Do most educators genuinely attempt to "meet the students where they are at?"

As soon as I started reading this article, I became intrigued by some of the author's insight. There were several things that I could have written about, but this area of discussion really caused me to think. The author states that "the first goal [of an educator] is *of course* to meet the students where they are at, and then begin to raise them to the level of understanding......." I put stars around the words 'of course' because it implies that this statement is in a sense a "no brainer." Could he possibly be surprised that some educators would not do this? I firmly believe that most educators do not do this. I couldn't tell you how many classes I have sat in on the first day, and immediately realized that the professor *assumed* he knew at what level the students were functioning. I haven't been able to decide if the educator doesn't care to know what level his students are at, or if the real problem is that he has never really considered the issue. I think I could probably find instances of both. From my experience, "meeting students where *THEY* are at," (and not where the educator is at) is a foreign idea. I think that is why half of the time you have a classroom full of students who have blank stares on their faces. The educators probably haven't met them where they are at, but have met them where they assume they are at. In my life, I have realized that assumption is a very, very dangerous thing. I have put myself in more than one "loaded" situation due to my misinformed assumptions. And likewise, I think it is dangerous for educators to use assumptions while attempting to educate a student. Now I am sure we can take this prompt right into the time issue......Most would probably say that they don't have time to do this or that to ensure that they meet their students. But isn't it a critical part? If learning is truly based upon building blocks, aren't educators skipping over the crucial building blocks by possibly meeting the students at a level higher than where they should be? I remember when the first day I went to my SOCIOLOGY 200 class. Our professor gave us a "test' to take. At the time, I thought it was probably the most stupid thing I had ever seen. But looking back in retrospect, those tests gave her valuable insight as to where her students were at in the subject. Using that information, she could then do what so often is not done........."meet the students where they are at." Maybe more educators should consider giving "tests" on the first day. It might be one of the simplest ways to accomplish what seems like such an arduous task. I just don't see how educators can underestimate finding out such valuable information about the students that they are being paid to teach.

*I also think it is interesting to note that we could probably argue that the problem reaches back in time to grade school, high school, etc. We could point the blame to the educators who taught us during the time when we were most susceptible to learning. But at this juncture, blameshifting doesn't solve the problem. Just because our high school teachers may be at fault for not teaching us enough, doesn't give an excuse for college educators to overlook the problem at hand. The reality is that some college educators are teaching a classful of students who are missing the crucial building blocks for that specific discipline. How can students learn without a foundation?

I didn't jump right into this assignment...I tried to stop and think about all of the things that I have learned since the very beginning. I remember learning to ride my bike, learning to read, learning to add, subtract,divide, etc, and the list could go on. I also know that at some time in every one of my learning experiences, I came to a point of utter frustration. A point at which I had made the decision that I didn't want to go on learning because I couldn't do it. Now I look back on those times and think "Wow, that sounds silly....some of those things were so easy." But yet I know that I still come to that point even as a college student. I look at something head on and think that there is no way that I will ever be able to learn it. I think that my disconnections in learning (especially in college) come in when I am sitting under a professor who only lectures, and in a monotone voice at that. As my VARK inventory indicated, I am a multimodal learner. I can't sit under lecture day after day and learn to my full potential. I need to incorporate all 4 modalities to be able to learn at my full potential. So if a professor gives his monotone lecture day after day, at some point during the semester I am going to hit that point of frustration. I will have no desire to keep learning because there is no incentive. I know full well that classes aren't meant to be fun and games, but there is a healthy way to make learning enjoyable. The best school year of my life was 5th grade. Mr. Weber was probably the best teacher that I have ever had. I have never met another teacher who had such a desire for teaching. He truly made learning fun....no, our class wasn't a joke, he just utilized different methods to ensure that learning took place on a daily basis.

I can also remember the excitement that I encountered as a result of learning. But it is interesting to me that most of the excitement I gained from learning came as a result of passing the initial point of frustration. I can't really recall a time when I skipped the frustration part and went directly into excitement. I think that is what made it so much more exciting....I had almost given up, and then something *clicked*. What a sweet feeling. If I had never experienced the frustration, the excitement wouldn't have been nearly as meaningful in my life. So in a way, I am thankful for those points of frustration because they always lead me into a point of learning. I could think of several examples from Audiology class last semester. Frustration came not once, not twice, but about 500 times, but those learning points came and it was nothing less than exhilarating. Oh, and something else I should add. Those frustration points in my life contain 2 choices.....I can either give it up and quit learning, or I can push myself to those learning points. It really is an amazing process when I think about it. It's neat to see how frustration can lead to exhilaration.

Unfortunately, I cannot go back through the years and pinpoint a specific day and time in which I decided to major in Communication Disorders. I think my decision was based on a cumulation of ideas that I had. First of all, I always knew that I wanted to have a career that revolved around helping people, specifically children. I can remember growing up in my church and having people "predict" what I would be when I grew up. Not surprisingly, nobody predicted correctly. (Actually, I have been amazed at how few people actually knew what a Speech Pathologist does) Some thought I would be a nurse, some thought I would own my own daycare, some thought I would be a teacher, and the list could go on........ I knew from the start that owing my own daycare wasn't exactly what I was looking to achieve in my life, although I guess if I have kids one day it will be like having my own daycare! I didn't want to be a teacher because I honestly didn't like the thought of spending my days in a cramped room with 20 screaming kids! I do value some sanity in my life. Yet I knew that there must be something out there that would be a perfect fit.

Around my Jr. and Sr. year, I began to hear more about speech pathologists. I remember mentioning something about the profession to my mom, and she told me that my neighbor was a Speech Pathologist. Being a graduate of the CD program at Marshall, I decided to ask her for some first hand advice. She was very helpful and very informative, and she wholeheartedly encouraged me to pursue a degree in CD. To me it seemed a great fit. I could work in a wide variety of settings with a wide variety of people, not to mention the fact that it would be a very rewarding profession. I wanted a career in which I could go home at the end of the day and KNOW that I had made a difference in someone's life.

Overall, I think that my neighbor was very influential in helping me to make my decision. She loves her work, and I want to experience that one day for myself. I still seek out her advice every semester because she had many of the same professors that we have. Sometimes you just need a little encouragement from someone who has already been victorious over something that seems so insurmountable.

I think that I have chosen a great profession, but I must admit that I have always had a 'burning' desire to go to Medical School. I just always knew that I had a lack of stamina, which is a pre-requisite for Med School. Sometimes I wonder if I will be one of those crazy people you hear about who go back to school to get another degree................ I don't believe that I sold myself short in any way by becoming a speech pathologist, but going to Medical School is still a dream that hasn't died yet. Who knows? I could be multi-talented! Seriously though, I am excited to see how my life progresses throughout the next few years!