Children who struggle to learn are good teachers. They model humility, humour, persistence and patience.
As an integration aide, I teach struggling learners. I feel privileged everyday to witness their determination to reach benchmarks; their unique humour; their openness to be taught; and their honest support for each other. They have a unique intelligence that is often overshadowed by their inability to reach mainstream competencies.
Our history is full of significant people whose intelligence fits the unique intelligence model – people like Mozart, Einstein and more recently Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg and many more, experienced leaning difficulties.
When are we going to realise that intelligence comes in many forms?
Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence Theory – a theory that underpins seven types of intelligence and is a breakthrough in recognising specific intelligence – supports my plight. Unfortunately, we still measure intelligence traditionally by Intelligence Quotient (IQ) testing, leaving children who have specific intelligence feeling disheartened.
Ultimately, if we are to realise the talents of struggling learners, we must first stop wanting what they just can’t deliver. It’s important to acknowledge what they can do, which is often very impressive. I can recall several occasions when the children I was teaching taught me a thing or two.
Let’s not wait until our unique and precious children lose their determination to try. If they’re not taught to recognised the gifts in themselves, they will only see their inabilities.
As parents, teachers, relatives and friends, it’s our obligation to delve deeper and explore the rare but amazing gifts these children possess. The most important thing for these children to learn is that, they don’t have to be perfect to be perfect.
A huge thank you to Louise for writing this piece, it highlights the importance of recognising the learning that is taking place, everyday, through multiple ways. Louise is an integration aide at a Catholic Primary School; a writer; the author of the special needs picture book Ella’s Handbag; a volunteer at an English Language School (where she teach refugee children) and is the mother of three children.
Louise is an avid blogger and tweeter also, so be sure to add her and listen to her more of her thoughts and opinions.
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Great guest post! I hadn’t come across Louise before and loved the sentiment of this post. Off to check out her blog :) .