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Edublog AwardsJul
3
Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome better
Filed Under "At-risk" students, Special Education | Leave a Comment
I think this first person account of what life is like when you have Asperger’s Syndrome is one of the best I’ve seen because it reminds me
- that it’s OK to be different
- there is a positive side to having Asperger’s
- you can use your strengths to be successful
- teachers can really help stop the bullying
I really like the optimistic tone. The glass is not half empty. Thanks to @teromkotero for the link via Twitter
Jul
2
Why do some students succeed despite their personal circumstances?
Filed Under Goals, motivating students | 10 Comments
Use your strengths to help you succeed. That’s the advice I give my students when we’re talking about their future once they finish school. I let them define what success is, and then we explore ways they can achieve that success. My students have many strengths. Unfortunately, many of these strengths aren’t appreciated by the school system. To give these kids hope, I tell them about all sorts of people who struggled through school or even dropped out and went on to be successful people. Some of my students who are extremely bright and could do well in school don’t because their personal circumstances aren’t conducive to success in school. They lose heart and give up. When I read about Khadijah Williams I was blown away. What is it about Khadijah that allowed her to rise above her personal circumstances and end up getting a full scholarship to Harvard? What is it that enabled her to be so successful while others in similar circumstances are not? There are many bright kids who could earn scholarships but don’t. Who or what is making that difference?
Here’s a brief summary of Khadijah’s personal circumstances.
Williams was born to a 14-year-old mother who was estranged from her family. While Williams was growing up, her mother led her and her sister Jeanine through a series of homeless shelters around California, never staying long in any one location. Sometimes, they would have to dig through dumpsters for food, and spend their nights on the filthy streets.
Because the family moved around so frequently, Williams never had the chance to stay at one school for long. Over the course of 12 years, she attended 12 different schools, often leaving in the middle of a term when a homeless shelter shut down or refused to accommodate the family. But as early as third grade, when Williams placed in the top percentile on a state exam, she realized that she had a gift. Her brain would be her ticket out of the slums, and she didn’t want to squander the opportunity.
In fact, Khadijah has decided to mentor other students
I think about how I can convince my peers about the value of education, … I have found that after all the teasing, these peers start to respect me . . . . I decided that I could be the one to uplift my peers . . . . My work is far reaching and never finished.
Why didn’t Khadijah loose heart and give up? Why did she find ways to help herself be successful and now want to help others? Why?
photo by aloshbennett
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