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Successful Students and Successful Adults
What does it take to be a successful adult? It takes independence, persistence, ability to express yourself
and a sense of humor.
When we think of traits which are valued in adults, an important question to ask is, "Do we value these
same traits in the students we teach?"
Too often, unless we have purposely structured our teaching time to do so, the answer is no.
When students are in school, the traits that are valued are sitting quietly and waiting for
directions (passivity), doing what you are told (not being a self-starter), and having a serious
approach to whatever you are to learn. Chances are the most successful, interesting people you know
did not get to be where they are in life by doing any of these things!
An example of this in action is when I went on a field trip with my son's 7th grade class. The
students traveled to Fallingwater,
an amazing house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. As
we waited our turn to tour the building, we sat at a clearing in the woods with a view of the house,
the waterfall, and the surrounding rocks and woods that was breathtaking. Students were given a
piece of paper and pencils and asked to draw something that caught their interest. Only a few students
began to draw. The rest were asking questions like, "Is it OK if I draw the house? Is it OK if I
draw that cool tree?" Is it OK if I use the colored pencils? Is it OK if I only use the lead pencils?"
The character traits that had been built into these students by their years of schooling kept them from
being successful when given an opportunity to do self-directed work!
If we are purposeful, we can build the character traits that help adults to be successful through our
teaching. Building a character trait is simply practicing a skill so much that it becomes a habit,
then a part of our character. If we want a student to have the character trait of truthfulness, we
must allow them opportunities to practice being truthful over and over until it becomes a habit.
Similarly, if I want a student to become independent, I can give them opportunities to do things for
themselves so often that it becomes a habit, then a part of their nature.
The seventh graders I saw at Fallingwater were definitely not exhibiting independence. Why not? When
given the chance, they were so un-used to it, that they did not know how. They needed more practice.
But how does practicing independence fit with the curriculum? Inquiry-based science is a great way
to build independent thinking skills. When doing science the inquiry way, students are not focusing
on memorizing a list of vocabulary words and their definitions, but are focusing on asking questions
and figuring out a way to find the answers by experimentation. When students engage in lab science
as active designers of the lab, not as technicians who simply follow the steps planned for them ahead
of time, they are building the independent thinking skills that will lead to success as adults.
So how does this work in a classroom? Let's take as our example a lab about pulleys and effort.
The same lab can be done 2 ways. The teacher can hand out a sheet that tells students exactly what
to do to set up different kinds of pulley systems and the students can follow the directions and answer
the teacher's questions at the end of the lab. Or, the students can start with an assignment to move
an object 12 inches into the air with the least amount of work. Students must then do their own planning
to discover which set of pulley systems will do the job with the least amount of effort. As the teacher,
you may have an example of how to set up each of the pulley systems available, but you may not tell the
students ahead of time which system uses the least amount of effort!
The difference between these 2 assignments is not that great, but the results for the students are
very different. Students in the first lab are practicing the skill of following directions-not a
bad skill to have, but if practiced so much it becomes a habit, these students will struggle if
they are in a situation that doesn't come with specific directions. (When you think about it, how
much of life comes with specific directions? Not much!) In the second lab, students are practicing
independent thinking skills and working as a group to make decisions. Practicing this skill over
and over will lead to students who are able to plan and organize things, work as a group, and
independently figure out what to do when life comes without specific directions.
For students with disabilities, it is even more important that we are purposeful about providing
many opportunities to practice independence. Too often, the world around them stereotypes people
with disabilities as "helpless" or "needy". Believing this stereotype results in a person who is
unable to reach his or her full potential. As students with disabilities practice independence
regularly, they not only develop their own independence and skills, but they also shatter this
stereotype in others.
Can students with disabilities be this independent? Certainly! We can build independence for
students, even students with significant disabilities, by expecting them to be active participants
in their own learning and by providing the needed supports. In the Access Science article titled
Of Bunsen Burners and Equal Participation for all, http://serch.cofc.edu/special/accessscience/BunsenBurners.htm,
you can read more about practical ways to structure for independence rather than helplessness in the
science classroom.
What kind of supports might be needed for a student with disabilities? First of all, we think
of assistive technology. Assistive technology can be a text-to-speech device that reads schoolwork
to a student with visual impairments or reading impairment, a wheelchair, a communication device,
or an alternative keyboard and mouse for writing assignments and computer work.
Other supports may not be technology, but may be similar to the supports normally developing
students need when first beginning to practice independent thinking. Students may need
help from the teacher to think through the problem, organize the steps in order, or make
sure that what they plan to do will help them find the answer to the question at hand.
Students may need a visual aide or graphic organizer to remind them of each step to take
to solve the problem. Students that need organizational support can play an active role
in choosing what type of support helps them the most. It is important for students who
need organizational support to practice doing this themselves; as an adult they may need
this strategy to stay focused and organized.
By making changes in the way the curriculum is taught, students can not only achieve
mastery of the curriculum, but mastery of the character skills such as independence
and persistence they will need to be successful adults. These skills are important for
all students, but especially for students who have disabilities, and must combat stereotypes
of "helpless" and "needy" in order to reach their full potential.
ABOUT THIS COLUMN
SERCH is excited to bring you a new monthly column that focuses on children with disabilities and the
math/science curriculum. Children are all different; children with disabilities may have learning
differences that require a re-thinking of the usual methods of teaching science and math. But children
with disabilities can grow up to get higher education and hold jobs in science in science and math fields.
This column is dedicated to the proposition that success in science and math is possible, and is dedicated to
making that success possible by helping parents and school staff learn about the many ways to achieve learning
for students with disabilities.
This column is written by Robin Hurd, who is a mother of 4 boys, ages 13, 11 and 8 year old twins. The
combination of disabilities at her house includes non-verbal physical impairments, sensory issues, Autistic
spectrum disorder, Tourettes syndrome, auditory processing disorder, anxiety disorder as well as talented and
gifted. In spite of this list, Robin, David and the boys enjoy life and learning to the fullest! Robin serves
as parent support liaison for the AAC Institute, a non-profit organization supporting people who communicate
using alternatives to speech. She writes a monthly column for parents at the AAC Institute, moderates a
parents' on-line group, and is available for support to individual parents. If you would like to contact
Robin about this column, you may e-mail her at
parents@aacinstitute.org.
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