Taking it Personally
It’s hard not to, but we have to draw that thin line. The most effective way of dealing with a disability, after understanding it and what it takes to overcome it, is by getting to know the learner. Making the lessons relevant and addressing the material to suit their needs, while keeping in mind there always needs to be an answer to the question “what’s in it for me?†in the underlying theme. Knowing the learner and putting forth effort while truly trying and caring shouts volumes at a learner. But we should do this only as far as we can without crossing the line into ‘too much’ territory. Whether we become too involved in their personal lives or we empathize too deeply at our own peril, we must keep ourselves balanced between what’s best for all things considered.
I have found it easier to connect with a student if you can joke around with them a bit, without crossing that line of course.. Once you get that connection and they feel comfortable , the learning does get easier,, You can see that..thats when teaching gets fun for me..
Once you know that you are dealing with a student with any learning disability, getting to know them a little better just ensures that you will know how to approach their particular problem and help them succeed. I find it to be even more rewarding to be able to get the info to a student that already was having a tough time with their disability.
Absolutely. Honesty really is the best policy. If there was no way for that student to be successful with that career then we all have a moral obligation to let the student know. Being that the student took it so well, I have a feeling she has done well in whatever program she switched to.
Very true. With career oriented education we have to make sure the types of accomodation do not hurt the student in the future by going against the common practices of the industry they hope to enter.
Perhaps an even better approach would have been to discuss the requirements of the job with her and then have her tell you why, or why not, she thinks she could do the tasks. I do not think discrimination should have been mentioned. It would be best for her to decide the career is not for her.. It would empower her to consider other careers, especialyy with your help.
I think Pamela is awesome for what she did. In today's corporate environment it was a brave thing to do.
Best thinking on this subject! Great inspiration for those of us who have LD Students.
I also struggle with getting too involved and becoming personally invested at times. I want all my students to succeed and it often pains me when I feel as though something is inhibiting that potential success. I agree, balance is absolutely necessary and best for both instructor and student.
I agree with you Jason, I know that in our school we have many different programs and some are almost impossible to go into with a disability. In the program that I teach, dental assisting, the individual must be able to have good balance, multi-task and also move quickly cleaning up dental rooms and sterilizing instruments. They must be able to walk out to the reception area and greet the patient and bring them back to the dental room in a timely manner. I have experienced this dilema with a student who was struggling due to her disability and I met with her and was completely honest about her success in this field. I explained to her that although we cannot discriminate against her that she should think if she would be able to handle this demanding career at a rate of speed that would be needed to be hired. She was very happy that I was honest with her and said that she may be better off switching to another program. I didn't want to wait until she paid for the schooling and they could not get hired in the profession. Although it was hard to tell her the brutal truth; she was better off knowing up front.
I agree as well. Building a personal relationship with each student as soon as possible has always helped me see better results.
I totally agree with Jason. Empathy and compassionate tend to beget motivation and desire. I encourage cooperative learning from day one in my class and expect my students to get to know each other and utilize one another as resources.
A great approach, Jason! It is absolutely necessary to keep a balance not only because of becoming too involved but because it may not be beneficial to students who don't require the extra help.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
