Discussion on the Video, “Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice for Teachers from Students with Autism”

 

Discussion on the Video, “Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice for Teachers from Students with Autism”

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

The students with learning disabilities are those who have brain-based disorders that result in having average intelligence although they are as smart as their peers (Reader, 2020). Such students experience difficulty in understanding the concept of written or spoken language and acquiring some basic skills (Council for Exceptional Children, 2022). Some of the common learning disabilities that we see in students are poor memory, problems in reading and writing, difficulty in saying words, trouble paying attention in the classroom or following directions, problems in staying organized or completing tasks on time, or difficulty expressing the thoughts (NICHD, n.d.). Such disabilities affect the psychological process of students, as evident in the video by Brainhighways (2015, August 28), “Dear teacher: Heartfelt advice for teachers from students.”

Which Aspect of the Video Impacted Me the Most?

After watching small kids with disabilities sharing their desire to learn but how they struggle with the different aspects of classroom teaching and learning and how they want their teacher to help them. The statement that impacted me from within is when a child said, “I know it may not always seem like it, but I really do want to listen and learn” (Brainhighways, 2015, August 28). It is understood that they try hard to learn in the classroom, but their disabilities appear as a barrier. The video insightfully impacted me a lot and forced me to reflect on my teaching. On the other stand, the way children in the video talked about how their brains work and the way they offered some steps to help them inspired me to a greater extent. When a child said, “It’s just my brain, it’s kind of different, so this is what I like you to know about me” (Brainhighways, 2015, August 28), I realized that our responsibility of getting to know every child in the classroom and addressing their needs is essential.  Most importantly, I realized that they have difficulty paying attention in the classroom and they feel sad when we order them to do something, although they keep on trying hard. In a nutshell, it is understood that children with autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, learning disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Central Auditory Processing Disorder find it difficult to get adjusted in any classroom with traditional practices (Accessologyblog, 2015).

Should this video be used with teachers of ‘diverse’ classrooms with disabilities or should it be used only with teachers that work with autistic students?

I strongly believe that this video should be used with teachers of diverse classrooms with students from the general population and students with disabilities, not only with teachers who work with autistic students. It is because, in any classroom, some other students with a disability other than autism might also be facing similar problems as expressed through the videos that are not noticed or recognized by the teacher. This video should be a kind of awareness to all the teachers around the world as it gives insight into the children that we teach in the classroom who are restless, less attentive, and never look at their teacher. It’s not that they are not paying attention in the classroom, but despite their disabilities, they continue working hard because they want their teachers to be proud (Starling, 2016). The video would help all teachers to be tolerant after understanding the minds of students from the video and help them connect with their students wherever necessary. For instance, a child says, “Let me get up and move while I’m learning. Let me look wherever I want when you talk to me. Let me rock or slouch in my chair. No matter what… please don’t take away my recess” (Brainhighways, 2015, August 28), which is the scenario we often see in the classroom and get offended. Finally, it contains all the directives that every teacher should keep in mind while handling any children for their betterment and learning. Thus, this video should be used with teachers of diverse classrooms with students from the general population and students with disabilities, not only with teachers who work with autistic students.

 

References

Accessologyblog. (2015). Heartfelt Advice for Teachers from Students with Disabilities. https://accessologyblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/30/heartfelt-advice-for-teachers-from-students-with-disabilities/

Brainhighways. (2015, August 28). Dear teacher: Heartfelt advice for teachers from students [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTMLzXzgB_s

Council for Exceptional Children. (2022). Learning Disabilities. https://exceptionalchildren.org/topics/learning-disabilities

NICHD. (n.d.). What are some signs of learning disabilities? https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/learning/conditioninfo/signs

Reader, M. (2020). Learning Disabilities: What Educators Need to Know. https://www.foothillsacademy.org/community/articles/ld-educators-need-to-know

Starling, J. (2016). Kids with Learning Disabilities make Heartfelt Requests of Teachers, What they Say is Beautiful! https://www.inspiremore.com/kids-with-learning-disabilities-make-heartfelt-requests-of-teachers/