How Are They Wired?

Let's just 'cut to the chase'.

First, the disclaimer.

What I say today, count on it, will be old news tomorrow.

That said, we can still learn something about ourselves and others that will give us a deeper understanding of how to communicate with one another with what we know today.

I''m going to try to give you a little glimmer of what I do to prepare myself to work with students, or simply those who want to talk.

I consider it a responsibility to be passionate about the individual.

Sometimes the 'fires' of the moment burn so hot that I have to back off and just get through it.

Then, while the glow - the residual fire - is still illuminating the memory of our time together, I have an opportunity to put the puzzle pieces together in quiet reflection.

I've learned to look deeper, beyond the fads of the day. Maybe that's why some of us seem to handle the 'fires' of life with apparent disconcert -

And yet, have a passion for life that is hard to keep up with.

We go the extra mile.

Unfortunately, sometimes the extra mile simply takes us down our own road and does nothing to draw us closer to those who matter most.

We think things should be a certain way, the house, the school, the church, the car, the garden...

But in the end, are we actually seeing the reality of the sphere we are in, or just the world we have created?

Let's take a quick look at how differently we are all wired.

In the 80's, it was a big thing to discuss the right brain and the left brain. Today, holding to that dates you. It is certainly a big part of the puzzle. But I have a philosophy that defines why the right or the left brain creates the type of thinking and interests that it does.

I have spent many hours trying to help people whose brains seem to be giving them trouble. I'm still in graduate school...I think I will always be in some sort of school but education should be the first step. Experience is another teacher.

I've worked with a stroke victim, a young mother who couldn't read, a college student with "ADHD", and a young boy, - undiagnosed - people with fear, rebellion, or just a brain that refuses to get past the short cirucuits, you name it. It didn't matter to me what the problem was, my philosophy was that we could fix all the problems with a few simple steps. At times, it was more than a 'few' extra steps, but in most cases, something positive came out of the exercise.

I must say, that despite what I do and the knowledge that I've acquired, I still, at times, find myself in a room waiting for the tape to go around so I will remember why I'm standing there with something in my hand.

That's normal - not early onset anything.

Thinking it is some sort of red flag will only exacerbate the anxiety or exhaustion or the reason why you are on autopilot.

I'd like to share some 'truths' I've seen in kids - in each of us. Recognizing them in yourself or others will give you some 'ah ha' moments when you are confronted with a cross-road as to how to handle confrontation and differences.

How are they - we- wired?

The first thing I do when deciding how I will teach a student is to ask them a very basic question. With a piece of paper and pen in hand, I ask them to tell me how to get to their house. In one minute the tale is told. I have all I need to know.

If they begin by writing...go to the end of the street and turn right, I know that this person needs to only know what they need for the moment and no more. If they draw a map, then they need to know where we are going with the lessons. What's the point? How to get there isn't a problem, they'll figure that out along the way. They simply want to know the intended destination.

I would teach the map (big picture) student totally differently than the sequential student.

Next I look at their dominant eye.

Why is that important?

If the student is a visual learner this will become a critical piece of knowledge.

I ask the student, old or young, to point to something in the distance. Maybe a picture on the wall. My verbal instructions are to cover the object as best you can with your finger without closing your eyes.

You will see two of the object but simply cover it the best you can.

At this point I've got their dominant hand and how well they are able to listen to verbal instructions.

Although this doesn't confirm whether a student is an auditory or visual learner, it does give a little glimmer as to where they are in their maturity level and educational experience.

I ask them to close their left eye but not move their finger.

Has the finger appeared to move off of the object? Now open both eyes again,

Close the right eye. Did the finger move?

Whichever eye covered the object on the wall is their dominant eye.

Just a part of the many layers to the wiring of the student.

If you are interested in learning more about how the layers of wiring influence teaching styles, please sign up for the monthly teacher's newsletter. It's free.