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In college, I took a Hebrew class with one of my friends. I took this because I have no prior experience with the language and wanted to put myself in the same shoes as a my students as a primary grade teacher. It was beyond challenging for me to learn a new alphabet system, new sound system, and read right to left. I remember struggling sounding out words and often even mixing up the letter name with the sound. I was terrified for my professor to call on me to read and it created a deep anxiety. I sat in the back hoping to blend in and not be called on. My friend who I took the course with attended an all Jewish private school since kindergarten and had been exposed to the language his whole life. He often laughed as I struggled to sound out and write the most basic words that I had been shown a bunch of times. I think this experience made me extremely empathetic as a teacher towards students who struggle with reading specifically.

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I really enjoyed the points that he made. Students with disabilities need to be helped, not pushed. They need to be taught using accomodations and modifications rather than exoled to try harder. It makes me want to work on my ability to reach these students through different methods. I want to know the basics, but I want to go further so I am the best prepared I can be to give them the best education they can get!

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I grew up "gifted' before it was a thing. Reading proficiently at 3 years old, skipping multiple grade levels and graduating high school three years early right before my 15th birthday. Then I had my son who is now 24 and all of what I thought was normal changed. He struggled retaining information and didn't start reading until about the 4th grade. We went through so many types of testing to see what was holding him back. His learning disability is why I became a teacher. After I was called into a meeting at his school and was talked down to I left that meeting in despair. But what they didn't know was that although I had no prior knowledge on how the education system worked, I was an attorney that would not allow not only my child or any other child that I can help be held back or left behind because of their disabilities.
I requested another meeting (followed with a district lawsuit) and was offered my first teaching position that same year. I took as many courses and read as much as possible on teaching techniques for all students, and it helped tremendously with my son who went from not reading, or retaining needed information to being a senior in college.

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I attended a training once where the presenter shared an idea with the group. I did not understand what the presenter was sharing and became quite frustrated with how they responded. They repeated themselves multiple times without any attempt to understand my thinking or how they could offer clarity. They treated me the rest of the time as a disengaged learner, one who lacked motivation, but that was not the case at all. I wanted to understand, I just had a barrier in my way. This is something I try to keep in mind when working with all types of learners. What can I do to make the learning more approachable?

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A student I am very fond of was best described as funny, outgoing, and absolutely willing to take over the class from an unsuspecting teacher. He never missed school, really enjoyed going it seemed, and was clearly above average intelligent according to his standardized test scores. Outwardly, it would seem he was a great student, but he kept a secret from his parents, teachers, and most of all, his friends. In his own words, letters sort of 'slid back and forth' in the book and on the screen. As such, his vocabulary growth stopped around the fourth grade. This student, my eldest son Alex, had a reading disorder that wasn't accurately diagnosed until he was in the 8th grade. After paying for one of those pricey tutoring services, they pointed out that his reading and vocabulary were not on grade level. For years, he resisted reading out loud in class or turning in ANY homework assignments because he didn't want anyone to know that he really couldn't spell. As a result, he really couldn't read multisyllabic words. He did great on standardized tests and answering questions aloud in class STRICTLY ON MEMORY. Once the onion was peeled and we found he wasn't (completely) lazy and unwilling to do schoolwork (there was some boy-truth to that), but was in fact unable to do a lot of the work in a timely and correct manner, we were able to help him. Now, he's in college at the University of Alabama studying kinesiology and doing pretty well. His mom and very first teacher (as parents we are) is pretty proud, too. How does this shape me as a teacher now? I realize that those who seem the brightest and most capable, those who might be my "class clowns" just might be masking a deficit or disability, whether diagnosed or not. As such, I try not to call out scholars in a way that might embarrass them and let them guide their educational experience for me. Just starting out, I incorrectly assumed my Cadets knew what I thought were the basics (writing term papers and resumes, creating presentations, etc.), but I stopped doing that when they let me know that a lot of what I was talking about was Greek to them. I had to dial back to square one and learn how to teach them. Much like the FAT video, this has been a journey of learning and growth on both sides of the teacher's desk.

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Sometimes to walk in someone else's shoes makes people realize how difficult it is to live with that disability. I like the way the presenter turned otherwise average people into people with a disability. I cant seem to recall where this happened in my lifetime, however, I will say that having a daughter with autism has taught me to view the world from her perspective. I was once told by a doctor that autism can be related to a stoplight. When we see red we stop, when we see yellow, we use caution, or step on it, and when it is green, that means go. A person with Autism is in a constant go, go ,go. It is hard for them to catalog ideas in their brain, and they experience a tremendous amount of stress, and anxiety, and sensory overload. This depiction although outdated, gives you a really good perspective of what that feels like.

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Throughout grade school, I was a super shy kid. I did not like being in the spotlight during class whether it was being called on to answer questions or if it was for accolades. My heart would start beating really fast and my palms would get sweaty whenever a teacher would start randomly calling on students. Now, as a teacher, I can quickly identify the students that were like me in this sense. I have used a strategy that allows students to share answers with classmates. After I ask a question, students choose a fellow classmate. They write the students’ answers on a sticky note and then each student shares the fellow students’ answers with the class. This takes some of the pressure off of students that have anxiety about sharing their own class without giving names. This is not an everyday exercise...I also use Padlet and other tools that allow students to collaborate online by posting text, images, links, documents, videos, and voice recordings instead of being called on randomly.  S.D.

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Throughout grade school, I was a super shy kid. I did not like being in the spotlight during class whether it was being called on to answer questions or if it was for accolades. My heart would start beating really fast and my palms would get sweaty whenever a teacher would start randomly calling on students. Now, as a teacher, I can quickly identify the students that were like me in this sense. I have used a strategy that allows students to share answers with classmates. After I ask a question, students choose a fellow classmate. They write the students’ answers on a sticky note and then each student shares the fellow students’ answers with the class. This takes some of the pressure off of students that have anxiety about sharing their own class without giving names. This is not an everyday exercise...I also use Padlet and other tools that allow students to collaborate online by posting text, images, links, documents, videos, and voice recordings instead of being called on randomly.  S.D.

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This was interesting workshop. Excellent breakdown on what some teachers and parents take for granted. This was a great excercise to understand that patients is very important in child development. I had to take a step back after watching this video and self evaluate. I've always had sarcastic remarks, but now I have to think about how my remarks are really effecting my students

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When in the 3rd grade we were learning multiplication. There was always times during class when the teacher would call on us and ask us to quickly give an answer. I have never been good at these types of things in math. I just considered it to be that I am not the best at mental math. I would always have anxiety in these situations hoping that my name would not get called. The frustration of feeling that I wasn't smart enough always stuck with me, even to this day. I never realized that this could be more than me not being good at math, nut it always feels that it takes me double the effort to learn the material and actually do well in it. This constant imposter syndrome stayed with me through college and beyond. Watching the workshop has opened my eyes to how children with learning disabilities feel when the idea of being normal is forced upon all children and how some of the slightest things that I may even be doing in the classroom is perpetuating that diminishing behavior toward the student.

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This is awesome workshop that will benefit educators nation wide.  This workshop did a great job creating a hands on experience of what it is like to have a learning disability.  I learned a lot form this video, and it has defiantly helped critique my own teaching habits with the intent to improve my  communication skills with  learning disable students.

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This is awesome workshop that will benefit educators nation wide.  This workshop did a great job creating a hands on experience of what it is like to have a learning disability.  I learned a lot form this video, and it has defiantly helped critique my own teaching habits with the intent to improve my  communication skills with  learning disable students.

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I took a class in graduate school where the teacher taught the class by randomly calling on students and asking them a series of questions until he reached the end of their knowledge base and then would continue asking questions they could not answer growing more and more frustrated with each question.  This caused a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear going to his class.   I studied as much as possible for that class so in a way it was effective and motivating.  It was such an unpleasant environment I have made a concentrated effort to never recreate that environment with my students.  If a student isn't paying attention I have found different ways to redirect them without calling on them to answer a question I know they are not currently capable of answering.   

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I took a class in graduate school where the teacher taught the class by randomly calling on students and asking them a series of questions until he reached the end of their knowledge base and then would continue asking questions they could not answer growing more and more frustrated with each question.  This caused a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear going to his class.   I studied as much as possible for that class so in a way it was effective and motivating.  It was such an unpleasant environment I have made a concentrated effort to never recreate that environment with my students.  If a student isn't paying attention I have found different ways to redirect them without calling on them to answer a question I know they are not currently capable of answering.   

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When I was in 9th and 11th grade, I had the hardest time in math. Algebra I & II were so difficult for me and it took me so much extra time to get the concepts. Everyone else in the class seemed to catch on quickly. While I was still writing notes, the class was already working through examples. I tried to keep up but still ended up having to stay after school to get extra help. I was often the ONLY student in afterschool tutorial and I felt so dumb. I needed the extra one-on-one time to break things down slowly and without rushing to keep up with anyone. I hated feeling different. Once I got into trouble for cheating on an Algebra II test because I felt so helpless in the class and was afraid to ask my teacher. I just didn't get it the way she was explaining it. It took other students explaining things to me to finally get to where I needed to be. That was when I learned that I thought about math differently than the way it was being taught to me, but that the way I did it still got me the right answers! I had to be kind to myself and accept that I just needed extra time, so I would go home and start on my math work first and even if it took all night, I did the work until it was right. I could do my work in all the other subjects in 5 minutes, so I focused all my energy on Algebra. Because of that difficulty, I am really good at explaining math to students because I learned to break it down for myself and explain it in different ways.

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I recall as a 2nd grade student having a teacher who insisted that I had problems with reading and comprehension. My parents set up a conference to inquire about my reading issues and what could be done to fix the problem. My mother told me that she didn't bring any work or data points as evidence, she had a nasty attitude, and could not offer any reason as to why I couldn't read. Furthermore, she didn't offer any strategies to help me further along. She would just tower over me and smile. No differentiation, no remediation, just whole class instruction and whatever grade I received, I deserved in her eyes. To this day, we all think it was personal and had nothing to do with my abilities. The next year, I received an A in reading. That was an extremely frustrating year and could've damaged my self esteem. Luckily, I had parents that helped me push thru.

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First, this has made me realize how many of the students I have encountered in similar situations who may be LD.  Some not diagnosed and even some children that have an IEP.  This was so enlightening, to be able to visualize what is going on with a student who is struggling, or not participating or putting forth an effort out of fear of struggling in front of peers.  I also think about how a student’s behavior may have been affected in a class prior to mine, or even days before.  I reflect on times where a student who struggles themselves may have called out or picked on a student who struggles as well, and it being their way of exposing that they don’t struggle alone.  Makes me look at habits of myself and colleagues that can be corrected in order to truly help our students! Very enlightened!!

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When I was in school, I had a harder time with comprehension, especially as I got older and texts became more complex. I noticed that it was harder for me to hide that it took me longer to process what I was reading. Now, having received an ADHD diagnosis as an adult (it happens with many women), I understand why is was so hard for me to focus. This has given me some insight and understanding to how many of my students feel and know how some accommodations could have helped me in school. Sometimes in the co-taught classroom this past year, I would have students say something "wasn't fair" when I would give an accommodation to another student. One day I tried the band-aid lesson where every student got an imaginary injury. The first student said it was on her knee, so I placed the band-aid there. Then would proceed to ask each student where their injury was, but proceeded to put the band-aids on their knees regardless of what they said. This really helped them understand why equity is so important and why teachers work to give each student what they need to learn rather than teach them all the same way.

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I had to participate in a meeting with a parent of a student who was showing signs of challenges when reading. The team of teachers decided that he could possibly have dyslexia and wanted to meet with his mother to work together to get him diagnosed and the proper help, The mother only heard or chose to understand "he can't read" when in actuality he could, it just took time for him to make out his words because of his disability. The mom was very belittling in the meeting, called the child names and even wanted him to spell words, because she did not understand his disability. Understanding a disability is the first step in being able to help someone or yourself with the challenges that are faced and the video is a great example of that.

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How difficult can this be (Reginald Gee)

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How difficult can this be (Reginald Gee)

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Richard Lavoie, the director made mention that six to ten percent of the children in the United States suffer from a learning disability equating to hundreds of thousands of kids who are affected. When you hear those numbers alone, it is very alarming because we know that there is a lot of kids who are not diagnosed or misdiagnosed due to whatever reason. His explanation of the definition of exclusion how we determine who those are that are suffering from a learning disability.

What I really liked is how he showed that the teacher’s action and acceptance can set the tone of how the class will be operated. Either the kids will fall in line with the I don’t know or give valuable information based on the questions. He is also recognizing body language in the room to gauge what mood and atmosphere recognizing anxiety while understanding that the pace of the class plays a crucial role in driving anxiety levels because of the processing factor is longer for learning disability kids.

I find this information extremely helpful explaining how the LD kid can’t focus anything out so while we are asking specifics this kid is seeing the full spectrum.  This information allows us to make a determination of how we handle this to keep them focus on the task at hand and this gives them confidence to want to volunteer.

He was showing during visual perception how it is not motivation or promise of prize but it is about giving the information that will allow them to understand and process the information. We must take the extra time to ensure that they received the proper tools that will help with processing information. The technique of understanding that comprehension has a lot to do with background instead of vocabulary.

In conclusion as I listen to this video, I was extremely impressed with the information that Richard Lavoie relayed to the audience.  This information opened my eyes on how to recognize different signs to identify the road bumps with teaching and interacting with LD kids. His explanations on how to utilize multiple techniques to ensure we are giving the LD kids the best opportunity of success but also having a positive interaction so that they remain positive and build confidence for future success.

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I have a sister who is two years younger than I am. She started reading around four years old, while I struggled to read well into 3rd grade. I remember the lack of confidence this caused me and how panicked I would feel when my elementary school class would make our weekly trip to the library. Eventually, it was determined that I had a vision problem and once I got glasses, my reading problems were resolved. However, having this late start left me a slower reader than others around me and feeling "slow" was part of my own identity as a student until well into my college career. I always start the year by telling my students if they hate to read and don't feel like a good reader, they might destined to become a reading teacher! I'm thankful for my struggles because now I can use these experiences to empathize with and connect with my tier 2 and 3 middle school reading students.

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Anxiety when students have to present in front of the class in Spanish  (Laura Sanchez)

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Anxiety when students have to present in front of the class in Spanish  (Laura Sanchez)

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I have many students that show a lot of anxiety when they need to speak or present in front of the class. Some of them even prefer to be absent that day in class.
Same thing when they have to read aloud in Spanish. I always try to motivate them, because everyone is learning and it is OK to make mistakes. But I understand also that is hard to deal with comments from peers or sometimes the way other students see them.
This video was amazing to show how important is "to educate those who don't have a learning disability"

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That was such a powerful documentary. They did such a great job showing how children with learning disabilities see things. It really opened my eyes to all of the mistakes we make in society when it comes to children with learning disabilities. I am very happy that i watched this and will definitely remember this in the classroom from now on.

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As a freshmen in college, I remember taking a public speaking course.  I was terrified at the thought of public speaking as I was an introvert.  I would dread going to class but knew I had to take it in order to graduate.  The anxiety would get me every time I stepped into class because I just didn't know when I was going to be called upon to get up in front of the class to speak.  I knew that at some point, I would have to give a speech.  I gave the speech, but in my mind, failed terribly.  After it was said and done, the instructor commended me on my speech which boosted my confidence.
Now as a teacher, I know what the students are going through, when it comes to giving their speech, especially the LD students. I know that I have to create an environment that will make them feel more confident, especially when not be able to read at the same level as their classmates. I have to figure out an approach that would be most advantageous to their learning.

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When I was in college, I felt the most defeated and couldn't understand in Microbiology class. It was definitely a challenging class, but I was able to keep up and do well in class lectures. But whenever it came to taking a quiz and exam, I would fail hard. In this class, there was only 3 grades. 1 quiz, 1 midterm, and 1 final. Knowing how much percentage each assessment was, I would freak out when I took the assessments. Once I had a mild panic attack. I got myself together and I just had to leave in the middle of the exam. I ended up dropping the course and found alternative courses available, psychology. It turned out that psychology was very interesting and excelled in, I almost double majored in psychology, but just stopped at minoring level.

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When I was a student I recall never wanting to be called on during a popcorn read or anytime for that matter. I was always anxious as the teacher was calling student after student. I knew I could not read but it seemed adults and everyone else did not know. I cheated on all AR reading quizzes and during reading time I would pretend to read.

Finally, a teacher in 6th grade noticed I could not read(determined had a 3rd reading level). She simply placed me in an after school program for a year that taught me how to read. By 7th grade I was able to read my first big novel alone. For years, I failed classes heard my parents talk of the school holding me back a grade, etc. Yet, no one ever stopped and assessed me and then accommodated or differentiated my work. After a year of a reading program and the addition of glasses, I went from a failing student to an academic scholar. As a teacher, I use my experience to ensure I assess all of my students skills. Then I assist them with any deficits I notice and accommodate as much as possible. I call home often and I have one on one check ins. I learned from my experience how discouraging it is to be in a room and feel you are the only one behind. I learned how debilitating it feels to not understand why you are not like everyone else. Therefore, I tell my story to my students. I also show my real true struggles currently. I still struggle with spelling mainly and sometimes comprehension. I teach my students skills to support them and I also provide multiple methods of completing certain assignments to meet all my students strengths. Also, I demonstrate the skills I use to improve my comprehension such as reading aloud, pausing, re-reading etc. I found that students often labeled as behavior issues or failing in other classes, wont have the same issues in my course. Students and administrators always tell me how students enjoy HOW i teach and they actually feel like they learn. I know this is due to how I scaffold and attend to them because of my own experiences.

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In my first year of teaching, i was co-teaching with a co-worker. We had a student that refused to read in large group as well as small group. Anytime that it was time to read he would flip out. We didn't know what to do and didn't understand the issue. I spoke with my co-teacher and she said lets just forget it and move on with the other students. I didn't agree with her idea because how can I be a teacher and ignore the fact that a child is acting out and impeding his learning, but I didn't want to upset anyone because it was my first year teaching. I never spoke up but later I found out the little boy was dyslexic. I felt so bad and now I always speak up when I feel something will impact the students in a negative way.

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In college I took an Elementary Art course-  we made paper projects and used potatoes to make stamps.  It should have been a breeze, but I was reduced to tears each time we had an art project due.  I was so worried that my project would look terrible or not be as good as everyone else's.  I literally cried over crayons and construction paper.  Ironically, I love being creative- making collages, doodling, etc.  As a teacher, I can empathize when I see a student tear up because they feel like they cannot do the work.  I especially see this in boys who struggle with written expression- it is so difficult for them, or they put pressure on themselves, or they feel so defeated, they begin to cry.  My experience reminds me that what may seem easy to one person can induce anxiety and worry in another person, and it is my job to help the student find a way to build confidence, work step by step, and push through the tough assignments.