I’m All Ears!

I think one of the biggest problems in modern life, and I don’t just mean in education, is that far to often we are listened to but not heard.

It’s very true in classrooms. As teachers we are taught to teach to the neuro-diverse students in the room. It is meticulously explained that by making our lessons accessible to the autistics in the room or engaging for the ADHD brigade, as a teacher you will have built a lesson (at least in theory) which will benefit every student you deliver it to. I can’t speak for every teacher training provider, but the one I attended went a step further and had every student teacher prepare a piece on autism in education; it’s worth noting that the module was one of the worst I have encountered in higher education. But that’s a story for another time.

So, I was speaking to the mum of a new student. She explained some of the difficulties her son had in accessing education. He has an alphabet soup of neuro-diversities like so many of us. The teachers who can get through to him are those who take the time to see how he is, give him an opportunity to share his news before restricting his movements and thoughts for the duration of the lesson.

That’s another thing, note to teachers; when working with students who have impulse controls and are therefore “disruptive,” don’t put them in detention during break. You are removing their only opportunity to let loose and therefore just magnifying the problem.

I listened to the student, and I listened to his mum. I made sure that they knew I had heard them. I ensured that they both knew that what they had shared would become part of a personalised approach to education.

The fact is that we all feel it sometimes, don’t we? We are shouting into the void. Please somebody, help my child. I can tell you how, I’ve known them all their life! Just listen to me and let me be heard!

Sometimes I feel the only one hearing us is Google with it’s weirdly targeted advertising…