Role of School Teachers in Identifying Learning Disability

A good teacher can inspire HOPE, ignite the IMAGINATION and instill a  LOVE of LEARNING.

Nai Talim is a principle which states that knowledge and work are not separate. Father of nation, Mahatma Gandhi promoted an educational curriculum with the same name based on this pedagogical principle. A school, where kids are not bound in classrooms, not bound by a curriculum where, “passing” is mandatory, where grades do not matter; what matters is making the child think, let his/her thoughts get direction , creativity flows freely and true education takes place. Here the classroom facilitates real learning. Here the teachers get an opportunity to let the child explore his/her true potential and role of the teachers is to mould that tremendous energy into a responsible and talented individual.

Sounds unreal? Not actually. But we cannot deny the fact that schools these days have lost that sheen and have made teaching –learning process marks or grade based system. Students who score more are given more attention and those who fail to do so are often neglected. Nothing wrong per say, its basic human nature, to bring out the best of the best. But what about those who lack behind? Are they dumb? Can they achieve nothing?

Probably schools fail to identify the problem of the kids who do not perform as per the established norms. The kids who can’t cope up with the rest of the class might be having some issues; physical (eyesight, hearing difficulty, speech or any particular disease), psychological (anxiety, depression, learning disability or family environment), behavioral (lack of attention, anger, perception). It is easier to identify physical issues, but its needs experience and expertise in identifying issues like learning disability. Brains operate differently. Learning occurs in different manners. The teacher must be able to determine if a child is exhibiting an alternate learning pattern or if the child has a learning problem. If the teacher suspect there is a learning problem then it is necessary to seek assistance from the experts.

Meanwhile to make sure that he child is facing some difficulty; the teacher can make few changes in the classroom to ease the child. The child can be made to sit closer to the teacher and can be given more attention while teaching.

Once the teacher identifies the child who is facing problems in learning, he/she can try to understand the NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. The teacher at the same time should intimate the parents and explain to them, the difficulties faced by the child. This will help the teacher in gaining confidence of the parents and at the same time it will act as a support for the child.

The teacher then can take help of the school counselor and assess the gravity of the problem. Unfortunately many schools do not have a counselor on campus or even if they do, it’s only on paper.  School counselors are important not only from the point of identifying slow learners or kids with learning difficulties but also to tackle the issues like exam pressure, peer pressure, bullying, diet issues, behavioral problems, etc.

Secondly the good teacher will make it a point to not let other kids make fun of the child having learning issues. It is really important to keep the motivation level high of the kids. They should not feel alone or left out; this feeling of “being different” can leave a mark on their self esteem. The teacher has to have patience and make sure that the child is not developing a dislike towards a particular subject or school.

Making statements like, “ You are good for nothing”, “ You can do nothing in your life”, “ Your parents have not taught you properly”, “ You are acting so as to get excused from class work”, “ You are dumb, you cannot get decent marks in test” will demoralize the child and it leave create a huge dent on self esteem.

School teachers spend almost 6-7 hours with the child and hence it is very important that proper training if given to teachers to identify kids with learning difficulties. Even if training is not provided, following things can be the first step towards helping the child.

Teachers can make some observations by noting down specific points such as difficulty in reading, writing, listening, Maths, not able to hear or visualize in her/his diary. Observations with respect to behavior of other kids, their test scores, actions directed at other kids can be made. They can also make log entries.

Logging a child’s behavior for two weeks should be sufficient. The teacher on her own can try some interventional methods to teach the child. The log entry should also include the intervention that the teacher used to modify the child’s behavior. The log can be an added burden on a teacher’s time but it is a strongly recommended procedure to follow if the teacher suspects a child has a learning problem.

Other important point is the school itself; whether the school has a formal system of identifying kids with learning disability and offering remedial coaching to them. Many schools are still unaware about the seriousness of the problem and follow the age old method of assessing the child. This can damage the chances of the kid having a normal life and career.

In the end, we can say that role of school and the teachers is crucial in not only identifying kids with learning disability but also in making the child a part of the society. It is the school where the child learns to be a part of bigger family and develop his/her personality. It is the teacher has the magic to turn tears into smiles, to turn failures into successes, to turn DISABILITY into ABILITY.

We all remember that one teacher who could actually understand our problem and helped us in developing the interest in the subject we disliked the most. That one teacher changed our lives forever; that teacher made us what we are today.

Because sometimes what you need is someone who simply takes you as you are!