Max's scenario

Student: Max

Year: 9

Age: 15

Class: Math

Scenario:

On Monday the 7th of March 2011 Max attended his Math class during third period. This class usually runs for a time-period of an hour and fifteen minutes. During this class the students were given their first exam of the year on their first study focus of Pythagorus Theorem. The exam was to run silently in class for the hour duration. Approximately forty minutes into the exam, Max with two questions left began to feel restless and started making conversation with the student next to him. The teacher provided Max with a first warning, asking him to remain silent. Max after a couple of minutes began talking again prompting the teacher to walk over standing next to Sam. The teacher then took the exam paper off the table whilst saying, ‘excuse me Max!’ Max stood up and then snatched the exam paper back off the teacher saying ‘Yes, excuse you miss!’ The teacher asked Max to sit down and told him she knew where he was up to on the exam and wouldn’t mark any further work he completed. Max getting upset and angry swept up his belongings kicked back the chair so it fell over pushing desks out of his way as he left the classroom. After this event occurred the teacher spoke to his parents about the incident.

Additional informations:

About subjects:

Max likes his metal and wood work classes the most because of the teachers. Teachers in these two classes are more laid back, let the students talk more but still make sure all work by students is completed. Current Woodwork teacher is Max’s favourite teacher of all, to date. 

Max likes environments with plenty of movement, walking around the class talking to other students, very collaborative, using hands for majority of work, loud environment, noisy, more interaction and more one on one time with the teacher, very practical based subjects.

About teachers:

He likes teachers who are more ‘laid back’ and ‘chilled’.Max likes the content of all his subjects but dislikes some classes due to the teachers.Max talked about his experiences in math class in his last semester of year 8. His teacher was a young male who was also Max’s Pastoral Care teacher. Max felt he understood his needs more and often helped Max more collaboratively in class than his current teacher does. Max noted this teacher did this with most students. His year 8 Max's teacher also quite often used the interactive white board in class. Although there was still very little group work and class discussion. In this class Max’s two end test results reflect his academic achievement in this class, the grades were 86% and 98%.

About Math:

Max explained that he liked the subject of Maths and gets extra tutoring outside of school. As such he often finds that he understands ideas, equations and formulas quickly and manages to get work done quicker than others. The teacher does not set extra work for those who have worked quickly so Max often finds himself sitting with not much to do. This is when he becomes bored and talks and begins to disrupt others. Max feels at times he is not challenged enough within his class (could be attributed to tutoring and learning more)

Max takes a laptop to school but only gets to use it in English class. Likes using his laptop but also likes working from the text book. He always has his phone in his pocket and all equipment is to be provided by the students. There are no bags allowed in the classroom. 

 

Classroom Rules: 

No talking 

No standing up and walking around the classroom

One person speaks at a time 

No throwing things

Comment: 

To preserve anonymity, all names have been changed.