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The discussion this morning gives me an impression that I will be a different teacher when I get back to school in September. The way I am looking at it, I will not approach my students' behaviors the way I used to because now I know better that they may not see what I think they are seeing. Their brains or mine could be playing tricks on us as regards reception and interpretation of AMBIGOUS INFORMATION.

Imagine children with dyslexia but who have not been officially identified. Such students will be having a real hard time doing what I ask them to do in class because they see it all differently. Using the example of the optical illusion that I was using to teach my Sunday school class that the miracles of Jesus are real, one can safely say that what you see is not real. This is because the brain is actually making up its own informed guess using signals received by the cognitive unconscious.

With all said and done, won't this become a solid platform to make excuses for students who do not do what is expected of them in my class? If I ask students to do a page for homework and one comes in the next day and tells me he forgot or did not hear me, I probably will just let it slide now. Normally I would have him do it in place of recess and after 3 occurrences will call his parents as a form of punishment. Now I know better.

The other thing I am seriously considering is diffentiated instruction in my classroom. In view of the fact that everyone sees things differently, I have to make accommodations for every student as close to meeting their needs as possible.

It is going to be a whole new ball game in my class now.

Tola