Describe a time when a student on your caseload showed frustration that interfered with their learning or social interaction. What physical, behavioral, or emotional signs did you notice, and how might greater self-awareness have helped that student in the moment?
I have a freshmen student on my caseload that has visual impairment and additional learning disabilities. This student has difficulties with reading and writing. When they are frustrated with the activity, they shut down and avoid doing the assignment. Having greater self-awareness would have allowed the student to recognize that struggling with reading and writing gave them frustration. If they had a frustration plan, they could have used a breathing technique to calm themselves prior to the frustration becoming too overwhelming. Also, the frustration plan may have had a sentence that states “I need 5 minutes to calm down” so that the student could take the 5 minutes, walk away from the assignment and return with helpful thoughts that allow them to continue.