They smiled. Obviously, Emma had a system in place which helped her reach in all the right areas. She had an excellent start to the year.
Our parent-teacher evening was just before the first half, but
There was a lot to say about Emma. She was a child who was going to go to places, especially if she maintained this kind of dedication and commitment to her studies. I really couldn’t think of one thing … except … maybe … she was a little silent in class. She seemed incredibly shy at the idea of speaking and could be a little worried about feedback that was not absolutely positive. I was wondering if they had ideas to explain why Emma reacted like that. Her work has always been meticulously done, so she really had nothing to fear with her academic success. All feedback was minor and, in addition, no one was perfect, after all. But Emma could often seem deflated, taking all the corrections to heart.
“Well …” Emma’s caregivers looked at each other for a second. “She can be a little silent, it’s true … But at home, she is so talkative!” She is very creative and likes to write. We have noticed that she does not like to be corrected … “
They took a break before continuing. “It can sometimes be sensitive, but we are not worried. Girls are sometimes like that. “
I hosted my head and I raised my shoulders. It was not problems, just small things that I had noticed so far in a short time with her. Perhaps Emma needed time to get used to the rhythm of the class or get used to me to be his teacher. After all, I was one of the few black teachers working on staff. Teachers are not the only ones who come to school with beliefs and expectations that influence the ways they act and interpret the actions of others; Students do it too. It would not be strange to assume that Emma needed a little more time to feel comfortable with me. I might have been the first black teacher she had.
Meet Emma:
- 9 years old
- European ancestry, white white
- Identifies as a girl
- The language of teaching
- Shy, kind, sensitive
- Likes: writing stories, reading, social studies, music
- Hate: talk to the classroom
- Future aspirations: author
- Building best for: great academic success, impeccable class behavior
- Learning challenges: None currently known
- Additional information: Meticle in the execution of tasks
I would never have considered Emma as something as the next kid on my list of parent-teaching meetings.
Henry was not the type to cause problems in class. He was a very friendly student who usually did his job in time too. But when he was finally going to start, he managed to complete the strict minimum required and rarely anything. Henry participated in class discussions when he was interested in our subject. There was no way to provide an answer or a thought without being sure of your accuracy. You would see Henry speak more often in small groups and share his work with a partner, speaking if it had to. Sometimes he would take a little more time to express his understanding than expected. Sometimes he could not quite organize his ideas on what he meant, which would sometimes make very confusing shares, but I did not know if he had recognized this in himself.
Henry’s parents climbed by expressing their concerns.
“Henry has so much potential,” they exclaimed, “if only he stopped getting lost in detail and doing it!” I smiled and nodded knowingly. It looked a lot like the Henry that I had met only a few months earlier. He would just lose track of the situation as a whole and found himself stuck in an area of work that had seduced him rather than just getting things done.
“We know he is able to do great things,” they said. “He is so creative and a problem of problems so shiny. He just needs to show this side of himself more often! ”
The conversation continued by sharing their concerns concerning Henry having moments when he would be lost in his thoughts. I knew what they were talking about. I would frequently catch it to derive into space in the middle of class education. He always replied when I called him and he rarely interrupted others, but several times you have the feeling that he was lucky to find the appropriate answer.
Henry’s parents deplored that he needed frequent reminders to start his duties for fear that he will look at the wall and lose track of the time. He was often resistant to the end of homework, but without reminders, he was questionable if it was done at all. He was just not motivated enough. They shared that they understood that the boys were not concerned about cleanliness in their work as much as girls and they could accept it. But the problem came with what they saw as his inconsistent efforts to do their best. They thought Henry just needed to “complete a little more and try it harder”. After all, “he could do much more if it was just put in mind.” At the start, I was inclined to agree. Henry certainly had intelligence and skills to be a more prosperous student. Sometimes there seemed to be a disconnection between what he seemed capable and what he really produced.
Meet Henry:
- 9 years old,
- White and European ancestry, brown hair
- Identifies as a boy
- The language of teaching
- Calm, insightful, creative
- Loves: Reading, Mathematics, Art
- Hate: write stories
- Future aspirations: architect or engineer
- Best known for: a good academic success and a behavior in class
- Learning challenges: None currently known
- Additional information: may appear “not motivated”
Henry has shown more than one sporadic effort with his studies, which resulted in good results inconsistent with sometimes incredible results. Emma went regularly to do her best, but Henry acted as if her efforts were determined by whether he wanted to do the work or not. In reality, it was the most distant thing from the truth. Emma and Henry faced several of the same learning challenges, but they manifested themselves slightly differently. Their sexes played an important factor in the way their behavior was interpreted, determining what was expected of them and the type of support, if necessary, which was suggested. Labels influenced by behavioral expectations of gender binary can quickly transform the presentations of ADHD into descriptors of the personality of a child. This creates current diagnostic problems where many children with ADHD are not recognized because they are supposed to act or act of character with their sex attributed to birth and are therefore blamed and / or ashamed for their difficulties in school because of this.
