Shahad Alotaibi Case Study Answers

Shahad Alotaibi is a fifteen-year-old, 9th grade student, who attends Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey. Shahad is originally from Saudi Arabia; she moved here with her family in 2015. Her father is a marine who moved his family to the United States so that he could continue his career in the marines. Her father works in Philadelphia, but he did not want his children to live or attend school in Philadelphia due to the crime rate; Shahad’s father preferred to send his children to a safer school district, therefore, he moved himself and his family to Voorhees, New Jersey. Shahad attended Voorhees Middle School last year, which was her first year in the United States. Shahad has one two-year-old sister and three brothers at home. Her father wants Shahad and her siblings to continue practicing their English speaking skills at home, therefore English is the primary language spoken in Shahad’s home and at school with friends and teachers. Shahad’s mother is the only member of the family who does not speak or understand English, so Shahad and her siblings speak Arabic when …show more content…
I had to learn more about Shahad before completing this case study, and I was honestly a little nervous about it. It felt a little intrusive to me, because I had to ask the students about their thoughts and feelings. I have found that ELL students are a lot more insecure about who they are. Getting to know these students reassures them that their teachers are there to help them and provide support for their success in and outside of the classroom. This case study has impacted my work as a teacher by showing me that I need to set aside more time to plan for all learners, especially my ELL students. Visual representations are must haves in a classroom with ELL students. Keeping in touch with the ESL teacher has also opened a barrier that allows Shahad to be