Fostering motivation, hope, and resilience in children with learning diorders

Annals of Dyslexia, 2001 by Brooks, Robert B

I have had the opportunity to work with many children and adolescents with learning disorders during the past 30 years. In conducting therapy with these youths, I became increasingly aware that most were burdened by feelings of low self-worth and incompetence and that many believed that their situation would not improve. Not surprisingly, this sense of hopelessness served as a major obstacle to future success. Once children believe that things will not improve, they are likely to engage in self-defeating ways of coping such as quitting or avoiding tasks, blaming others for their difficulties, or becoming class clowns or bullies. Thus, a negative cycle is often set in motion, intensifying feelings of defeat and despair.

As I listened closely to children with learning disorders, I came to understand that if we were to help them be more motivated and learn more effectively, we must ensure that our interventions address not only their specific learning needs but their feelings of low self-worth as well and that we must provide them with opportunities to experience realistic accomplishment that nurtured optimism and hope.

In my discussions with countless educators and parents, I began to appreciate another major dimension determining whether or not these youngsters with learning disorders would be successful. All of us who work with or raise children, whether teachers, clinicians, or parents, possess certain assumptions about why children behave the way they do. These assumptions, which I often refer to as a mindset, subtly or not so subtly guide our interactions with children. Frequently, we are not even aware of the components of this mindset although they direct much of our behavior.

If we examine the school environment, I have found that educators have many different assumptions about the process of education and about students with learning disorders. Given this, a question can be raised, namely, "What is the mindset of an effective educator?" or worded somewhat differently, "What are the assumptions and behaviors of an educator who will touch the mind, heart, and spirit of children with learning disorders and infuse them with realistic hope?"

In attempting to answer this question in this article, I will rely on the many interactions I have had with educators as well as my own experiences as a principal of a school in a lockeddoor unit of a psychiatric hospital, and as a consultant to both public and independent schools. My journeys have introduced me to teachers and school administrators who are skilled in touching both the minds and hearts of students, who recognize the importance of focusing not only on developing the intellectual lives of students but also their emotional lives, and who, through word and deed, demonstrate a deep commitment to creating school climates in which all students will thrive.

These talented educators possess a mindset that guides their teaching style and their interaction with students, and reinforces a zest for learning, even in those children struggling with learning disorders. I believe that the ingredients of this mindset are predicated on common sense and an adherence to basic principles of human dignity and respect. I know that many educators are already engaged in practices that follow from the tenets of this mindset so that what I highlight will hopefully serve as a validation of their existing teaching style.

THE MINDSET OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATORS

The following are several of the key components that I believe represent the mindset of the effective educator. Space limitations do not permit a lengthier discussion of each of these components nor the inclusion of other components. However, it is my hope that this relatively brief description will provide the reader with a sense of the mindset that I believe should be learned, embraced, and incorporated by all educators in their teaching activities because the end result will be many more students with learning disorders who are saved from future failure and who are helped to lead more productive, fulfilling lives.

ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF A STUDENT IS NOT AN EXTRA CURRICULUM ACTIVITY

At one of my workshops, I was discussing the significant impact that educators have on the social-emotional life of students. A high school science teacher in the audience challenged the emphasis I was placing on social-emotional factors by contending, "I am a science teacher. I know my science and I know how to convey science facts to my students. Why should I have to spend time thinking about the student's emotional or social life? I don't have time to do so and it will distract me from teaching science."

I know that there are many teachers and school administrators who would take issue with the views expressed by this science teacher, who believe as I do that addressing a student's social and emotional development may be as vital as teaching specific academic skills and content. However, I am also aware that there are many educators who would concur with her opinion. I believe it is unfortunate that a dichotomy has emerged prompting some educators to perceive that nurturing a student's emotional and social well-being is mutually exclusive of the task of teaching academic skills. I am convinced, based on my own experiences as well as the feedback I have received from many educators, that strengthening a student's self-worth is not an "extra" curriculum; if anything, a student's sense of belonging, security, and self-confidence in a classroom provides the scaffolding that supports the foundation for increased learning, motivation, self-discipline, responsibility, and the ability to deal more effectively with mistakes.