Instead of being born like most babies, I decided to try to come into this world breech. It didn't work and nearly cost my life and that of my mother's. According to the medical practice of the time, a C-section was not a common option. I was pushed back, turned around, and pulled out with a pair of forceps. (I can't even imagine the pain that my mom was forced to endure.) We both survived this ordeal, but life didn't get any easier. My two younger brothers and I grew up in situational poverty. By the time I was almost five, my mom had divorced, and we were on our own. Alcohol, physical and mental abuse and all of the insecurities and problems that come with poverty impacted my life at an early age.
Life hasn't been easy, but the challenges that I've had to overcome have made me who I am today. I've learned a lot about resilience, grit, perseverance, and hard work. I've also learned about the impact teachers can have on student lives. Although many kids who grow up in poverty struggle in school, I was on the opposite end of the spectrum in a lot of ways. (I was a teacher pleaser and hard worker- not gifted.) Once the keys of reading were unlocked, I became a voracious reader! Not only did I read, but I wrote, illustrated, and told my own stories. My teachers took a personal interest in me and kept me challenged. I loved school! I loved my teachers! I loved learning!
Maybe with a little bit of my personal background now, you'll understand why my heart aches when I hear teachers say something like, "All kids can learn..but" and then continue with any number of assumptions about kids growing up in poverty and outright excuses for not having higher expectations. More often than not, words don't have to be spoken because their actions speak even louder.
I wholeheartedly believe that kids can learn at high levels despite the challenges that they may face! The teacher may have to provide more background knowledge, more scaffolding, more time, and more practice with specific feedback. But, it's doable! We must keep the bar high! Perhaps, we should even make the shift from conveying high expectations to inspiring aspirations. Kids will rise to the occasion! Over and over again throughout my career, I've witnessed my students overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and learn at high levels. They've even surpassed MY high expectations for learning! Kids thrive when they are challenged. They can and want to accomplish hard things. Students are engaged and motivated to learn when they have teachers who believe in them, when they have opportunities to ask questions, create and collaborate with their peers, and when what they're asked to do has a purpose.
Meeting the needs of so many diverse learners is not easy! Please, don't give up. Just one more try, one more attempt, one more time of thinking about how to inspire a specific learner can change a life. We can't afford to not do everything possible to help our kids engage in relevant learning. "We're in the life-changing business!" as Dave Burgess often says. Lives will not be changed if we play the blame game if we fail to see strengths and only see deficits if we are unwilling to be reflective of our teaching practices and strive to improve and if we get bogged down in old mindsets. We have to believe with 100% assurance that our students, despite the challenges, can learn and that we can make a difference. We have to have a growth mindset, a positive attitude, and hope.
We know what we need to do as educators. There is no shortage of information explaining the hows and whys of how to help kids learn and be successful. If you're not sure, get educated. Every teacher should read, Poor Students, Rich Teaching, Poor Students, Richer Teaching by Eric Jensen and Helping Children to Succeed by Paul Tough at a minimum. Are we willing to do what needs to be done? No one said it would be easy. It will be worth it! Encourage kids to dream big, really big, and then help make their dreams come true.
All kids can learn...AND will!
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