Struggling Student Observation

I have observed one child in the class, a boy, who sits by himself at the very front of the classroom. I am unclear to what degree this child struggles academically. He does not have an IEP, but he has been selected for Title 1 assistance by the SAT.

I selected this student because it has been mentioned that he is lazy. He does not do his homework and, when in class just sits and has to be urged over and over to stay on task. It has been mentioned to me that this child’s mother may have recently taken herself out of the picture.

I saw this boy presumably struggling with a math worksheet one day. I offered to help him, as I did the other students but he would not respond to me at all. A few days later, I was able to carry on a fairly extensive conversation with him.

I found this child to be very personable and articulate. He seemed very open when he was not in a classroom setting.

The teacher says that, although he may struggle some in other areas, he is very good at math. He just seems uninterested in completing his work. This seems to be the case with class work and homework as well. The teacher has spoken to his parents but no changes have been made.

The result is frustration on the part of the teacher. I think this child is bright. He may have emotional issues that are affecting him, but I am not sure I would call him lazy. My heart goes out to him but I am unsure how a teacher could remedy a situation like this without support from parents.