Before becoming an education consultant, I spent my first 17 years in the field teaching special education. Whenever I shared that I taught students who were disabled, special, exceptional, or different, the reaction I got from well-intentioned people was consistently the same. "Oh," they would always say, with a sad pout or empathetic frown, followed by, "Poor things."
It's true that children with disabilities have unique challenges, making their lives and those of their family members potentially more difficult. Their days can be full of medical and therapy appointments, diagnoses and prognoses, medicines and supplements, evaluations and assessments. It's easy to feel sorry for these children when you see them struggle. As a teacher, it can be difficult to hold a student with challenges accountable for learning progress when you just want to shrug your shoulders and say, "Let's just try again tomorrow." Seeking to be supportive, teachers can subconsciously lower expectations for these students, which can encourage poor behavior or reinforce manipulative behavior. Worst of all, it risks sending the message to the student, "I just don't think you can do it." Even the brightest, typically developing student would fail in such a classroom environment.
To truly have a classroom where children of all abilities thrive, our beliefs and actions make all the difference. Here are some of the ways I coach teachers to be more intentional about their language and practices, so that all students are held to high expectations—no exceptions:
- Deliver clear instructions using fewer words. Whether a student is typically developing or not, clear and concise instructions are paramount to classroom success. Students must be able to easily receive and internalize classroom rules and procedures. Instead of giving vague directions when students walk into the room such as, "Have a seat and start working," be precise and include specific details so everyone knows your expectations. So you might say: "Good morning! Silently walk to your desk and independently begin your do-now activity. If you have a question, raise a silent hand. If you finish early, read your free reading book."
- Positively narrate to everyone equally. If the expectation is "walk down the hall silently," teachers who recognize, out loud, students who are following that direction, are not only reminding those who did not hear or process the instructions but are also allowing scholars to self-regulate and comply on their own. If a student is not following directions, positive narration sends a discreet, respectful reminder. For students who find it challenging to follow instructions, guide them neutrally but positively. For example, as your students are walking down the hall, you might say, "Xavier is walking silently" or "Janeisha is walking with her hands by her side." Do not single that child out as if you are surprised they met expectations. The pride that child will feel by simply "being like everyone else" will make her day!
- Drop the label and put the person first. Although assigned with the best of intentions, diagnostic or academic-classification labels indicate an inherent deficiency (e.g., at risk, struggling, or disabled). Make a paradigm shift by using "people first" phrasing. For example, replacing "SPED kid," with "student receiving SPED services" acknowledges the services delivered rather than the student, making the identification value neutral.
- Use optimistic language. Our language as educators reflects and shapes not only how we see others but also how they ultimately see themselves. When our words convey faith and optimism, we are more likely to hold high expectations for students, and they are more likely to live up to them. Replace "problem student" with "student whose behavior I find challenging," and change "low-performing students" to "students currently underperforming." Not only have we removed the labels, but the latter example shifts the expectation from a fixed state of "low" to the temporal "currently" and dynamic "underperforming."
- Focus on each child's assets. What does each child bring to the classroom? Perhaps that student with autism has a unique area of expertise to share, when given the appropriate curriculum tie-in. Or students can be grouped to balance out areas of weakness with their partner's or group members' strengths.
- Focus on your relationship with the student. Relationships are the safety net that changes challenging conversations into healthy ones. They provide the backbone of any strong and positive learning environment. Surveying students with open-ended questions about previous school experiences, what they have liked and disliked about different teaching styles, what they do outside of school, etc., can provide an easy opening for building relationships.
As an educator who visits schools across the United States all year long, I know that the demands on today's teachers are extraordinary. These strategies can not only help teachers manage their classrooms but also allow them to truly change their beliefs about what is possible for all students.
