EPISODE 4

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND LEARNER’S INTERACTION

Name of FS Student: Cabrera, Rama Grace T.

Course: Bachelor of Elementary Education Year & Section: II-A

Resource Teacher_____________________ Signature_________________ Date_____________

Cooperating School: Sta. Maria Elementary School

An Observation Guide for the Learner’s Characteristics

1. Find out the number of students. Gather data as to their ages, gender, racial groups, religious,

ethnic backgrounds.

In the class that we have observed, there are twenty-four pupils, eleven boys and

thirteen girls. All of the 24 learners are Filipino. They are all Ilocanos and their religion is

catholic.

During the class:

1. How much interaction is there in the classroom? Describe how the students interact with one

another and with the teacher. Are there groups that interact more with the teacher than others.

The pupils interact with their classmates accordingly. Their interaction with their

teacher is good because they participate actively, and they respect their teacher. The teacher

manage to retain the learners’ attention and interest, and as a result the pupils interact more

with the teacher more than they do with their classmates.

2. Observe the learners seated at the back and the front part of the room. Do they behave and

interact differently?

The learners seated at the back interact and behave differently. Their span of attention

is much shorter than the ones who are seated in front. They merely recite or just even raise

their hands to catch the attention of the teacher when a question is thrown to the class. They

work on different things not related to their topic.

3. Describe the relationship among the learners. Do the learners cooperate with or compete

against each other?

During the time that we went to observe, I noticed that there is competition, but a

healthy one. Although there is competition, when they are asked to group themselves together

for an activity the learners know how to cooperate with other. Everyone is helping to finished

the work given to them.

4. Which the students participate actively? Which students ask for most help?

The students who active in the class is mostly seated in front. They are very attentive

during the discussion. If a student cannot answer a question they usually ask their seatmates.

5. When a student is called and cannot answer the teacher’s question, do the classmates try to

help him? Or do they raise their hands do that the teacher will call them instead?

When a pupil cannot answer the question of the pupil, other pupils help him/her by

whispering or sometimes shouting the answer. But some pupils raise their hands and wait for

the teacher to acknowledge them.

Outside class:

1. How do the students group themselves outside class? Homogenously, by age? By gender? By

racial or ethnic groups? Or the students in mixed social groupings? If so, describe the groupings.

During the pupils vacant time, those who are in the same grade are grouped together.

The girls’ groups are separated from the boys’ group.

2. Describe how the learners interact with each other. What do they talk about?

Learners mostly interact among their friends. They go to different areas in the school

together. When the learners have time, they talk about television programs they watch. And

since there are grade six pupils, they are starting to talked about text mates, and crushes.

My Analysis

1. Identify the persons who play key roles in the relationships and interactions in the

classroom. What roles do they play? Is there somebody who appears to be the leader, a

mascot/ joker, an attention seeker, a little teacher, a doubter/ pessimist?

Pupils who appear to be the leader are those who are intelligent and mostly topped

in their class. In the class that we have observed, boys are more attention seeker than the

girls. They are much playful although they also participate in the discussion. Boys are

also the mascot/joker of the class. They crack jokes sometimes even the class is going on

or during the activities.

2. Are students coming from the minority group accepted or rejected by the others? How is

this shown?

As I have observed, the learners accept everyone, even from the majority or the

minority group. They do not choose whoever they are grouped with. They mingle to each

other with no hesitation, and no one is criticizing anyone.

3. How does the teacher influence the class interaction considering the individual

differences of the students?

The teacher influences the class interaction considering the individual differences

of the learners by grouping them randomly. The teacher gives them something to work on

which needed brainstorming and communication.

4. What factors influence the grouping of learners outside the classroom?

The main factors influencing the groupings of the learners outside the classroom

are gender and age. Those who are in the same grade and same gender group themselves

together.

OBSERVATION REPORT

The interaction of the learners inside the classroom is mostly influenced by their teacher.

During the discussion, the teacher must able to retain the child’s interest with the topic in order

to control the noise during the discussion. When the teacher is capable of maintaining the

learners’ interest on the topic, it will help the learners to participate in class. By giving group

activities the teacher is not only building the learners’ cognitive aspects but also helping them to

build friendship and teach them to socialize.

The learner’s groupings outside the class are influenced by their grade level and their

gender. The group of the girls is separated from the boys. When the pupils have vacant time, they

usually talked about text mate, crushes and television shows.

By giving time to the learners to be together helps them learn camaraderie, and enjoy

their years in school.

My Reflections

1. How did you feel being in that classroom? Did you feel a sense of oneness or unity

among the learners and between the teacher and the learners?

Being inside that classroom makes me feel young again. I can feel in the

atmosphere the sense of belongingness. I can feel that the teacher is a member of the

class not a dictator but friend. Even though outside the class they are divided into their

peer groups, I can feel that inside the classroom they are one family.

2. In the future, how would you want the learners in your classroom to interact? How will

you make this happen?

In the future, I want my learners to interact in the classroom with oneness. I want

them to help each other, not practice “crab mentality”. Though I cannot avoid

competition, I will make sure that it is a healthy competition. I want them to accept their

classmates with no hesitation. As their teacher, I, myself will accept my learners. I will be

fair enough to every pupil and give them the same chances.

My Portfolio

Post a collection of quotations advocating for celebrating diversity in the classroom.

Using these quotations, explain how you will encourage all learners, regardless of religious,

ethnic or racial background to interact and participate well.

"We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings,

different hopes, different dreams." Jimmy Carter

Based on this quotation, I will let my students understand that even though we have

different beliefs, hopes, and dreams, there are things that we can make or create extravagant if

we just meet halfway and adjust in other’s needs.

"It were not best that we should all think alike;it is difference of opinion that makes horse races." 

Mark Twain

Like a horse in a race

"Life lies in diversity, not in monotony." M.K. Soni

EPISODE 5

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND LEARNERS’ INTERACTION

Name of FS Student: Cabrera, Rama Grace T.

Course: Bachelor of Elementary Education Year & Section: II-A

Resource Teacher_____________________ Signature_________________ Date_____________

Cooperating School: Sta. Maria Elementary School

An Observation Guide for Individual Differences

1. Observe the class to see the differences in abilities of the learners.

2. Try to identify the student who seem to be performing well and those who seem to be

behind.

3. Validate your observations by asking the teacher about the background (family, socio-

economic, presence of some learning disability, etc.) of these children.

4. Observe the behavior of the high achieving and low-achieving learners.. note their

disposition, pace in accomplishing tasks, interaction with teacher, interaction with others.

5. Observe the teacher’s method in addressing the individual learning needs of the students

in his/her class.

My Analysis

1. Did you observe match the information given by the teacher? Were you able to identify

who among the students performed well and who did not? What behavior helped you

identify them? (volunteering to answer, responding to teacher directions, etc.)

2. Describe the differences in ability levels of the student in the class. Is there a wide gap

between the students who are performing well and those that are not?

3. Describe the methods used by the teacher in handling the students’ differences in ability.

How did students respond to the teacher?

OBSERVATION REPORT

My Reflections

1. Recall the time when you were in elementary or high school. Recall the high and low

achievers in your class. How did your teacher deal with differences in abilities? Was your

teacher effective?

My Portfolio

With the principle of individual differences in mind, what methods and strategies will

you remember in the future to ensure that will be able to meet the needs of both high and low

achievers in your class?