Fostering motivation, hope, and resilience in children with learning diorders

Brooks, Robert B

I have had the opportunity to work with many children and adolescents with learning disorders during the past 30 years. In conducting therapy with these youths, I became increasingly aware that most were burdened by feelings of low self-worth and incompetence and that many believed that their situation would not improve. Not surprisingly, this sense of hopelessness served as a major obstacle to future success. Once children believe that things will not improve, they are likely to engage in self-defeating ways of coping such as quitting or avoiding tasks, blaming others for their difficulties, or becoming class clowns or bullies. Thus, a negative cycle is often set in motion, intensifying feelings of defeat and despair.

As I listened closely to children with learning disorders, I came to understand that if we were to help them be more motivated and learn more effectively, we must ensure that our interventions address not only their specific learning needs but their feelings of low self-worth as well and that we must provide them with opportunities to experience realistic accomplishment that nurtured optimism and hope.

In my discussions with countless educators and parents, I began to appreciate another major dimension determining whether or not these youngsters with learning disorders would be successful. All of us who work with or raise children, whether teachers, clinicians, or parents, possess certain assumptions about why children behave the way they do. These assumptions, which I often refer to as a mindset, subtly or not so subtly guide our interactions with children. Frequently, we are not even aware of the components of this mindset although they direct much of our behavior.

If we examine the school environment, I have found that educators have many different assumptions about the process of education and about students with learning disorders. Given this, a question can be raised, namely, "What is the mindset of an effective educator?" or worded somewhat differently, "What are the assumptions and behaviors of an educator who will touch the mind, heart, and spirit of children with learning disorders and infuse them with realistic hope?"

In attempting to answer this question in this article, I will rely on the many interactions I have had with educators as well as my own experiences as a principal of a school in a lockeddoor unit of a psychiatric hospital, and as a consultant to both public and independent schools. My journeys have introduced me to teachers and school administrators who are skilled in touching both the minds and hearts of students, who recognize the importance of focusing not only on developing the intellectual lives of students but also their emotional lives, and who, through word and deed, demonstrate a deep commitment to creating school climates in which all students will thrive.

These talented educators possess a mindset that guides their teaching style and their interaction with students, and reinforces a zest for learning, even in those children struggling with learning disorders. I believe that the ingredients of this mindset are predicated on common sense and an adherence to basic principles of human dignity and respect. I know that many educators are already engaged in practices that follow from the tenets of this mindset so that what I highlight will hopefully serve as a validation of their existing teaching style.

THE MINDSET OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATORS

The following are several of the key components that I believe represent the mindset of the effective educator. Space limitations do not permit a lengthier discussion of each of these components nor the inclusion of other components. However, it is my hope that this relatively brief description will provide the reader with a sense of the mindset that I believe should be learned, embraced, and incorporated by all educators in their teaching activities because the end result will be many more students with learning disorders who are saved from future failure and who are helped to lead more productive, fulfilling lives.

ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF A STUDENT IS NOT AN EXTRA CURRICULUM ACTIVITY

At one of my workshops, I was discussing the significant impact that educators have on the social-emotional life of students. A high school science teacher in the audience challenged the emphasis I was placing on social-emotional factors by contending, "I am a science teacher. I know my science and I know how to convey science facts to my students. Why should I have to spend time thinking about the student's emotional or social life? I don't have time to do so and it will distract me from teaching science."

I know that there are many teachers and school administrators who would take issue with the views expressed by this science teacher, who believe as I do that addressing a student's social and emotional development may be as vital as teaching specific academic skills and content. However, I am also aware that there are many educators who would concur with her opinion. I believe it is unfortunate that a dichotomy has emerged prompting some educators to perceive that nurturing a student's emotional and social well-being is mutually exclusive of the task of teaching academic skills. I am convinced, based on my own experiences as well as the feedback I have received from many educators, that strengthening a student's self-worth is not an "extra" curriculum; if anything, a student's sense of belonging, security, and self-confidence in a classroom provides the scaffolding that supports the foundation for increased learning, motivation, self-discipline, responsibility, and the ability to deal more effectively with mistakes.

EMPATHY IS ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT SKILLS OF AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER

If you were to ask me, "What do you consider to be one of the most vital skills for a teacher to possess?" I would respond, "Empathy." Translated to the school arena, empathy is the capacity of teachers to place themselves inside the shoes of their students and to see the world through the student's eyes. Coleman (1995) highlights empathy as a major component of emotional intelligence.

Being empathic encourages us to ask, "Whenever I say or do things with students, am I saying or doing these things in a way that my students will be most responsive to my message?" "For example, a teacher may wish to motivate a student with learning problems by exhorting the student to "just try harder." While the teacher may be well-intentioned, such a comment is frequently experienced in a negative, accusatory way. When students feel accused, which is not uncommon among children and adolescents with learning disorders, they are less likely to be cooperative. Consequently, the teacher's comment will not produce the desired results. However, if the teacher had been empathic, he or she might have wondered, "If I were having difficulty in my role as a teacher, would I want another teacher or my principal to say to me, `If you just tried harder you wouldn't have this problem'?"

To highlight the importance of empathy, I have asked educators in my workshops to think of a teacher they liked and one that they did not like when they were students. I then ask them to think of words that they would use to describe each of these teachers. Finally, I say, "Just as you have words to describe your teachers, your students have words to describe you. What words would you hope they used to describe you? What words would they actually use?" Teachers who appreciate the importance of empathy constantly ask these questions of themselves. Most important, their interactions are guided by thoughts about how they wish to be perceived and described by their students.

EDUCATORS HAVE A LIFELONG IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESILIENCE

As noted earlier, many students with learning disorders are beset with feelings of doubt about their future. Effective educators appreciate that what they say and do in the classroom each day can have a lifelong influence on their students (Brooks, 1991; Brooks & Goldstein, 2001). This appreciation of their impact adds meaning and purpose to their work, empowering them and lessening feelings of stress and burnout. In the past 15 to 20 years, there has been an increased effort to delineate those factors that help at-risk youth to overcome adversity and become resilient. Schools especially have been spotlighted as environments for nurturing self-esteem, hope, and resilience. For example, psychologist Julius Segal (1988), in describing resilient youth, writes:

From studies conducted around the world, researchers have distilled a number of factors that enable such children of misfortune to beat the heavy odds against them. One factor turns out to be the presence in their lives of a charismatic adult--a person with whom they can identify and from whom they gather strength. And in a surprising number of cases, that person turns out to be a teacher (p. 10).

A basic belief that resides within the mindset of effective educators is that they have the power to be the charismatic adult in a student's life and they actively seek opportunities to do so. These educators recognize that all of their actions in the classroom can have an impact on students, an impact that goes far beyond today, next week, or next month. While this impact is true for all students, it has special relevance for students with learning problems who are burdened by feelings of vulnerability and hopelessness.

WE MUST AVOID ACCUSATIONS, BLAME, AND LABELS

At the beginning of my career, when children did not improve in therapy with me or in the school at which I was principal, I was quick to call them "resistant," "oppositional," "unmotivated," and "manipulative." The use of such pejorative labels basically blamed the very youngsters I was supposedly helping. One of the most significant changes in my own mindset was to begin to accept the notion that whether or not a child benefited from therapy or school had as much, if not more, to do with the style and behavior of the therapist or educator than what the child brought into the situation. This was a major shift in my thinking since I had been taught initially that resistance was for all intents and purposes a part of one's inner character and would be displayed in all situations. Yet it was difficult for me to continue to subscribe to this belief as I observed so-called "resistant" and "unmotivated" students who were very cooperative and motivated with some teachers but not with others.

I am not implying that we should blame ourselves when we are confronted with a challenging student, but instead of blaming the student through the use of accusatory labels, we should ask what it is that we can do differently so that this student might be more responsive and willing to learn. For instance, I worked with one student with learning problems who disliked school but loved taking care of pets. When he was given the job of being the "pet monitor" of the school, which entailed his ensuring that the pets were cared for, writing a short book with the assistance of his teacher about pet care (the book was bound and placed in the school library), and lecturing in each class of his elementary school about taking care of pets, his motivation to be in school, to write, and to learn increased markedly. He was fortunate to have a teacher and principal who had the courage to change their approach or script rather than expecting him to make the first move. Once they offered opportunities for this student to shine, his seeming "resistance" disappeared.

ALL STUDENTS ARE DIFFERENT AND LEARN DIFFERENTLY, AND WE MUST TEACH THEM IN WAYS IN WHICH THEY LEARN BEST

There is a plethora of research in the fields of education, developmental psychology, and the neurosciences that have taught us about how every child is different from birth, that children have different temperaments, learning styles, and kinds of intelligence. Yet, even with this research, I often hear teachers say, "We must treat all children the same. If we make an accommodation for this student, how will the other students feel? We must be fair."

I would not want any student to feel a teacher is not fair, but we must appreciate that fairness does not imply expecting the same amount of work from each student. It has been my experience that if at the beginning of the school year, school teachers openly explain to their students that we all learn differently and that these differences require the implementation of a variety of accommodations, students will not develop the feeling that the teacher is unfair. What is unfair, and a prescription for frustration and failure, is to require students to learn and perform in identical fashion although they possess different learning and temperamental styles.

Some educators have expressed concern that making accommodations will be very time-consuming. However, when I describe the most common types of accommodations I have requested for students with learning disorders, most educators have remarked that these are realistic and achievable and do not require significant changes in the classroom routine. Some of these accommodations include, but are not limited to:

1. Permitting students to take untimed tests.

2. Establishing a maximum time for homework each night (the child's parent can verify this).

3. Allowing students with attentional and learning problems to have two sets of books, one at home and one at school, to lessen the pressure they experience about the possibility of losing books.

4. Providing assignments for the entire week on Monday (or at the end of the previous week) so that parents can help their children organize their time and work.

5. Permitting students with writing difficulties to use computers for all written work (surprisingly, some teachers still require homework assignments to be handwritten).

STUDENTS WILL BE MOST RESPONSIVE AND MOTIVATED TO LEARN FROM US WHEN WE MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS

Effective educators recognize that before they attempt to teach a child academic skills or content, their first task is to create a safe and secure environment in which all students feel comfortable and motivated to learn. This is an issue that requires even more diligence when working with students with learning disorders. One of the foremost researchers in the area of motivation has been psychologist Edward Deci at the University of Rochester. Deci's model suggests that students will be more motivated to learn when particular needs have been met (Deci & Flaste, (1995). Deci articulates three such needs.

1. To belong and feel connected to the school (I would also add the words "to feel welcome").

2. To feel a sense of autonomy and self-determination.

3. To feel competent.

An appreciation of these needs can serve as guideposts, leading educators to ask such questions as: How do I help each student feel welcome in my classroom? What choices do I provide my students so that they develop a sense of ownership? Do I incorporate and teach problem-solving skills in all of my activities so that students can learn to make informed decisions? Do I use discipline more as a form of punishment or as a way of teaching self-discipline? That is, do I involve students in helping create some of the rules and consequences in the classroom? Do I identify and reinforce the strengths of students so that they feel more competent? Do I convey the message from the first day of class that mistakes are part of the learning process and that we can learn from mistakes and not fear them?

Effective teachers constantly consider these and related questions. They reflect on whether they are assisting students to feel welcome in the classroom, whether they are promoting a sense of ownership or autonomy, and whether they are helping students feel competent. I use a metaphor to capture the need for competence, namely, "islands of competence." I often ask educators to identify, reinforce, and display each student's "islands of competence" as a concrete way of demonstrating that we all have strengths. One of the most effective ways to display the strengths of students is by ensuring that each student has a responsibility at school (e.g., tutoring a younger child, helping in the office, painting murals) that highlights the student's competencies. Success begets success. Self-esteem and dignity are based on authentic accomplishments, and each new accomplishment increases the child's motivation to learn and take realistic risks.

PARENTS ARE OUR PARTNERS NOT OUR ADVERSARIES

The mindset of the effective teacher recognizes that we must develop close working relationships with parents. I have witnessed far too many situations in which educators and parents have become adversaries, more so when a child has a learning disorder. I realize that it is not always an easy task to develop positive parent-teacher relationships, especially when a youngster is having difficulty in school, but it is a very important goal to achieve. I visited one elementary school in which teachers called each parent the day before the new school year began to express their desire to work closely together. They encouraged the parents to feel free to call them with any questions or concerns, and they conveyed the wish for a positive relationship during the year.

The teachers at the school told me that they implemented this practice of contacting parents before school began because typically, the first time they called most parents was when there was a problem. They said that initiating contact with parents in a more positive way enhanced their relationship with parents and, very important, had a beneficial effect on the learning and motivation of the students.

DEVELOPING AN ORIENTATION SESSION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR (BUT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE) HELPS CREATE A POSITIVE MINDSET FOR BOTH EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS

In order to reinforce the mindset of the effective educator, I recommend an "orientation period" at the beginning of the school year, a period during which educators are made more aware of this mindset and the ways in which it can be used to create a positive school climate in which all members of the school community feel safe and secure.

The "orientation period" I envision is divided into two phases. The first takes place a day or two before students arrive and involves exercises that nurture a positive mindset. During this phase, educators can share with each other why they became educators as a way of recalling the purpose of their work. In addition, I have asked teachers to revisit their past when they were students and to describe a teacher they had whom they really liked and a teacher they did not like. I then state that just as they have words to describe their teachers, their students will have words to describe them. I ask them to think about what words they hope their students will use to describe them, emphasizing that the words students use to describe a teacher will determine how respectful, cooperative, motivated, and self-disciplined students will be, and how much they will learn from their teachers. As these descriptive words are recorded, educators can discuss what they might say and do during the year to maximize the probability that their students will, in fact, use favorable rather than unfavorable words to describe them.

Closely linked to this exercise of positive and negative descriptions of our teachers is an exercise related to specific memories we have of school. I ask educators to share one of their most positive memories of school, a memory that involved something a teacher or school administrator said or did that boosted their confidence. I also ask them to describe a negative memory involving an educator that diminished their confidence and self-worth. It is impressive to observe the wide spectrum of emotions that are triggered as teachers recall these memories, some of which go back decades, and as they reflect on how these memories continue to influence their lives years after the events occurred.

I observe that given the indelible nature of these memories, and the fact that their students will develop memories of them during the upcoming school year, they should think actively about and rely on their childhood experiences to guide what they do with their students. For example, a fourth grade teacher should think, "When I was in the third, fourth, or fifth grade, what did a teacher say or do that strengthened my selfesteem, motivation, and ability to learn? Am I providing the same experiences for my current students?" or "What did a teacher say or do that was hurtful, and compromised my ability to feel comfortable and to learn in the classroom? Am I making certain I do not do any of these things with my students?" The next question for the staff to consider and discuss is, "What can we do this year to ensure that almost all of the memories of our students will be positive and enhance motivation for learning?"

I have been fortunate to work with teachers during this initial phase of the "orientation period" and have witnessed firsthand the excitement that emerges as educators recognize the significant role that their teachers played in their lives and how they can do the same for their students. These exercises set a truly positive tone for the new school year.

The second part of the "orientation period" that I advocate is implemented during the first two or three days of school, but it is essential to refine and reinforce the activities that transpire during these initial days throughout the school year. During these first few days, I actually recommend that educators not feel compelled to engage in teaching academic content. Instead, I believe the time should be devoted to create a classroom climate in which all students will feel safe, secure, and motivated to learn. I have found this to be especially important for children with learning problems, many of whom are intensely anxious about school.

Although some may question this kind of orientation period and say it is a waste of several days of classroom teaching time, it has been my experience that by structuring the first few days to address the needs of students, the students will be more comfortable, more receptive to learning, more involved as active participants in their own education, more capable of dealing with frustration and mistakes, and more respectful and self-disciplined. Just as effective educators must approach their responsibilities with a positive mindset, we must help develop a positive mindset for learning in our students.

What are some of the actual activities that can be scheduled during the first few days of school? If we use Deci's framework, we can ask, "How do we begin to meet a student's needs to feel welcome, autonomous, and competent?" Teachers quickly learning the names of their students helps to establish a sense of feeling welcome. One fourth grade teacher reported bringing in her class photo when she was in fourth grade and using it as a way of discussing what it was like for her. Seeing her as a fourth grader immediately created a more personal touch in the classroom environment.

In addition, as noted earlier, students will feel more welcome when we teach them in ways they learn best. Therefore, during the first couple of days of class, educators can openly discuss the different ways we all learn and the importance of accommodations. This open discussion will help students be more tolerant toward each other and lessen possible feelings that accommodations are unfair.

To promote a sense of ownership or autonomy, teachers can enlist students in helping create class rules and consequences, especially once a teacher has reviewed nonnegotiable rules. Not only are students more likely to follow rules that they have helped to create, but in the process, teachers can reinforce problem-solving and decision-making skills and, very importantly, nurture self-discipline or self-control, another crucial feature of emotional intelligence. Teachers can begin to discuss with students with learning disorders strategies that will help these students to learn more effectively.

Since the fear of making mistakes and feeling humiliated is one of the most significant obstacles to learning and is especially pronounced in children with learning disorders, I have proposed during the second phase of the "orientation period" that teachers ask their class, "Who in this class thinks that they will make mistakes and not understand something the first time it is taught this year?" Before any student can respond, teachers can raise their own hand and share memories of their anxieties when they were students. They can generate a class discussion about the best ways to guarantee that students will not be worried about being called on, of giving a wrong answer, of making mistakes on a test, or of not understanding certain material. Verbalizing directly the fear of making mistakes typically serves to minimize its potency, thereby creating a classroom environment that feels safe and secure. Within this feeling of security, learning will flourish.

In addition to helping students feel more competent by lessening their fear of failure, teachers can ask students what they enjoy doing and what they think they do very well. Early in the school year, educators can begin to note a student's "islands of competence." Students who excel in art can be enlisted to produce work that can be displayed. Other students can be enlisted as buddies, mentors, or tutors for younger students. Various "jobs" can be assigned in the classroom. I have witnessed countless examples of students with learning problems who flourished when educators found opportunities to acknowledge and showcase their strengths.

It is obvious that there are many worthwhile activities that can take place during the first few days of school that will set the framework for a school climate in which all members of the school feel excited and motivated.

IS IT MORE IMPORTANT FOR SOME STUDENTS TO BE LABELED "SPECIAL NEEDS" OR TO VIEW ALL STUDENTS AS NEEDING TO FEEL SPECIAL?

In ending this brief discussion of the mindset of the effective educator, there is one other ingredient I would like to emphasize that in many ways is interwoven with several of the others. I realize that for a variety of important reasons, not the least of which is to secure accommodations and funding, we use the label "special needs." In my discussions with educators who touch the minds and hearts of their students, I am left with the impression that it would be more in concert with their approach if we de-emphasized the term "special needs" and instead placed a banner in front of every school that read, "Every child who enters this school needs to feel special."

I believe that the mindset of the effective educator is motivated to help all students feel special and appreciated. We can accomplish this by being empathic, by treating students in the same ways that we would like to be treated, by finding a few moments to smile and make them feel comfortable, by teaching them in ways they can learn successfully, by taking care to avoid any words or actions that might be accusatory, by minimizing their fears of failure and humiliation, by encouraging them, and by recognizing their strengths. When we achieve these steps, we truly will become their "charismatic adults." We will have touched their hearts and minds, and in the process, they will learn from us and take the gifts of knowledge, acceptance, and resilience into their adult lives. What a wonderful legacy the effective educator bestows on the next generation.

References

Brooks, R. B. (1991). The self-esteem teacher. Loveland, OH: Treehaus Communications. Brooks, R. B., & Goldstein S. (2001). Raising resilient children. Chicago, ILL: Contemporary Books.

Deci, E., & Flaste, R. (1995). Why we do what we do: Understanding self-motivation. New York: Guilford.

Coleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam.

Segal, J. (1988). Teachers have enormous power in affecting a child's self-esteem. The Brown University Child Behavior and Development Newsletter, 10, 1-3.

Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Address correspondence to Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D., 60 Oak Knoll Terrace, Needham, MA 02492; e-mail: contact@drrobert brooks.com

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