Traveling around Capitol Hill yesterday to lend support for the efforts of the Senate to bring appropriate federal regulation and oversight to the residential placement of teens and children, I listened to an interesting conversation unfold.
It detailed the difficulties of a parent whose son was labeled learning disabled at an early age. A decade of struggle ensued with the school system as this mother attempted to have her child appropriately served.
After quietly listening, educational consultant and publisher Lon Woodbury responded,
“I prefer learning difference.”
Lon has shown that he is careful with words and the problems labels have cause. His essay on his preference for using struggling teens is a case in point.
When I later asked him to elaborate further concerning learning difference, he shared an interesting story of sitting in three semesters of a science class where the professor continually taught in a manner inconsistent with his learning difference. Regardless of his attempts, there was no access for him as a concrete thinker into the material. And his frequent questions in an attempt to find that access where met with “you are not getting it.”
Is there ever a case where this is an appropriate response for a teacher? I think that’s a question worth exploring. I propose our teachers try this one on for size : “I am not getting it to you…”
