Jillian, a student from my school singing "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele at our spring show. Moments like this is just one of yhe millions of reasons I absolutely love my job!

Everybody Can Learn

          Not too long ago, I was sitting at lunch with some of my colleagues talking about our students and prospective classes for next year. The conversation turned to our Quality Review earlier in the year and the new demands that the "higher ups" are beginning to place on our students that resulted from it. We were discussing the relevance of these demands and protocols when one teacher, who quite frankly, no longer belongs teaching, if she ever did to begin with, starts saying how there are some children who just can't learn and that protocols such as rubrics and post-it notes attached to student work, are completely pointless and irrelevant to them. While I do agree that some of these protocols are not appropriate for some of our children especially at their cognitive levels, I was appalled that anyone, let alone a teacher would ever say that a child can not learn. Some children have behaviors that make it more difficult to learn, and others have cognitive deficiencies that may limit how far they may go, but EVERYBODY can learn. Anyone who thinks different does not belong working with children, let alone TEACHING them! In what world do you believe in training animals, but believe that a child, no matter how severely disabled, cannot learn? I have worked with children of various abilities and cognitive levels and although it took longer for some than others, every student that I have worked with has learned and progressed. This doesn't make me a phenomenal teacher, it just means that I have faith in my students and encourage them to keep trying their best, by celebrating the small victories in their progress, and showing them how to take pride in themselves and their work. Kids can sense whether or not a person likes them and whether or not a person believes in them. If you didn't have your parents pushing you and supporting you, would you have tried as hard as you did, or become the person you are today? If kids can tell that you don't expect anything from them they aren't going to go out of their way to prove you wrong, they're going to live down to your expectations. In a lot of ways it can seem to make their lives easier. Why ask for something and then wait for you to be ready to give it to them, when they can just throw a tantrum and get it right away? Why  deal with buttons and zippers when you can stand there and have someone else dress you? The worst thing anyone can do to a child is to underestimate him. If you take nothing else away from my posts, make sure you always believe in your children, and every child with whom you will work. Know that he can learn and will as long as you remain patient with him, and push him.