Strengths vs. Drugs & Alcohol

Nelson Vee struggles to understand his LD. Instead of being taught about his learning disabilities as a child, his family chose to ignore his problems. Once the obvious problem of stuttering was resolved, his parents were able to ignore the remaining auditory perception problems and possible* dyslexia. Nelson describes how he was often only “dealt with in the disaster mode time and time again.” Instead of consistently providing supports needed throughout his academic life, no supports were offered until he was in crisis.

Nelson writes, “Looking back on it, being heard and being seen was what I longed for.” He was not receiving support at school, and his parents did not respond to his needs. In fact, it seemed easier for them to just ignore him. To cope with his pain, Nelson turned to drugs and alcohol. He receives a bit of hope when he is “offered choice, the one thing that had eluded [him] all [his] years.” Nelson was not seen by important people in his life, and he was not respected or considered enough to be offered choices - he was simply told what to do, which made him feel helpless and out of control.

As a teacher, I may have opportunities to be an advocate for students who are not receiving the help they need. I have personally encountered a high school student with dyslexia whose mother knows he has it, but refuses services because she does not want her son “labeled.” The student described his struggles with English class in particular. I think it will not be uncommon to encounter students in need of help who are not “officially” receiving it for one reason or another. I would like to be a teacher that is sensitive to the needs of these students, who can respond with support whether it is a requirement of an IEP or not.

I also think building relationships with my students will be very important. In my role as a substitute, I regularly encounter students who appear to be high at school. I can’t presume to know why they make this choice, but it would imply there are certainly issues of some type in the student’s life. I hope to build trusting relationships with students that will help them feel comfortable in my classroom, where they may want to make some kind of effort, and where I hope they may let me find a way to help them in their learning.

Nelson writes that “Competition was so much a part of my learning experience. It was like a food chain kind of thing. Kill or be killed.” His view of competition was very opposite of Michael, who thrived on competition. Not all students are motivated by competition, and some may even be deterred by it. Since Michael had much more support from his family and teachers, he was able to embrace correction and competition.

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Michael is a very resilient person. Michael writes, “I continually face my weaknesses and rely upon my strengths to obtain the best education possible.” There are several important aspects in his statement. First, Michael was taught to face his weaknesses. Along the way, Michael faces failures in debate competitions, but is offered words of encouragement from teachers and his parents who encourage his growth. Michael is taught that failure is an opportunity for growth and improvement. Secondly, Michael is aware of his strengths. He learns early on that he is a strong communicator, and that with effort he can excel. His ability to see strengths in himself gives him a positive outlook to deal with challenges. Third, Michael is an advocate for himself. He is personally engaged in getting the “best education possible.” This is in sharp contrast to Nelson, who was never taught about his strengths/weaknesses, and instead of advocating for himself, found himself at the mercy of everyone around him.

Michael’s family was very supportive of him, and played a pivotal role in his academic and moral character. There will be some students in my classes with similar families, and others with difficult family situations. Comparing Michael’s and Nelson’s families certainly indicates stereotypes have no place in determining the support students receive at home or school.

One of my favorite sayings is, “Don’t compare the inside of your family to the outside of other’s.” As a teacher, I hope to be non-judgmental about the family situations students come from. Communication between me and parents/guardians will be important, and I plan to regularly communicate positively with families. I want to create a team with parents to support their student’s learning.

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Originally posted in Canvas Discussion Board 4/7/2023