How Individualized Learning Saved Me

Martin Luther King Jr. once said about education that “the function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.”  This rings true to me on many different levels. I am a strong advocate for an individualized approach to education due to my past experiences with educators who applied this concept. I personally reaped the benefits of having an individualized approach when I entered the second grade. My educator, Mrs. Hann, gave me one on one education in order to help me out of the rut that I was in, due to my living conditions at the time. She helped to shape the type of teacher and person I want to be. Without her attention and help, I likely would have suffered and fell behind during my early years of education. In this essay, I will detail how Mrs. Hann helped me by creating an individualized approach to the curriculum, helping me not only academically, but as well as personally.

During the early years of my education, I was moved around a lot, and thus attended seven different schools by the time I was in second grade. Due to this, when I entered second grade, I was quite behind my peers academically, and struggled to get caught up. It proved to stifle my growth personally as well, as there was always a blatant difference between what I understood, and what my peers spoke about when discussing schoolwork. Being out of school for that first year, created a significant obstacle to overcome. My teacher at the time, Mrs. Hann, managed to spot this deficiency, and took to help me overcome it. With Mrs. Hann’s help, I managed to slowly get caught up academically. Instead of assigning general work for me to improve, she would target certain areas that I suffered on, followed by work that I knew I was well at. This method worked for me because it gave me a chance to improve my flaws, as well as to demonstrate where I shined. This link provides some perspective on how academic success also impacts teachers.  Looking back, a quote by Robert M. Hutchkins really exemplifies what this did for me. He said “the object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” Mrs. Hann did just that for me, she allowed me to see progress in myself, and see how easy and motivating it was to learn. In addition to helping me academically, she also provided a place for my to feel safe. It allowed me to trust her and view her as a friend, which was much needed at the time. This in turn led to me becoming more open in the classroom as well. It helped me to grow socially and become more integrated into the classroom. I went from being a shy and awkward student, to someone who actively participated in class, and looked forward to school.

Mrs. Hann’s individualized approach was successful due to the fact that she not only addressed my issues, but also provided me with an opportunity to build upon my strengths, which in turn created a schedule of work that was rewarding and allowed me to personally see myself working over my obstacles. Mrs. Hann is the teacher I strive to become. Even though I had an individual experience with her, she also did the same with my peers. I witnessed her apply different approaches for different students. Our class was not only thriving academically, but we were also a close group of students that flourished socially as well. I believe that this was all due to Mrs. Hann’s approach to the curriculum. She created an environment where we all succeeded and had a place where we felt we belonged. Many of us witnessed the benefits of having one on one time with Mrs. Hann. I personally looked forward to it, because of the reward and praise that was associated with succeeding in our class both as a person and as a student. I hope that I can create an environment for my students where they don’t feel judged for their problems, and are motivated to grow and see the results.

It is due to my personal experiences with my second grade teacher that I am such a strong advocate for an individualized approach. I grew more as a student with her approach than I have in any other grade following hers. I have also been subject to the mass teaching style that is evident throughout middle school. That style of teaching left me in a place where I was no longer looking forward to school. This was due to the way my education worked at the time. In order for me to get good grades, all I had to do was regurgitate the information on a test, and I was successful. It was no longer challenging me academically, and I did not feel rewarded for my work. Albert Einstein said it best “the only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.” I felt hindered by the style of teaching and learning that was mandated at the time. My work and education were no longer unique for me, and instead was simply churned out in order to make it through the repetitive teachings that made up middle school. When we were given more free reign of our education in high school is when I was able to bring back the method of learning that was taught to my in my early years. I succeeded during high school almost entirely due to this.

An individualized approach provides many benefits, which are centered on the learning style that works best for each student. By applying an individualized approach to the curriculum, the teacher not only addresses the underlying issues behind a student’s academic troubles, but also creates an atmosphere in which the student is more likely to develop a positive bond between student and teacher. Here is a link that shows a teacher positively influencing her class. This allows students more motivation to progress and look forward to their education. I believe that adopting this style of teaching will allow me to succeed as a teacher and help to pay forward the good habits that Mrs. Hann instilled in me.