Journal 5: Difference and Diagnosis

I'm still thinking about the Ted talk we saw in class. The ideas of pit crew and diagnosis really resonated with me. There are so many applications! I think what stood out was the diagnosis bit where the same way doctors try to see if their patients had anything they knew how to treat, is kind of what teachers try to do by labeling. Sometimes these labels help them identify problems like “slow math learner” but other times these labels are used to blame a child’s ability on a medical condition like ADD. I guess if they can pinpoint that a condition is the cause of the failure then the teacher is no longer responsible. Or perhaps it just helps them target the difference and change it until its normal. This is also a way to get more resources to the student. I cannot remember the reading but in my Critical Issues class we read that diagnosing a student with a condition or disability or other learning problem is the best chance the student has to getting resources and aid allocated to them, otherwise there is not much that can be done. This is tragically sad, and a good place for a pit crew. With a pit crew, more resources can go to the student in need, and every student. Perhaps instead of trying to “diagnose” our students we should embrace their differences. Sure, sometimes their differences might make life more difficult for the teacher, but I’ve found that the best rewards are often a result of engaging with difference. We shouldn’t try to assimilate differences and absorb them; we should embrace them and learn.