P.E.P.S.

I
Physical Emotional Philosophical Social and
Intellectual

Karen I Villatoro
Gonzalez
EDU220
Doctor Rochelle Hooks
 December 6, 2016

During this P.E.P.S.I. lesson, we have been asked to select an individual

from the age 6 18 years of age to observe and develop a PEPSI screening.

During my observation, I chose Kamila Rivera, a 13-year-old young lady in

Band class at Jerome Mack Middle School. This student has four siblings all

which are younger than her. Juan is 4 years old, Jacob is 6 years old and

Pablo is 7 years old. Being the oldest of all and the girl of the family, she is

expected to do a lot for the house and her three brothers. During my

observation during two different occasions, I could chat with her and she

shared a lot with me about her living situation as well as her life here in the

United States. She expressed how scared she was with the election results

and how now, people pick on her little brother and tell him he will now go

back to Mexico. She says, Miss, we are not from Mexico, we are from

Salvador. I ask her if she was born there and she tells me no, I ask about

her brothers and she also tells me no. I tell her that then there is nothing to

worry about, and even if she wasnt born here, there are laws and things that

must happen before any changes come into effect. She expresses her

concern for her parents and I tell her not to worry about her parents either

that we all must be positive and have a positive feeling about everything in

our lives. I tell her that once again there are ways that all the changes must
take effect and that maybe it will not be as it was played out to be. She

smiles and goes on with her lesson and tells me that she is there to help if I

need her to.

Physical Development:

Kamila is thirteen years old but acts like she is between eighteen and

twenty. She carries herself very well and is very mature. She is very

independent and strives perfection though the limits stated in her I.E.P.

(Individualized Educational Plan). I work for the Clark County School District

and work in Jerome Mack Middle School as a teacher assistant and therefore

could review her I.E.P. for instructional purposes. According to her I.E.P., she

has Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According to an article I

read in Healthline, and I quote, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one

of the most common childhood disorders. ADHD is a broad term, and the

condition can vary from person to person. There are an estimated 6.4 million

diagnosed children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention. There are three types of ADHD:

1. Inattentive
This is what is typically referred to when someone uses the term ADD. This
means a person shows enough symptoms of inattention (or easy
distractibility) but isnt hyperactive or impulsive.

2. Hyperactive-Impulsive

This type occurs when a person has symptoms of hyperactivity and

impulsivity but not inattention.

3. Combined

This type is when a person has symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and

impulsivity.

Per Kamilas I.E.P., she has the combined type of ADHD and even though I am

not a doctor, I still think she is a normal thirteen-year-old young lady. Per

the articles and research done, Kamila should be displaying inattentiveness,

over activity, and impulsiveness behaviors. She will also show signs of poor

behavioral planning and these will give rise to apparent developmental

delays, clumsiness, and delayed responses hen needed quick reactions.

Some medication may help to some degree but not cure the condition and

special needs of these children. Kamila does take medication, Adderal XR is

what has been shared with us by her mother. She takes this once a day and I

learned from the article in my references that this can cause some side

effects including irritability which sometimes is expressed by Kamila. When

Kamila is trying to focus in what she is doing and her peers are talking or

being disrespectful, she has actually spoken up, one of the few students who

speak up regarding interruptions. Her development is that of a middle

schooled thirteen-year-old, she expresses the need to get attention and

curiosity of the changes in height and weight. She tells me she has grown

over the summer and I tell her that I agree, she was shorter yet I assure her

that she looks great. She tells me she feels a little uncomfortable about her

weight because everyone in her family is thinner that she is but I tell her we

were all made to perfection and that if all of us were the same, how boring it

will be. She does show some signs of coordination issues and that is not

because of her ADHD but rather something that children her age must deal

with. She is developing into a fine young lady with a lot of responsibility and

with that, comes changes into the physical and emotional development as

well.

Emotional Development:

Though schools and educators and primary parents have the

responsibility of supporting students like Kamila during their developmental

changes. They can offer different resources and classes to help them cope

with changes as well as guide them into the importance of exercise and

healthy lifestyles. My favorite, her emotional development. I tell you, if I can

take these children home with me and my children I will. Some of the

emotions and things they must go through are very difficult to listen and

understand. She is very friendly and very sociable yet sometimes she breaks

down. She always wants to offer help and always needs that reassurance

that she is doing a great job. I honestly think that all humans need to be

comforted with reassurance and good praise. There is something about

receiving a good comment of gesture that makes our day and brings out a

smile. She is very sensitive to others and is very well liked by peers. She

shows kindness and expresses concern for us as teachers in the classroom.

Observing her one day in lunch, she gets up and helps another young lady

with her lunch and starts talking to her. I later ask her, hey who was your

friend in the cafeteria, never seen her before, she replies, oh me neither,

she is new. I tell her that what she did is amazing and that there should be

more Kamilas, I admire her for that because sometimes even adults just

walk by without saying hello. As I visit her class across ours, Art, she seems

out of it and she seems to be crying, I walk up and ask if she is okay and she

tells me that she is not. I am tired Ms. V, I had to wake up and 5:00am

today because I had to take care of my brothers and get ready for school.

From

what she has shared, I know that as the girl, her role is very important per

her family. She must cook, clean, do laundry and help with other shores.

Her mother works two jobs so she can maintain their home and the father is

not in the picture. She has previously told me that in fact all of them have a

different dad and though her mother works, on her days off, she is out with

her friends and she sits home and takes care of her brothers. How could this

be I ask myself. Once again, I feel lost for words and want to take her home.

From other conversations, I have had with other students, she is not the only
case nor will she be the only case or child that deals with this in their

household. She expresses sadness on this day and her emotional state is a

mix of anger with loss of patience. She is usually very happy and smiles

often at others. I read an article reference below and I read something

important, school-age children usually go to school calmly and without

much drama. During the day, they interact successfully with peers as well as

listen to the teacher and follows directions. While cognitive growth also

plays an important role in this progression, a great deal of social and

emotional growth also occurs during middle childhood. They are more

involved sociably and therefore their emotions are all a mix of things. They

are happy, then they are sad, they fight with their friends and then they

make up, they feel disrespected so they disrespect, they smile and then they

can just roll their eyes. Kamila is all in one, she has her days but you must

be able to understand her and understand that all children are different and

that we must love what we do for the future of the children and for their

wellbeing. When we talk about emotional development,

it coincides with social development as well as many of my articles relate to

both. Though the next is Kamilas philosophical development. What does

she currently express and where do I think Kamila will go in her future.

Philosophical Development:
 I open with an article that caught my eye and the statement made by

the writer, it references to the recognition that middle school students are

not just older elementary school students. There are many changes that we

need to address and approaches that we must use to provide our best to the

students. In the dictionary, book and within google searches, Philosophical

relates to Philosophy and it means the knowledge that one may have or how

well everything is dealt with. For example, with calm, compose or collected

attitude or not. Kamila is very well mannered and carries herself very well.

She expresses herself well and handles situations as best she can. It

depends on her mood as the times I have observed she could be happy or

sad or upset with the students for their behavior. I know that because of

Kamilas situation at home, she acts older than she is. She has asked me on

many occasions for reassurance on her Band fee. See every student is

responsible for paying a yearly $60.00 fee for Band which covers the

instrument, uniform, and book fees. She told me she had to save her

allowance to pay the fee little by little and when I tell her all is paid she is

excited. Everything is not paid because she paid it, in fact, I took care of fifty

percent of it by donating on her behalf. We sometimes

have fundraisers which can raise money for those children that cannot pay

and she is always there helping so I just felt it fair to help her out. She is

always concerned about the wellbeing of others and makes sure there is
nothing that we need to be done. She admires our work and states that one

day she wants to be a teacher also. I keep her in my thoughts and prayers

and hope that she accomplishes all the things she sets her mind to. She is

an amazing young lady.

Social and Intellectual Development:

First, lets look at the meaning of the words and what they represent in

a child. Per our article referred again under social and intellectual

development, Social-emotional development concerns a person's capacity

for mature interactions with individuals and groups. In early adolescence,

social-emotional maturity often lags physical and intellectual development.

Young adolescents have a strong need to belong to a groupwith peer

approval becoming more important and adult approval decreasing in

importance (Scales, 2010). Intellectual development refers to the increased

ability of people to understand and reason. In young adolescents, intellectual

development is not as visible as physical development, but it is just as

intense (Stevenson, 2002; Strahan et al., 2009). During early adolescence,

youth exhibit a wide range of individual intellectual development (California

State Department of Education, 1987; Kellough & Kellough, 2008; Manning,

2002;
Scales, 2010), including metacognition and independent thought. Kamila is

very social and well-liked by her peers. I often get worried that she would be

picked on because she expresses herself very well and never quiets or shies

away from her opinion. I think because of her height (maybe a 56 based

on her performance dress), she can intimidate even the loudest of peers.

She likes meeting new people and people see that about her so they go to

her, its like she has a magnet, but I tell you its her energy and her kindness.

Every day she walks into class she offers help and no matter what you ask

her to move or pass out or highlight, she loves it. She tells me she is

learning so much from us and cant wait to finish school and go to college.

Even as I write about her here, I forget about her disability, she does not

show signs of anything. I sit here and think, what does she show, she shows

irritability for sure, she is a perfectionist which is odd for people with her

disorder I think. She wants everything done right and when I tell her about

my Over Compulsive Disorder (OCD) she laughs and tells me maybe thats

what she has since everything always must be a certain way. She shares

how her room is always clean and when her cousins come over, they make a

mess and she gets mad. She is very social outside of school as well as she

shares all the parties she goes to. She sets up and once she is ready she

comes to my desk for a quick visit and every Monday I can expect a baby

shower, a quinceanera, church event, or birthday party she went to and her

stories of laughter and dancing. She tells me she likes all the parties but

does not like all the drinking that goes on. We dont talk much about the
subject because there is always that thin line you must be careful with your

students. I

just tell her that I dont like drinking but we should respect others and if she

ever feels uncomfortable it is always okay to express that to her mom. She

is very smart for her age and I have no doubt that she would. Young

adolescents typically progress from concrete logical operations to acquiring

the ability to develop and test hypotheses, analyze and synthesize data,

grapple with complex concepts, and think reflectively (Manning, 2002).

Intellectually, Kamila is a problem solver and wants to know how things

work. She plays the flute and always wants to know something about the

instrument and Band itself. She assists with others and getting them familiar

with their instrument and music if they seem to be falling behind. She can

coordinate well and to focus on the new music being presented by the

teacher. She gets through labeling the music with the appropriate notes and

rarely asks for help. She can listen to instruction one time and gets it. I truly

admire her drive and her behavior and will be sorry to see her go at the end

of this year. She will be a great role model wherever she goes and will

continue to be a big help for her mother and her brothers. She is very

capable of providing for herself and though I worry, I know she will make it

out there in the real world and can face the challenges. Oh Kamila, I wish

you all the best!! I was sitting in my class during lunch and prep with the
teacher and we were eating and listening to music, I listen to worship songs

during our times like these to unwind and focus on all the gifts we are

blessed to receive day in and day out but on this occasion, it was different. I

clicked on an ad that came on for Marian Careys

Hero song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ . I

remembered this song and how much meaning it has. There came Kamila to

sneak a quick hello, students are not normally allowed in during our lunch or

prep times because it is their lunch time and it interferes with our down

time as the principal calls it. The principal tells us, Hey its for you that I

worry, you need to rest up and be ready for next class. We appreciate it. I

tell Kamila, hey listen to this. She listens and tears roll down her face, all

three of us end up crying and I tell her, Kamila, that song is for you. There

is a purpose in your life, believe in yourself and you will accomplish

everything. I remind her of our school motto, Believe it, see it! She stays

there for a few minutes and goes to the bathroom. There are many times

that as teachers we feel that we are the authority and that we must be

obeyed but we fail to realize that children could leave footprints in our lives

too. Children are amazing instruments and teach us many lessons. I

appreciate the opportunity of writing about Kamila, years down the line, I can

pull this report out and think of her and her family.
 As for us, the parents, the community, the administration, the school,

societywhat do we offer Kamila. I can tell you that there is so much we can

do. As parents (I myself included as one), we can be there for our child.

Teach them young because they are not too little to learn and we cannot stop

them from trying to do it on their own. We must support them in all their

developmental needs from crawling, walking, talking, and so on. Though we

are very busy people specially after our first child or twins in my case, we

should

provide and show them the right ways. Provide patience during their play

times and the noise they fill our homes with, set aside time for them,

encourage them, support their creativities, show them how to help around

the house, build humans full of kindness, love and respect for others. Per an

article under my references, school is the first social structure the child

encounters, and it provides an excellent opportunity for character-building.

Our schools are not just for learning English, Math, Computers, Science and

so on, we must help them with life skills and how to develop them. We must

show them how to respect others, how to be honest, role models, leaders,

achievers, problem solvers and just have a well-rounded character. Students

learn from the adults around them and as teachers we should acknowledge

their presence and how we inspire them to be just like us one day. We
should lead them in the good direction. The importance in both life and

educational development is very important and needs to be well balanced.

Lessons should be prepared in consideration of all the children you have, not

just the Hispanic population or the Caucasian population and so on. All our

lessons have to fit all needs and disabilities of all children. I have personally

always loved helping and participating in school functions and I see the

smiles that children give you and how honored they feel that on a Saturday

morning you took time off to bring your family to visit them in their games or

performances. I dont glorify myself and list the deeds that I do because God

puts them in my heart and he allows me to accomplish all for everyone

around me. I help and show the students how they can help others by giving

and sharing. I should always make sure that the school I work for

is focused on the same thing and that is the students and their wellbeing.

Mack interviewed me a few years ago, and they told me, here we are a

family and you are welcomed to be part of this family. I chose to accept and

here we are a big family, we care for each other, our community and

specially our students. It is a privilege to work in a place where children and

their development comes first.

On a personal note, I thank you for this project because it provides us

with a learning experience.

 KAMILAS PEPSI CHART

Kamilas Kamilas

Kamilas level Kamilas level Kamilas level level

______________ ______________ level

normal age _____________ _____________

Physical Emotional

Philosophical Social Intellectual

REFERENCES:
Physical Development
Psychology Applied to Teaching, 14th Edition Jack Snowman; Rick McCown

http://www.education.com/reference/article/physical-development-middle-

school/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/144118-physical-development-7-12-year-

olds/

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/difference-between-add-and-adhd
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16209748

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-medication-chart#1

Emotional Development
Psychology Applied to Teaching, 14th Edition Jack Snowman; Rick McCown

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/88

8/ArticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx

gozips.uakron.edu/~wilburn/adolescence/mchildemotion.ppt

http://www.powershow.com/view1/8a01b-

ZDc1Z/Emotional_and_Social_Development_in_Middle_Childhood_powerpoint

_ppt_presentation

https://www.verywell.com/social-and-emotional-development-in-middle-

childhood-2795122

Philosophical Development
Psychology Applied to Teaching, 14th Edition Jack Snowman; Rick McCown
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/106044/chapters/Middle-Schools@-

Social,-Emotional,-and-Metacognitive-Growth.aspx

http://educationalphilosophy.blogspot.com/2007/10/middle-school-

philosophy.html

http://www.112information.org/uploads/4/6/2/9/46293393/middleschoolphilos

ophyresearch.pdf

Social and Intellectual Development

Psychology Applied to Teaching, 14th Edition Jack Snowman; Rick McCown

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/88
8/ArticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx
http://www.nea.org/tools/16653.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ

Other References:

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/essentials/reading1-1-1.html

https://www.childtime.com/parent-resource-center/parenting-
articles/promoting-healthy-physical-development-in-your-child/

http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/educator-tips/7-tips-for-building-
character-in-schools-and-students/