All Articles Education Best Practices Changing our mindset about at-risk kids during the midyear stretch

Changing our mindset about at-risk kids during the midyear stretch

Taking a few minutes away from exasperation to read inspiring stories about challenging students can make all the difference, Michael Gaskell writes.

5 min read

Best PracticesEducationEducational LeadershipInsightsSpecial Education

Frustrated teen boy for article on perseverance with at-risk kids

(Sigrid Olsson via Getty Images)

I often begin conference presentations about at-risk children, those who face monumental obstacles, by sharing the true story of one child — a little boy identified at an early age as unlikely to succeed. The school psychologist evaluated this 9-year-old. Her “conclusive” report was alarming:

  • Ability in the below-average slow learner intelligence range
  • Depressed verbal scores 
  • Significantly depressed on social awareness and interactions 
  • Shows hostility and poor impulse control
  • Self-expectations appear unrealistically high, talks about college and a career as a doctor

I ask the conference participants to complete a survey, making predictions about this child’s prognosis in adulthood.

Keep in mind that these are educators who attend conferences and workshops. They are not negative Nellies. Yet many predictions reveal the implicit biases we all carry with us. Examples include:

  • Imprisonment
  • Drug addiction
  • Poverty

The list continues, but you get the idea. 

Beating the odds

Next, I refer to my research in ”Leading Schools Through Trauma.” I reveal inspiring, true stories of children who overcome great odds. I can see the conference participants’ mindsets shift. Here are a few examples of those stories:

For 30 years, researchers on the Kids of Kauai study followed a group of children born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. They found that even children exposed to significant adversity could thrive if they had certain protective factors in their lives. These included:

  • A positive temperament: Easygoing and affectionate personalities drew positive attention and fostered stronger connections with others.
  • Strong bonds with at least one caregiver: A stable and loving relationship with at least one supportive adult who was a surrogate (not their biological parent) provided a crucial buffer against stress and adversity.
  • Social support and opportunities: Connections with supportive individuals outside the family and involvement in community activities offered additional resources and positive experiences.

I outline how each of these is viable in school settings, even the positive temperament, with current research about mindset. I reinforce mentoring opportunities in school, such as with coaches and teachers, and a strong connection to a team, church or club. Consider that this was a four-decade-long study, tracking those at risk who, in spite of the odds, thrived beyond anyone’s expectation. 

The roots of success can be surprising

Another example I offer is a study of the most successful Google employees. The initial expectation was that these would include Ivy League graduates and those prepped for a life of success. The investigators were wrong. Instead, they discovered that the most successful employees at Google were those who had experienced a significant trauma at an earlier age, usually during childhood, and thrived not in spite of it but because they overcame it.

My examples go on: the amazing stories of Holocaust survivors who saw the worst humans could encounter yet led successful adult lives in places like the US. Children who suffered over a year without schooling during Hurricane Katrina yet showed resilience and success beyond.

You get the picture. I often sit in meetings with educators who are tired and frustrated by the challenges at-risk children present, and they just may need to vent. It’s understandable, but sometimes, we benefit from hearing an inspiring true story or spending a day at an inspiring presentation.

I remember my first definitively gloomy outcome: a sixth-grade child I was asked to tutor who I quickly discovered had never learned to read. I worked relentlessly with him, and I cannot personally take responsibility for the proud moment when he stood for his graduation at West Point 10 years later — but it sure gave me reason not to give up on dozens more children!

The ending you didn’t expect

The research I conducted for ”Leading Schools Through Trauma” and the articles I publish monthly are frequently motivated by sharing these stories and complementing them with the research that supports the chance that every child can succeed not just in spite of but often because of their challenges. 

At this stage, I enjoy sharing the lead I buried to inform others how to disrupt the cycle. I was the 9-year-old boy who struggled and was doomed to failure. What helped me, the Kids of Kauai and so many more in our rising population of at-risk children can be accomplished with the right tools and inspiration. 

Remember this the next time an unlikeable, hostile, underperforming child exasperates you. Believe in them, and help build them up. The results of moving many children, rather than none, are worth it. Surfacing implicit biases is the beginning. Applying the tools to help at-risk learners is the process. The outcome is often a child who surprises us as he thrives.

 

Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.

 


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