Like any teacher, I’ve had lots of students over the years who weren’t performing up to my expectations.  My usual attitude is that any student can achieve whatever they want to, as long as they have the determination – and most of the time, the students prove me right.  Once in a while, though, there’s one who just doesn’t seem to get it.  No matter how many different ways I explain a concept, or how much time we spend trying to learn a skill, it just doesn’t happen.  I can get really frustrated with these kids, because my subconcious assumption is that they aren’t trying.

But sometimes, of course, students have real limitations.  The fact is that not everyone will learn every skill, no matter how optimistic the teacher is.  And here’s where I feel conflicted: if a students comes to me with some labeled, identified disability, I don’t get frustrated.  It’s easy to make allowances when there’s a name to attach to the problem.  But when there’s a kid who obviously has trouble understanding, but doesn’t have some labeled "condition” to blame it on, I have a lot less patience.

There’s a weird contrast in my attitudes here.  I’ve had many students who came in with some label that they thought excused them from standard expectations – most often ADHD.  They’re accustomed to lower demands being placed on them because of their diagnosis, and they get a shock when they realize that I don’t give them slack.  In almost every case, they become exceptional students after the initial adjustment.  It only takes determination.

But when someone is developmentally disabled, or has other honest limitations that can’t be overcome with determination and a change of attitude, obviously I have to adjust my approach.  So why do I get so frustrated with someone who clearly has trouble understanding but doesn’t have a diagnosed name for their problem?  The lack of a label doesn’t change the realities of the situation. 

It’s so hard to know whether whipcracking will help or hurt. I guess the label gives me an easy way to make the decision.  But then I’m guilty of the same thing as all those authority figures who let ADHD kids get away with laziness because of their label.  I believe in adjusting my approach based on each student’s particular needs, but it’s really hard to accept lowering my expectations – especially since I’ve known lots of kids who only needed the crack of the whip to break them out of their excuse-making habits.

The issue comes down to whether I feel that the student is really trying.  Usually it’s pretty easy to tell, and it gets easier and easier as I continue to gain experience. The labels are a helpful piece of information, but when it comes down to it, nothing replaces good old observation and intuition.  Even so, once in a while I make the wrong call.  There have occasionally been hurt feelings, and even tears.  I can only hope that, on balance, I’ve given more inspiration than pain.

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