A while ago, during her sermon, our Priest told us a story about her struggles with dyslexia; it's a tough disorder that I don't understand (reading and writing are my life!), but I can imagine it to be incredibly frustrating because so many people judge intelligence by how someone reads. This is how I learned a new lesson.
Caveat: literacy is a big fat hairy deal to me. I want everyone to at least TRY to learn how to read and write. English teacher = mother. Our punishment = not being allowed to read before bed. insert context here.
I used to judge people's intelligence by their reading abilities... I mean, if you can't do something as easy as reading, how the heck are you going to be able to do the other stuff? (inherited from EnglishTeacherMom)
Years ago, I loved substitute teaching in special education rooms because there was always an assistant to help out (small classes + assistant = usually an easy-ish day). There were kiddos who were absolute pains in the neck, refusing to work, etc. etc. And I had some kids in a particular classroom where I was a subbing "regular," who were always cutting up and not doing their work. The one kid made me want to tear my hair out. I thought he was lazy and belligerent. He did talk back awfully well.
But then I was in their computer class, where they used the computers to research some kind of historical subject. All of a sudden, this young man came up to me and kept telling me all about Otzi the Ice Man. I'd never seen enthusiasm from this kiddo unless he was trying to start mischief. And here he was showing me all of his research, what his project (a poster) was going to look like, all about the Ice Man's life and death... it was amazing. All of a sudden this bright and hilarious young man had emerged. I was scheduled to sub the next day too, so I took it upon myself to keep an eye on this kiddo. While trying to get him motivated to do his work for English class, he looked up at me and said, "I don't want to read this, it's boring." If I hadn't been looking hard, I wouldn't have seen the pleading in his eyes of I-know-that-you-know-I-can't-read-but-please-don't-blow-my-cover.
I learned a lot about intelligence over those two days. Turns out you DON'T need to be able to read and write fluently to be smart. Explosion of all my preconceived notions ensued. I promised myself that I'd never judge someone by their ability to read again. And I haven't. It's been a good 5 years.
And then this story happened at church. Priest told us of a professor that she approached because she was nervous that her dyslexia would keep her from passing a class. And then she told us what the professor told her to do when she had trouble with a word: come see him, so they could work on it together, "so you don't feel dumb."
So you don't feel dumb.
SO much is in that phrase. First the professor makes sure that it's clear that Priest is NOT dumb (she ain't!). Then professor gave his time to be there to make sure that Priest's authentic intelligence was out there and was tapped into (she smart). I like this professor, whoever he was.
So you don't feel dumb.
Isn't that the aim of every educator? (not just formal teachers!)
Make the learner NOT feel dumb.
Maker the learner realize that they are Smart.: The real kind of smart - what gifts the learner has to give the world, even if they don't use printed words to do it. You don't need words to be smart.
That perspective has helped me in so many of my approaches to life. I always knew that people had different strengths and weaknesses, but this beautiful sermon and those words - So you don't feel dumb -- has now made me understand it. I feel it in my teaching; I feel it in my approach to my brother (high functioning autism).
Everyone is brilliant, even if their behavior doesn't fall into the patterns and expectations of what we consider "normal."
Everyone.
You. Yes, you. And you. And you. And you. You are brilliant.
Caveat: literacy is a big fat hairy deal to me. I want everyone to at least TRY to learn how to read and write. English teacher = mother. Our punishment = not being allowed to read before bed. insert context here.
I used to judge people's intelligence by their reading abilities... I mean, if you can't do something as easy as reading, how the heck are you going to be able to do the other stuff? (inherited from EnglishTeacherMom)
Years ago, I loved substitute teaching in special education rooms because there was always an assistant to help out (small classes + assistant = usually an easy-ish day). There were kiddos who were absolute pains in the neck, refusing to work, etc. etc. And I had some kids in a particular classroom where I was a subbing "regular," who were always cutting up and not doing their work. The one kid made me want to tear my hair out. I thought he was lazy and belligerent. He did talk back awfully well.
But then I was in their computer class, where they used the computers to research some kind of historical subject. All of a sudden, this young man came up to me and kept telling me all about Otzi the Ice Man. I'd never seen enthusiasm from this kiddo unless he was trying to start mischief. And here he was showing me all of his research, what his project (a poster) was going to look like, all about the Ice Man's life and death... it was amazing. All of a sudden this bright and hilarious young man had emerged. I was scheduled to sub the next day too, so I took it upon myself to keep an eye on this kiddo. While trying to get him motivated to do his work for English class, he looked up at me and said, "I don't want to read this, it's boring." If I hadn't been looking hard, I wouldn't have seen the pleading in his eyes of I-know-that-you-know-I-can't-read-but-please-don't-blow-my-cover.
I learned a lot about intelligence over those two days. Turns out you DON'T need to be able to read and write fluently to be smart. Explosion of all my preconceived notions ensued. I promised myself that I'd never judge someone by their ability to read again. And I haven't. It's been a good 5 years.
And then this story happened at church. Priest told us of a professor that she approached because she was nervous that her dyslexia would keep her from passing a class. And then she told us what the professor told her to do when she had trouble with a word: come see him, so they could work on it together, "so you don't feel dumb."
So you don't feel dumb.
SO much is in that phrase. First the professor makes sure that it's clear that Priest is NOT dumb (she ain't!). Then professor gave his time to be there to make sure that Priest's authentic intelligence was out there and was tapped into (she smart). I like this professor, whoever he was.
So you don't feel dumb.
Isn't that the aim of every educator? (not just formal teachers!)
Make the learner NOT feel dumb.
Maker the learner realize that they are Smart.: The real kind of smart - what gifts the learner has to give the world, even if they don't use printed words to do it. You don't need words to be smart.
That perspective has helped me in so many of my approaches to life. I always knew that people had different strengths and weaknesses, but this beautiful sermon and those words - So you don't feel dumb -- has now made me understand it. I feel it in my teaching; I feel it in my approach to my brother (high functioning autism).
Everyone is brilliant, even if their behavior doesn't fall into the patterns and expectations of what we consider "normal."
Everyone.
You. Yes, you. And you. And you. And you. You are brilliant.