Learning out side the lines and What the scilenced say

Growing up as a student labeled Learning Disabled (LD) since k-5Th. I really related to Jonathan Mooney the author of Learning outside the lines and the speaker in the video What the silenced have to say. Reflecting on his experiences growing up he sheds light on how the education system we have in place today effects our students.

Growing up Jonathan was labeled ld, adhd and dyslexic. He had troubles all through school teachers telling him he was broken, not understanding his learning style and he was often told he was stupid. At one point in his life a High school guidance counselor told him he would be flipping burgers the rest of his life. Although he did have a few saving graces one was his mom who advocated for him in and out of school. In 6Th grade Mooney dropped out of school for a year and had plans to commit suicide. Although his father had often fought with the feeling that his son was a failure he also turned out to be one of his saving graces. At a world cup baseball game one night his father told him son I love you no matter how good you do in school and the next year Mooney went back to school. One of the most important people in Mooney's life was his 4Th grade teacher who helped him become interested in learning and told Mooney to do what he loved (story telling). The story ends with Mooney graduating at the top of his class with a degree in English Lit from Brown University. Yes it is success story.

Some of the things I read in this book I immediately related to others broke my heart. The fact that a guidance counselor would ever tell a student that they are not smart enough for school, to tell them to quit and to flip burgers for a living made tears roll down my cheeks. I find it unacceptable that these children are slowly slipping through the cracks. and why? All because they learn differently. Mooney doesn't only criticize the schools but he offers important advice and tools we can all use to help these students or to help yourself. I think the most important things are to advocate for them and to let them know that grades do not define who they are. Attending a school like Cherry Creek so much pressure is put on the students to perform well. I will tell you every math class I took at Creek sucked and when most kids got angry if they received a C in that class I was happy to even get that. I think the pressure on kids these days is ridiculous and then you add standardize testing to the mix (you don't even want to hear my rant on that).

If you are struggling student, a parent of one or a teacher I recommend the movie or the book. You can most likely find these at your local library. I did! Or if you have any stories or thoughts post them here!


Hoping,
Dre Dre

Websites:
http://www.jonathanmooney.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbBLYHyR7qg