I have been doing anything possible to help Sam feel comfortable in any educational setting. I also have been working overtime to educate anyone, in multiple schools he has attended, about how he learns and what is needed for Sam to believe in himself to become educationally successful. My degree is in Education and I was certified K-12 in Biology and Earth Science. I was trained to be an Elementary School Teacher. I taught in Seattle, Washington and I was trained in restraints and I have experienced what it is like to restrain a child and sit with them in a Time Out room that was no bigger than a closet. It is crazy when I think about it. I believe that my higher power was training me for the life that Sam and I are living now. Something pushes me all the time to share our experiences.
I quit teaching for two reasons. Okay, maybe three reasons. First, the teachers that I met didn't really have nice things to say about kids in the lounge. I finally had to each lunch in my room and I was thought of as an outcast. It was just another arena where I did not fit in. Second, a kid pulled a knife on me and I was two months pregnant with Mina. Third, and most important, I believed in alternative education for kids to feel success, therefore, they want to learn more. The administration didn't believe in alterntive ways of learning. I say the third is most important because I didn't feel that the child with the knife would hurt me. It was however, the last day I taught in any classroom.
The article was titled "Mind-Sets and Equitable Education". The first paragraph says, "Much talk about equity in education is about bricks and mortar-about having equal facilities and equal resources." The definition of Equitable is 1: having or exhibiting equity: dealing fairly and equally with all concerned. Most people know what equitable means but when it comes to our kids in special education fair doesn't mean equal. There is an IEP to be individualized to the child's needs.
I am reading the article and it talks about that a teacher and/or student can believe that the students IQ is fixed meaning "They may have a fixed mind set" I just sit in disbelief that it is ground breaking information that it is difficult to "capture the beliefs that administrators, teachers, and students hold-beliefs that can have a striking impact on student's achievement." What? Really? You don't say. Geez, I sat at that school and I knew what their beliefs were about Sam. They believed that he was mentally unstable and he perceived things. They also didn't know what the triggers were. I know that they didn't believe in Sam, they didn't do their homework and they were lazy. That is a little harsh but that is my belief in their ability to understand and to educate my son. I have heard educators say, "What does the parent expect, the child is mentally retarded, this is as good as it gets."
It keeps rolling around in my head on how the Special Ed Director was all smiles handing me this article saying, "I want you to read this." For what reason? I am not the one that believes that my child's IQ is fixed. Nothing in life is fixed. Nothing. It further says, "Recent research has shown that students' mind-sets have a direct influence on their grades and that teaching students to have a growth mind-set raises their grades and achievement test scores significantly." It continues to say, "In addition, studies demonstrate that having a growth mind-set is especially important for students who are laboring under a negative stereotype about their abilities."
I know that anyone reading Sam's reports will have a "fixed mind-set" that Sam "can't" instead of thinking that he can grow and learn in a caring environment. Sam's reports say that he is cognitively disabled and mispercieves his environment and all of this negative crap which will make it difficult to see Sam's potential. How can you not have a "fixed mind-set" that he can't learn. It says so in all of the reports. I am working overtime trying to change wording so educators will have some belief in Sam's abilities to learn.
I further read and everything that they researched is common sense? Or is it? When a college student is learning about how to teach students it would be my hope that they are learning that you don't stereotype kids. I think of my experience of alternative teaching and it brings me to today's educational world where the blame is placed on New York State Curriculum that makes it impossible to instill in a child that they can learn. For me it is all ridiculous. Give Sam a safe place to learn and fill his day with people who believe in him.
While reading I sit in amazement that it is new knowledge that when students were praised for their effort their performance continued to rise. I can say that one of the points the writer was making that it is beneficial to praise for effort instead of praising intelligence. On the flip side it would be destructive to communicate to a child that they were not smart. During my student teaching when I made an alternative learning curriculum for a specific child, the teacher looked at me and said, "Why bother, he is mentally retarded." True story. I made the lesson for him and he completed the entire task. Today I listen to Sam telling me that he is not intelligent enough to be successful. We have intelligent discussions about it. Maybe the Director of Special Education wanted to make it my responsible to change Sam's "mind-set." No it isn't. The education team has to meet me and Sam half way.
In conclusion, it was one of the most ridiculous studies I have read. It is common sense to see human potential in all who enter any educational setting. This is what I do with Sam's photography. I send the message to him that he can learn. I agree that I do say he is smart but I also tell him that he can do it when things get difficult. I also don't back down and I give the encouragement needed to finish the task at hand. As a result, Sam's enjoys his success after the task at hand is completed. This is not new information to be celebrated. I will definitely bring this article to my next CSE meeting and ask them, "What is your "fixed mind-set" about my child.? I am sure that they will all say that there is room for growth. My response will be this, "Put it in all his reports. Rewrite the reports so a stranger reading it will believe in Sam's potential. Put it into their minds that there is potential for significant growth."
Definition of Mental
1. a: of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity.
2. a: of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder <mental patient>.
b: mentally disordered, mad, crazy.
I choose being an intellectual as my definition of being mental.
*The photo that I use for my background was taken by Sam. You can find more of Sam's work at https://www.facebook.com/SnapshotsBySamMaloney
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