impacts his interaction
with the class and teacher. The teachers in his classrooms simply ignore and don’t attempt to
accommodate to him. I have heard teachers say, “Oh, he doesn’t need to do that part of the activity
or assignment”.
4. Note specific interactions between the student and peers/teachers. If they are different from room to
room, why?
a. I have noticed in certain classrooms, the teachers “brush” him off or don’t attempt to help get his
learning to where the other students are. In my classroom, my teacher will randomly call him out to
answer questions when discussing. He struggles to answer questions in certain classrooms but seems
to be more independent when his para is helping other students. I do notice he is more comfortable
when he spends more time in a classroom and warms up to his surroundings.

Post-Observation:
5. Seek out conversations with the teachers in whose rooms you observed the student. Based on those
conversations and your own observations, how will this affect the way you perceive/interact with your
student?
a. I met with multiple teachers to find ideas how they help this student learn. This helped me
understand the student’s past experiences with his education. I asked a few teachers to share the
work they have made accommodations to for this student. Another conversation I had with the
teachers is how other students react to the student. I wanted to gain an understanding of the
perspective of a classroom attitude is with this student. This conversation helped me gain the
viewpoint of the other students, so I can also walk in their shoes.

6. If the student has an IEP, 504, BIP, or other plan in place, set up a time to meet with the case manager to
find out what is on the plan. How will the information you have gathered from the observation and
discussions with other staff members impact how you will plan for this student in your unit?
a. I met with this student’s case manager to figure out his plan and get some ideas to help him. I
have used this information to help plan lesson that allow him to learn in his own way. I figured
out the different things that interest him which have already proven useful. I figured out that this
student enjoys talking about books, toys, and his family. During class, I used a lesson where we
discussed favorite childhood toys and inventing a toy on their own. He was telling me all about
his childhood toys and the ideas he found for his homemade toy. The para and I met after class to
discuss his progress. The para was extremely excited about how well he participated in the
activity. This meeting and lesson gave me a better perspective on how to involved different
students interest levels.