My goal for this project was to help this mom get into school and start work on either her GED for find a place that will give her a high school diploma. From the research that I did during the writing of my lit review I learned how important it is for teen parents to complete their education in order to have a better life for them and their child.
I learned a lot about the action research process while working on this project. I learned that I need to be open to changing my plan of action, and take time to really hear what the parent is saying instead of trying to push my agenda. I learned that I need to make sure that I am following through with what I tell the mom that I am going to do. That means, I need to have articles, information and time for her when I say that I will have it for her. By doing this it will help build trust in our relationship.
The information that I think will help others is the information that I learned about adolescent development. That in order to work with a teen parent, you need to meet them where they are developmentally or you will not be able to make progress in the work that you are trying to do with them.
As far as myself as a researcher, I have learned that I need to be passionate about helping families in order to want to take the time out of my day to work specifically with one family. I have learned that the research does not end when the lit review ends, but that all interactions can be thought about and tied to research.
My teaching practices will forever be changed after this work with this mother. I will be able to reach out to teen parents and be able to meet them where they are developmentally, and help them move forward. I am very proud of all the progress that we have made in our relationship, and also in her goals. I plan on continuing my work with her in hopes to keep her on track with the completion on her education.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Case Study- Post 9
Today I worked with mom. She brought in the book from the class at the hospital. I asked her how the class went, she said that it was really good and she learned so much information, and feels like she knows what to do know if the baby goes into a crisis. I smiled and asked her, how she felt about that. She said it makes her feel like she is in more control and that it makes her a better mother. I said that must be a really good feeling. I asked her what was the new information that she learned that will help her. She said the most important thing she learned was that when the baby is running a fever that she needs to take her right to the er and get medical attention right away. She said that at home they were treating the fever, but that was not what they should be doing. She said this will help her prevent long hospital stays by being able to catch the infection before it gets bad. At this point, I was so proud that mom took the time to go to the hospital, and learn about this condition.
I asked her how bedtime was going, and she said the articles that I gave her were helpful, and that they are working on a bedtime routine. I asked her if she needed any other information on bedtime routines, and she said no. I asked her if her classes were going okay, and she said yes. I asked her what her plans were for the rest of the day and mom said that she was going to go to the temp agency and see if they have any work for her. I said that sounds like a good plan. I told her that our time together to work one on one would be ending, I asked her how she felt about it. She said that she is glad that we had devoted so much time to work on the goals that she has for herself.
I asked her how bedtime was going, and she said the articles that I gave her were helpful, and that they are working on a bedtime routine. I asked her if she needed any other information on bedtime routines, and she said no. I asked her if her classes were going okay, and she said yes. I asked her what her plans were for the rest of the day and mom said that she was going to go to the temp agency and see if they have any work for her. I said that sounds like a good plan. I told her that our time together to work one on one would be ending, I asked her how she felt about it. She said that she is glad that we had devoted so much time to work on the goals that she has for herself.
Case Study- Post 8
Today mom and I sat down to talk. I brought with me a couple of articles about bedtime routines, and way to transition children into a bed from a crib. I asked her how things were going with the move from the crib to a bed. She said that night times were still really rough, and that neither one of them are getting much sleep. I asked her how that was effecting her homework, and the daily schedule that we had discussed last time. She said it was hard for her to stay on schedule when she was so tired, and that when she should be doing homework, she wants to be sleeping. She said that during the day she has been, falling asleep while reading her lessons and that when she wakes up it is time to come and pick up the baby. I gave her the information that I got for her and said maybe the articles would be able to give her some ideas to make bedtime easier for them. She said that she would look at them. I asked her how her lessons were going. She said when she gets to them, they are not to bad and is able to work though about one lesson in two weeks. I asked her if she was working on the math section, and she said, that she works on it with her sister and has to take it very slow.
At this point I was wondering if she was feeling like she was failing at getting her school work done because she is so tired during the day. I asked her if she was feeling like she was falling behind, and feeling nervous about failing. She said that she was not scared that she was going to fail because the school will not give her anymore lessons until she has finished the one that she has. She told me that she was planning on attending a class at Children's Hospital to learn more information about her daughters chronic condition. I told her that I was proud of her for taking the time to schedule a babysitter for the baby, and learn about this condition. I also asked her if she could educated me on what to look for after the class. She smiled and said that she would love to do that. I felt that by asking her to educate me, showed that I respect her as the parent. I also think that this will show her that I care to know about the condition that her daughter has so that I can detect sign that the child might be having a crisis.
My next step is to talk with the mom about the information that she learned in her class, and how she is going to use that information to keep the baby healthy, and out of the hospital.
At this point I was wondering if she was feeling like she was failing at getting her school work done because she is so tired during the day. I asked her if she was feeling like she was falling behind, and feeling nervous about failing. She said that she was not scared that she was going to fail because the school will not give her anymore lessons until she has finished the one that she has. She told me that she was planning on attending a class at Children's Hospital to learn more information about her daughters chronic condition. I told her that I was proud of her for taking the time to schedule a babysitter for the baby, and learn about this condition. I also asked her if she could educated me on what to look for after the class. She smiled and said that she would love to do that. I felt that by asking her to educate me, showed that I respect her as the parent. I also think that this will show her that I care to know about the condition that her daughter has so that I can detect sign that the child might be having a crisis.
My next step is to talk with the mom about the information that she learned in her class, and how she is going to use that information to keep the baby healthy, and out of the hospital.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Case Study- Post 7
Today we sat down to discuss how things were going now that mom and baby were discharged from the hospital. I brought a copy of a planner to our meeting, with the hopes that mom and I would be able to talk about how she could best use the time in her day to complete school work. When mom walked in the room, she looked very tired. I felt like I needed to inquire about her exhaustion so that she knows I'm paying attention to her cues, and not just trying to push my agenda. I asked her if it was a rough night last night because she looked tired. She said that she decided it was time for her child to sleep in a toddler bed, and that the night before had been the first night, and that it was rough. I asked her what she could do differently to make this transition easier for them. She said that she is going to sit in the room with the baby until she falls asleep. I said that would be a good idea, and would reassure the baby that mom is not going to leave. At the beginning of our time together I asked her to come up with a good-bye ritual for her and her baby when she leaves her with me for the day. I reminded mom of that ritual, and suggested that maybe she could come up with a good night ritual that would make bed time easier for the both of them. She said she would think about it, and then wondered if I had any suggestions about what would be helpful. I told her I felt like having a specific routine/ ritual that they do together every night will make the transition to a big bed easier. She said okay, and glanced at the paper I had placed on the table, and asked what I had brought. I reminded her about our conversation about working on scheduling her day, and thinking about how she was going to fit everything in. She shook her head remembering our conversation from a couple weeks ago. I asked her to write down all of the obligations that she had to take care of on a daily basis, to include, homework, work, the baby and time for herself. She looked at me and said, "I need to schedule time for myself?" I smiled at her and said, " Yes! It is important that you take time for yourself also, or you will be no good for anyone else." She nodded. On her list she wrote, homework, housework, baby, myself and then pushed the list toward me. I read the list, and asked her, "What about work?" She said, "It was not working out, and they were not understanding when baby was in the hospital so I quit." I said, " Ok, how do you feel about that?" She said, " Annoyed that I have to look for another job again." I said, " That would be annoying, have you put applications out?" She said, " I'm going to a temp agency for them to help me find work." I said, " Let me know if I can support you in your job hunt."
Next we went on to talk about when would be the best time for her to work on homework. She feels like working on homework would be best done during the day when the baby is at school. We wrote down on the schedule, drop baby off at school at 9, start homework by 10:15-1. Next we talked about the obligations that she has housework wise. She needs to do laundry for her and the baby, and pick up the house daily. We scheduled her to do this work from 8-9pm after she puts the baby to bed. She said, "I need to look for work too." I asked, " When would be a good time for you during the day to do that?" She said, " I think from 1-3 and then I will pick the baby up from you around 3 and spend time with her after that." I asked, " What about time for yourself?" She said," Maybe after I finish cleaning I could relax and watch a movie or something." I said," Okay, well lets try out this schedule for a few days and I'll check in with you and see how it is going." She said, " Okay."
I felt like this was a successful meeting, but I did not feel as connected with mom as I normally do. I think maybe it was because she was tired, and wasn't up to discussing her life. I think that maybe when I meet with her next time I will mention to her about how I felt disconnected, and wonder with her about why that was.
My next step is going to be checking in with her in a couple days to see how the schedule is working out for her, and also how the transition to a big bed is going for the baby. In the mean time, I will be looking for some articles about bedtime routines that might be helpful for her.
Next we went on to talk about when would be the best time for her to work on homework. She feels like working on homework would be best done during the day when the baby is at school. We wrote down on the schedule, drop baby off at school at 9, start homework by 10:15-1. Next we talked about the obligations that she has housework wise. She needs to do laundry for her and the baby, and pick up the house daily. We scheduled her to do this work from 8-9pm after she puts the baby to bed. She said, "I need to look for work too." I asked, " When would be a good time for you during the day to do that?" She said, " I think from 1-3 and then I will pick the baby up from you around 3 and spend time with her after that." I asked, " What about time for yourself?" She said," Maybe after I finish cleaning I could relax and watch a movie or something." I said," Okay, well lets try out this schedule for a few days and I'll check in with you and see how it is going." She said, " Okay."
I felt like this was a successful meeting, but I did not feel as connected with mom as I normally do. I think maybe it was because she was tired, and wasn't up to discussing her life. I think that maybe when I meet with her next time I will mention to her about how I felt disconnected, and wonder with her about why that was.
My next step is going to be checking in with her in a couple days to see how the schedule is working out for her, and also how the transition to a big bed is going for the baby. In the mean time, I will be looking for some articles about bedtime routines that might be helpful for her.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Case Study- Post 6
The family has had a rough couple of weeks and it has been difficult to get time in to talk to mom. The baby was admitted to the hospital, for a chronic condition. The baby was hospitalized for a week and half. The doctors were unable to keep her fever down, so they kept her. Mom kept in contact with me daily, and sometimes twice a day just to check in and let me know how things were going. This was a huge step for our relationship! When the baby has been hospitalized before she would not even contact me at all. I felt as though she has come to realize that I am genuine in my intentions with her and her family.When mom called to check in with me on Friday, I asked her if it was alright if I came to the hospital to visit and bring a puzzle for the baby. She agreed to me coming to the hospital over the weekend, but asked me to call first so that I could come at a time they were both awake. On Saturday morning I called the hospital, and arranged a time with mom to come and visit. I went to the hospital, with a puzzle, and a cup of hot chocolate in hand with the hopes that mom and I could talk about how this might detour her work for school, and I was wondering about how she was able to take time off her new job. I walked into the room, and mom was sitting on the bed reading to the baby. I smiled as I walked in, offered her the hot chocolate, and opened the puzzle for the baby. I sat down next to her and asked her how she was feeling. She said that she was exhausted! I told her I didn't blame her, and that anyone would be exhausted doing everything that she was doing. I asked her how her online homework was going. She said that the work was easy, except for the math part. I asked her what was difficult about it. She said that she just is not good at math, that she loves reading, and writing but hates math. I asked her if she wanted me to look into tutoring for her for the math work. She said that her sisters were going to help her with all the math work.I told her that I was glad they were supporting her on finishing her work. She said that the doctors are going to discharge the baby in a couple days as long as her fever can stay down. She said she will be glad when they are able to go home because she is so tired and can not rest at the hospital. I asked her about how the new job was going. She said that the new job was going good, that she was able to take shifts at the hospital with her sisters, they would come to the hospital at night so that she could go to work. I stayed at the hospital and played with the baby for a little while and then left. Before I left mom said that she would call me on Monday and let me know how the baby was doing.
My next step when I talk with mom is to discuss with her how well I think that she is doing with handling all the stress of being in the hospital. I think that the implications that this interaction has for other educators is to remind us how important it is to have a relationship with the families that we are serving. Also, how important it is to respect the parents opinions and values. Lastly, that even though we may have an agenda with a family, but that life happens around our agenda and that we need to meet the parents where they are.
My next step when I talk with mom is to discuss with her how well I think that she is doing with handling all the stress of being in the hospital. I think that the implications that this interaction has for other educators is to remind us how important it is to have a relationship with the families that we are serving. Also, how important it is to respect the parents opinions and values. Lastly, that even though we may have an agenda with a family, but that life happens around our agenda and that we need to meet the parents where they are.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Case Study-Post 5
I had the chance to check in with mom today during drop off time. Her and I needed to go though some paperwork for our program, so I was able to just check in. Here is what we discussed.
Me: "Good morning, how are things going?"
Mom:" Fine! I got a new job."
Me: "That's wonderful to hear, what will you be doing? What will the hours be?"
Mom: "I will be working third shift at a factory. My hours will be 3-11. I am excited to start working because I would really like to move out of my moms."
Me: "How are you feeling about those hours? How do you plan on squeezing in time for your homework?"
Mom: " I'm going to do my homework while baby is here with you."
Me: " Great, do you think it would be helpful if we sat down together and wrote out a schedule for you? That way you will know what you need to do and when?"
Mom: " I guess."
Me: " Well, we can talk about it when we meet together later this week."
Mom:" Ok."
Me: " I'm so happy for you that you got a job. It is an exciting time for you."
Mom: "Thanks."
I feel a little uncomfortable with this conversation. I am very worried that she is taking on too much. I plan on having a meeting with her later this week, and during that I time I will bring copies of a monthly calender. I will see if she wants to talk about planning her days so that she allows time for schoolwork. From this conversation, I feel as though she is moving away from her focus on finishing school, toward working, and moving out. This is concerning for me because I want her to be able to be successful and be able to move forward with her life. Without having a high school education, she will not be able to get into college and become a nurse like she wants. I will continue to encourage her to work on her homework while the baby is with us, and hopefully be able to show her how managing her time is going to be essential.
Me: "Good morning, how are things going?"
Mom:" Fine! I got a new job."
Me: "That's wonderful to hear, what will you be doing? What will the hours be?"
Mom: "I will be working third shift at a factory. My hours will be 3-11. I am excited to start working because I would really like to move out of my moms."
Me: "How are you feeling about those hours? How do you plan on squeezing in time for your homework?"
Mom: " I'm going to do my homework while baby is here with you."
Me: " Great, do you think it would be helpful if we sat down together and wrote out a schedule for you? That way you will know what you need to do and when?"
Mom: " I guess."
Me: " Well, we can talk about it when we meet together later this week."
Mom:" Ok."
Me: " I'm so happy for you that you got a job. It is an exciting time for you."
Mom: "Thanks."
I feel a little uncomfortable with this conversation. I am very worried that she is taking on too much. I plan on having a meeting with her later this week, and during that I time I will bring copies of a monthly calender. I will see if she wants to talk about planning her days so that she allows time for schoolwork. From this conversation, I feel as though she is moving away from her focus on finishing school, toward working, and moving out. This is concerning for me because I want her to be able to be successful and be able to move forward with her life. Without having a high school education, she will not be able to get into college and become a nurse like she wants. I will continue to encourage her to work on her homework while the baby is with us, and hopefully be able to show her how managing her time is going to be essential.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Case Study- Post 4
This afternoon I met with mom. Her and I had decided that she would come in a half hour earlier than normal so that we could continue our conversation about enrolling in school. Mom came into the classroom smiling, and I was excited to see her happy. We walked down the hall to an empty classroom, and sat down at a table. I always sit next to here at the table when we sit down for our meetings. I want her to get the feeling that I am on her team, and that I'm not just another person trying to tell her what to do. I feel that sitting next to her is a physical way to show her that I'm on her team.
I asked her, " Tell me about how you are feeling about enrolling for school again?"
She responded by telling me," I feel good. I think this time will be different because, I know that I can leave baby here with you and work on school work during the day."
I asked, "Since you received the information in the mail, what have you done with it?"
She smiled and said, " I called them, set up a payment plan of $50 monthly while I'm working on my work, and then when I finish the work I will pay the rest of it off."
I said, " Wow! I'm so glad that you took that step to set it up."
She said, "They set up all the coursework I need to finish and I can do it all at my own pace."
I asked, "So did they send you textbooks in the mail? How does all that work?"
She said, " The textbooks are online."
I asked," How do you feel about the books being online? I know you had mentioned that you have a hard time comprehending when you are reading sometimes. Do you think that if you had the actual book it might be better for you?"
She said, " No, I think it will be fine to have the books online."
I said, " Great! Lets plan to talk again next week about how you are feeling about balancing everything."
Mom and I agreed to meet together in a week and discuss how it feels to balance school, and motherhood. I know that being a full-time mom and all life responsibilities is very difficult for adult parents to balance. I have learned in my research that teen parents are not only balancing the development of their child, learning how to be independent and their own development. All of these things can be overwhelming for them, and often they are unable to balance it all effectively.
The next steps: My plan is to check in with mom not only at our weekly meeting but at least one other time briefly at pick up or drop off time. I plan to check in with her and make sure that she is feeling capable of taking on this task and know that I am here to support her. I am glad that she feels confident with doing school online, but I worry that she will get overwhelmed. At our next meeting I would like to discuss with mom how she plans on scheduling her time to allow enough time for her homework,caring for baby, looking for a job, and her social life. I would like to help her create a schedule for herself that lays out for her what she plans on doing at certain times of the day.
I asked her, " Tell me about how you are feeling about enrolling for school again?"
She responded by telling me," I feel good. I think this time will be different because, I know that I can leave baby here with you and work on school work during the day."
I asked, "Since you received the information in the mail, what have you done with it?"
She smiled and said, " I called them, set up a payment plan of $50 monthly while I'm working on my work, and then when I finish the work I will pay the rest of it off."
I said, " Wow! I'm so glad that you took that step to set it up."
She said, "They set up all the coursework I need to finish and I can do it all at my own pace."
I asked, "So did they send you textbooks in the mail? How does all that work?"
She said, " The textbooks are online."
I asked," How do you feel about the books being online? I know you had mentioned that you have a hard time comprehending when you are reading sometimes. Do you think that if you had the actual book it might be better for you?"
She said, " No, I think it will be fine to have the books online."
I said, " Great! Lets plan to talk again next week about how you are feeling about balancing everything."
Mom and I agreed to meet together in a week and discuss how it feels to balance school, and motherhood. I know that being a full-time mom and all life responsibilities is very difficult for adult parents to balance. I have learned in my research that teen parents are not only balancing the development of their child, learning how to be independent and their own development. All of these things can be overwhelming for them, and often they are unable to balance it all effectively.
The next steps: My plan is to check in with mom not only at our weekly meeting but at least one other time briefly at pick up or drop off time. I plan to check in with her and make sure that she is feeling capable of taking on this task and know that I am here to support her. I am glad that she feels confident with doing school online, but I worry that she will get overwhelmed. At our next meeting I would like to discuss with mom how she plans on scheduling her time to allow enough time for her homework,caring for baby, looking for a job, and her social life. I would like to help her create a schedule for herself that lays out for her what she plans on doing at certain times of the day.
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