Fifth grader Zach entered my office....
...head down, avoiding eye contact. He immediately said there was no point in being there, reading was stupid, and school was boring.
From previous assessment, I knew Zach had strong visual-spatial skills and loved Star Wars and Star Trek, and anything related to space travel. We talked a few minutes about Commander Data on Star Trek, and he was surprised that I’d seen all the Star Trek movies and television shows and could talk in detail about countless science fiction stories.
I shifted gears and asked how he felt about being in my office.
“Crummy,” he admitted, with tears welling up.
After validating his feelings, I asked Zach if he thought I could read well. His head tilted and he looked straight at me.
“Well, sure.” He looked at me like I had two heads. “Mom said you’re a reading doctor or learning specialist or something,” he added.
"Well, then,” I replied, “do you think that together we could read about space travelers and find a way to make reading work for you using your strong visual memory?”
He grinned. “Maybe.” And so we began.
It is often said that some students will be successful in life despite their education. While this may be true for a few, many disadvantaged and vulnerable students will lose ground every year they spend in a classroom. Their needs will go unmet, and their future will be limited by the education they receive at the hands of sometimes well-intentioned, but woefully inadequate academic programs.
The average school focuses almost exclusively on content and state standards over meaningful learning. Accumulating unconnected, unprioritized elements of knowledge and skills is insufficient for understanding and applying them in the digital age. Moreover, without an awareness of students’ capabilities and interests, teachers cannot develop student efficacy. Many students often find no place for their talents within the classroom. Learning disabilities plague many; children from different home-cultures often do not “get” school; exceptional individuals are often bored and unchallenged.
Therefore, generations of vulnerable, unengaged students are being left behind. Their prospects for meaningful, gainful employment are in jeopardy. Existence on the margins of society or even within a life of crime is almost certain.
Making an emotional connection with these children and providing them with the tools necessary for entry into an exciting, ever-changing world are vital mandates for every teacher.
All students should have the means to use their diverse innate talents and skills to own their learning and be a critical member of a team in school.
Our four focus areas make this possible:
- Teachers’ Professional development
- Student Assessments and Evaluations
- Student-Centered Instruction
- Academic Leagues with the Community.
No child should be allowed to fail; every child should taste success and be celebrated in school.
We have the secrets that unlock Zach's – and every child’s – future.
