The role of an educator encompasses several aspects. It includes building expertise in the academic content area, gaining knowledge about the evolution of pedagogies, understanding the administrative record keeping elements of the role, and developing skills for teaching and classroom management. A conscious investment by the educator in each element helps create a satisfying teaching experience for the educator and enriches the learning experience for the learner.
Classroom management skills are underrated in their contribution towards the teaching and learning experience in a classroom. The foundation of this vital skill is understanding the composition of a classroom. Understanding learning disabilities contributes significantly towards building this expertise.
Educators need to accept the fact that learners in each classroom will have several differences. Learners will be within a given age range and may have a similar developmental arc, but they will have varied developmental timelines, family environments, languages spoken at home, family exposures, cultures, and specific learning needs. The differences at the learner level are the ones that influence individual learning outcomes.
Understanding these unique special educational needs is an important aspect of every educator’s role. As schools actively embrace inclusive and integrated learning environments, it has become imperative to equip every educator with sufficient knowledge on special educational needs. Given that a typical classroom will have some learners with learning disabilities, this responsibility is not confined to the role of special educator only.
What are learning disabilities?
In simple terms, a learning disability is the inability to perform at the level appropriate for the learner’s age. They are a lack of specific abilities to handle information inputs. It could be the inability to read, write, calculate, or simply process information. It is not the lack of motivation, desire, or method.
Learning disabilities are not related to lower intelligence. They are the reason for the gap between the learner’s intelligence and their performance. It is the difference between the ‘can do’ and ‘is doing.’
Why should educators be aware of learning disabilities?
Educators need to build their understanding about not only how a learner learns, but also what hinders a learner from learning. When educators are equipped with knowledge about the learning challenges and disabilities, they can create lesson plans and conduct classes which include all learning styles and disabilities. Having awareness and understanding of the challenges posed by specific learning disabilities builds empathy and patience in the educator. It also leads to a deeper understanding of the learner’s struggles and an acceptance of learning outcomes.
Which are the main types of learning disabilities?
Dyslexia - Difficulties in reading skills. It impacts reading accuracy, speed, fluency, and comprehension. It manifests as difficulty in letter recognition and is sometimes seen in conjunction with dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia – Difficulties in written expression. It impacts written accuracy, writing speed, fluency, and comprehension. Learners struggle in putting down their thoughts.
Processing disorders – Difficulties in processing of inputs. Learners struggle with auditory, visual, sensory, or language inputs, which impacts their self-regulation and learning process.
Dyscalculia – Difficulties in all number-related activities. It impacts the ability to conduct mathematical operations, comprehend mathematical information, and recognize the function of mathematical symbols.
Dyspraxia – Difficulties in fine motor and gross motor activities. It impacts all activities which need coordination and, in some cases, it may also impact speech clarity.
ADHD/ ADD – Learners exhibit impulsive actions, hyperactive behaviour, and difficulties in keeping focus. This neurodevelopmental disorder impacts all activities and behaviour. The symptoms evolve with age and pose significant challenges for the learner’s overall wellbeing, learning, and experiences.
What is the impact on learners?
Academic curriculums are created such that the scope and depth of the content match the student’s processing abilities. The objective is to ensure that the student is given age- and ability-appropriate learning goals. When a student has a learning disability, the curriculum moves faster than the student’s ability to learn, leading to learning lags or gaps. A student is consistently unable to follow the classroom teaching, unable to complete tasks given as homework, and is constantly trying to catch up. This learning gap is reflected in the tests and progress cards. The impact of consistent under-achievements is felt beyond academics too. It has a negative impact on a learner’s confidence, self-esteem, social interactions, emotional well-being, and eventually the motivation to continue learning and trying.
How does it look in the classroom?
Learning difficulties manifest in classrooms in diverse ways through student behaviors. They also evolve as the student moves to higher grades. Learners may also have comorbid learning disorders. The following scenarios may be commonly seen:
What can educators do?
Educators are required to develop lesson plans which address the learning needs of every learner in the classroom. The focus on including every single learner in the learning process ensures all learners learn, irrespective of the presence or absence of learning disabilities. The easiest way to develop such a lesson plan is to use diverse teaching strategies. This ensures there is variety in teaching methodology, and there are more chances of getting the desired learning outcomes. Importantly, it helps the educator to stay motivated, avoid monotonous delivery, and enjoy the time in the classroom, as it creates automatic adaptations and flexibility. It also builds the connection with the learner rapidly, as it gives the educator a chance to notice the strength of each learner. Overall, such a learning environment builds confidence and positive self-esteem. Classrooms become a buzzing platform for interaction of ideas, and not a one-way dialogue.
How do you ensure that every learner in the class learns?
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Allow students to move around, stand, or walk around in the classroom. Educators should consider encouraging movement, not restricting. Examples include climbing up and down the stairs, taking a 5-minute walk, or taking a 10-minute break in the sun. Other functional activities can be cleaning classroom cupboards or creating classroom display boards, though not restricted to only these two. Note that such adaptations create an inclusive learning environment because they provide an equal opportunity to contribute.
What is the responsibility of an educator?
Under the pretext of understanding learning disabilities observed in a classroom, educators should not rush into labelling learners. Any learning challenge is classified as a learning disability after a proper assessment. If not controlled, educators may rush into the hurried diagnosis and do more harm than benefit the learner.
Classroom observations are the most important data points in identifying learning disabilities. Educators should monitor learning patterns and ensure that learning lags are reported appropriately. Some learners may need interventions while others may manage with ongoing micro-interventions. Both approaches depend on classroom observations, and educators must be cognizant of their responsibilities.
Educators can plan lessons and be mindful during teaching about the fact that several students may need specific learning support and that the presence of a learning disability does not indicate that a student will not learn or achieve success in life. It only indicates that a student needs to be facilitated differently than the rest of the classroom.
It is also the educator’s responsibility to develop in every learner a keen interest in the subject. Once this is achieved, learning evolves automatically and the pace of learning becomes secondary.
Educators need to ensure that every student learns in a harmonious way. And to achieve that, every educator must develop knowledge of the learning disabilities observed in the classroom.
Finally, it is the responsibility of the educator to partner with the learner’s home environment and make the journey of learning impactful. When this job gets done well, it truly creates lifelong memories. Let us create a few??
About the Author
Nayana Kharosekar is a Special Educator with over 15 years of experience working with students with diverse learning needs spanning alternate and mainstream learning environments. She holds an MA in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion from Northampton University. She also has a Diploma in Inclusive Education from Spastics Society of Karnataka, Bangalore. She is certified in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and is a trained career coach.
She has worked extensively with children with Specific Learning Difficulties, ADHD and Intellectual Disability. She focuses on delivering differentiated learning experiences along with supporting students navigate the socio-emotionally charged developmental years. She believes that school and home learning environments need to collaborate and that teachers and parents are equal partners in the student’s learning journey. She has worked in a pioneering alternative school followed by a decade in a renowned ICSE school in Bengaluru. She is the founder of August Connections.