What do you think?

The things that Mrs. Potter is experiencing in her class are not unusual; however, there are some things that she could do to try to resolve some of the issues that her students are having.  Lupita seems to be lacking in social skills (and perhaps linguistic skills) which may be resulting in her lack of academic skills.  In this case, it   may be a good idea for Mrs. Potter to incorporate more group work.  She should be quite strategic about who she assigns to work together in a group.  Perhaps, she should consider having Eddie join her since he is well liked by his classmates and needs to be kept busy.  Eddie could set an example for Lupita and could engage with her during group activities.  As far as Jonathan is concerned, being in a group with Eddie could be helpful to him as well because Eddie may take the initiative to help Jonathan when he is confused.  Jonathan does not like to ask for help, but if Eddie finishes his work before him, he will most likely want to find something else to keep him busy.  Helping Jonathan and Lupita would keep him busy and those two students could benefit from having his assistance.  

Another thing that Mrs. Potter may want to consider is differentiating her instruction.  Oftentimes, a class will consist of students who are extremely interested in one topic, while others despise it.  The same thing applies to the way in which a lesson is taught (i.e discussion, essay, test, activity).  If Mrs. Potter can find ways to incorporate a variety of instructional strategies, she may be able to engage all of her students.  I would also suggest that she involves the students' guardians if possible (especially Lupita's).  By talking to parents and encouraging opportunities for families to get involved, Mrs. Potter can learn more about the students' backgrounds and can make their parents aware of their children's challenges and strengths, so that she can formulate her instruction accordingly and avoid having to retain students.