Growing up as a student, I struggled in many classes.
Not to say that I suffered from a learning disability, however it was very hard
for me to make course material I was learning feel relatable or even applicable
to the real world. I was also a very visual person, and unfortunately many of
the classroom settings that I grew up in did not have sufficient technology,
and tended not to focus on this aspect of learning too heavily. I studied hard.
However I constantly felt the need to read and reread my textbooks and notes
just to memorize information. Courses that focused on listening comprehension
and auditory cues were not my friends, and as a result I often found it strange
how a classroom would be staged to reward and benefit those who were able to
memorize information over those who tended to think outside the box.
A good example
of how I might describe this experience can be seen when asking for directions.
If you live in an area for a long enough you start to develop a mind map of
your surroundings. Landmarks just as much as major street names become
important when navigating. In fact, most of the time it even makes things
easier. We all inform people and give them direction based on these visual and
non-visual cues, and needless to say, both are equally important. It is for
this reason that finding a way to make information relatable becomes key in
helping struggling students over come fear and anxiety with problem solving in
school.
Below is a link to
a TED Talk by high school math teacher Dan Meyer. In his talk he describes the
aversion kids have to facing and solving mathematical problems and how much, if
not all of it, can be overcome by prompting people to approach the subject
matter in a more practical way.
https://youtu.be/qocAoN4jNwc
His message is
simple and yet very effective in stating that we have numerous resources at our
disposal to help students succeed. Obtaining knowledge can be approached in
many different ways and everyone works and learns at their own pace and
ability. Having good, supportive and relatable teachers always helps. And in the
end, it becomes incredibly rewarding when you help students figure out an
approach to problems that works best for them.
About Selim A.
FrogTutoring Tutor Based in Dallas, TX
I am a Concept Artist and Designer from the FZD School of Design in Singapore (http://fzdschool.com). I work mostly with digital media such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and can work just as well traditionally with pen and pencil. Art and design can be approached from many different ways, and everyone has there own pace, but with strong fundamentals and a little patience I can help figure out an approach that works best for you!
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