A great teacher adjusts to the learner, not the other way around.
Over twenty years ago, my wife had a middle school student in her 7th grade social studies class who slogged through and persevered in spite of his learning disability in written expression. No matter how hard he tried, the boy did not feel success because writing was his albatross - it always dragged him down.
He was interested in the content - Greek and Roman history - but if one was to ask him to write about the naval strategy of the Peloponnesian War or the workings of Roman government, one would never acquire an accurate assessment of what this child knew.
His teachers simply did not adjust to the learner.
This young social studies teacher did. She adjusted to the learner.
Jodie knew this particular kid loved woodworking, creating, and designing. This was in the 1990s, long before concepts such as "makerspaces"and "learning labs" entered our lexicon. She had an idea.
The boy's task was to research the design and build of the Greek trireme ship and apply that to a working model of the ship. After he built the model ship, his task was to teach the class what he learned about the characteristics of the vessel and why they were historically important.
He built an aesthetically beautiful model, rich in detail and design. He presented to the class and explained how many men the ship needed, why oars were placed at particularly places on the port and starboard side and how low to the water they rowed. He was able to show sail placement and describe how the ship design was adapted for sailing in the Aegean Sea.
The kid knew the content but just needed a teacher who was willing to adjust to the learner. Some teachers have the courage and creativity to find ways to reach kids. It just takes time and building relationships.
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