Learning is not a hard science. There is no single formula that can be applied to all learners to achieve the desired learning outcome.Furthermore, each learner is unique and so is the facilitator of the learning process and as a consequence the learning process should be unique to an individual learner. That complicates the learning process in a school setup where the availability of qualified and passionate facilitators of learning are scarce, to allow a 1:1 ratio. Hence an individualized education programme will then be tailored made for the so called special cases only. Unfortunately this contradicts the assumption that we are all unique and we all need individualized education. In most cases we target the marginalized minority on the negative side i.e. those who have poor handwritings, get all sums wrong, the easily agitated, those who have many spelling errors etc. What about those who are excellent as per our standards? How do we ensure they exploit their potential to the fullest? What about the normal student? are they just normal or conformist, or have they mastered what the society want and follow what the society advocates to be the right standards? Despite the fact we all complain of a poor education system that cannot address the societal challenges, not forgetting we are part of the system.
Reflection on what kind of learners i have and what kind of teacher i am, can have great benefits. Analysing critical incidences in and out of our classrooms can help discover the uniqueness in each one of us. Of course reflection per se can be hard and bias. The assumption is, if you are highly exposed to the right knowledge, skills and attitudes, you can be in a better position to utilize these abilities - reflecting and CIA, to their fullest.
This post welcomes replies on what potential you discovered, what insights you had, when you reflected on your IEP and took whatever steps you undertook. Sharing of experiences can be beneficial to any reflective individual.
