Who’s In My Pocket – Narrative

The person I have in my pocket is my five year old nephew, Sawyer. Sawyer is a very sweet and responsible boy. Sawyer now has two sisters (my nieces), but he was an only child until he was almost four. Because of this, he spent a lot of one on one time with my Sister-in-law, who was very conscious of working on his developmental skills. She spent a lot of time planning and playing sensory activities with him, singing songs and reading books, and working on his letters, all that good stuff. 

Sawyer knew all of his letters before pre-school and was beginning to attribute them to letter sounds in words. He was able to trace letters, but could not do them independently at this time, his prehensile grip needed some improvement, as he would often grip the pencil with his whole hand instead of a proper hold. Lately, I’ve received cards from him that show his development in this area has improved greatly.

Sawyer is a very responsible and observant boy. He is very well spoken, and has a very active imagination and loves to play pretend. One thing I notice is that Sawyer often displays anxiousness. He worries often, and is not what I would consider a ‘risk-taker’. One example I can think of is my in-laws place has a landing above the living room. One time we made paper airplanes and planned to throw them off the landing, but once we got to the top of the stairs, Sawyer did not want to get near the edge, despite the railing, and became too fearful to throw his airplane over the banister. This can sometimes lead to Sawyer becoming emotional and teary. 

Sawyer is very inquisitive. He asks thoughtful questions, and then takes time to internalize them. I can tell he spends time thinking about the things he asks because he will often bring them up days later and ask for more clarification or bring it up just to talk about it again. 

Another thing Sawyer sometimes struggles with is getting caught up in the world around him. I’m not sure how to describe this properly, because it’s not that he struggles to focus in the typical way presented, but rather he kind of gets wrapped up in his own mind and might take longer to complete a task. One example of this is at pre-school, Sawyer will often come home with his lunch barely eaten in his backpack, or at every meal he will likely be the last one to finish eating because he is so wrapped up in observing others that he just takes a long time to do so and eventually the class will have to move on to something else. 

This year Sawyer started Kindergarten, and I haven’t been able to spend as much time with him as they live in Regina, and since my classes aren’t in Regina this year I haven’t seen them as much, so I’m not sure how he is doing in all of these areas.

Learner Profile – Planning For Differentiation

Overall I think Sawyer has many skills that will lead him to being successful in a variety of learning situations, but there is always room for adaptations. One challenge I can see arising for Sawyer in his learning environment is his worrying and anxiety about the unknown. The article The Adaptive Dimension by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education (2017) states that “consistent, predictable and structured environments ensure that students know what to expect” (p. 8). In terms of Sawyer’s learning environment, I think a specifically structured environment would be very beneficial to help ease any of his worries about the day and their activities.  A visual schedule that is visible for students throughout the day, as well as taking a few extra minutes in the morning to walk through the schedule could be a good support for Sawyer in his learning environment. However, the article also states that “within the structure, there needs to be flexibility to respond to emerging needs of students” and goes on to state that “ the culture of the classroom needs to reflect that all students are valued and capable learners” (p. 8). Thus, Sawyer would need observation to ensure he is feeling comfortable, valued, and accepted in his learning environment. Another adaptation in Sawyer’s learning environment could be that he may need more reminders during lunch to encourage him to continue eating, or if possible Sawyer could benefit from shorter snack breaks dispersed throughout the day. 

In terms of instructional adaptations, this area would require a fair amount of observation to inquire about Sawyers needs in the classroom, as we know the way students learn at home can be so different than when they are at school. The article mentioned above reiterates this in that “the teacher uses knowledge gained through formal and informal assessments to make decisions for adaptations to support student learning” (p. 8). From my experiences, Sawyer is a bright and engaged child who is very naturally inquisitive and I think he would be able to adapt well to the variety of learning models presented in classrooms. However, one potential area I think could be challenging for Sawyer is small groupings in the classroom. The article also states that “adaptations for small groups are dynamic in the sense that subsequent assessment leads to further adjustments for improved student learning. Grouping arrangements must be flexible based on student needs in any given subject area” p 8). Small grouping could be a potential challenge for Sawyer as he can take a more reserved role in groups and if paired with students who he is not quite comfortable with and one who takes a more dominant role, it could lead Sawyer to being left behind so careful monitoring of this would ensure Sawyer is successful in small group pairings.

Assessment for Sawyer would again involve a lot of observation. Similar to instructional adaptations, I think Sawyer would adapt well to quite a few different styles of assessment. However, I think it is important that this student still receive assessment in a variety of ways to best gain an insight into his understanding, as The Adaptive Dimension states “any assessment should be fair and equitable, giving all students opportunities to make connections and demonstrate the extent of their knowledge, skills and abilities in a variety of ways” (p. 9). One adaptation that may present itself is assessment in a private area outside of the busy classroom. As I mentioned, Sawyer can sometimes get caught up in the world around him, and this could be detrimental to a specific assessment as he may become distracted. As well, I think it’s important for Sawyer to develop a connection with his assessor, as he can sometimes become a bit shy around others that he does not know well and may not be comfortable which can affect his assessment. These adaptations would help Sawyer have opportunities to be successful. 

Lastly, I think there are many resources that could be helpful to Sawyer. There are many many books about worrying or anxiety that could help Sawyer understand his feelings and learn vital coping skills and mechanisms. Here is a CBC article written by Erik Missio (2018) which includes a list of children’s literature on this topic, some of which I have seen and read before. Worrying and anxiety in children can be scary as they may not be sure how to process these uncomfortable feelings, so literature and other classroom activities that ensure students that these feelings are normal and natural can go a long way in helping Sawyer feel more comfortable and successful.