Shape the Consultation to Meet the Learning Style, Part II

This is Part II of an article by Dr. Shigo. You can find Part I here.

Dr. Cynthia Shigo has been interested in MK education almost her entire life. As an MK growing up in Europe and West Africa, she attended public schools, national schools, private international schools, and even was home schooled for a semester and went to boarding school for high school. Then when her daughters were MKs she used all those options except boarding school with them. Since returning to the states in 2012, she has been working at the University of Kansas, where she taught aspiring teachers and completed her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. Now she is teaching at Bethany College, where she asks herself daily, “How did I end up in the middle of Kansas? Oh yes, it must be because that is where her grandson lives!

I once consulted with an AS mother who asked for a very thorough explanation of every score on an Iowa Basic Skills test her eighth grade daughter had taken. I was surprised, as I carefully explained each number, to see the woman’s eyes fill with tears. Her daughter had done well on the test, and I could not explain her sadness. So I asked, “Are there any surprises in these test scores?” She explained quietly that she had not had her daughter tested since she was five years old, because when they had returned from Russia to America when the child was in kindergarten, the teacher who tested her daughter said that she suspected the girl had some form of mental handicap, because her scores were so low. I then talked about the cultural biases that are present in even the best standardized tests.

Because I was familiar with the reading comprehension selections in the ITBS test her daughter had taken, I showed her how the only answers on the score sheet her daughter had answered incorrectly in the Reading Comprehension test were based on a reading selection about an American baseball game. Her daughter had never seen a baseball game, and so missed some questions that expected her to know the definition of a “home run” and a “grand slam.” When I explained that similar cultural misunderstandings may have been the cause of low test scores when the girl was small, for the first time in years, this woman believed her daughter to be a capable learner.

It is usually not so difficult to hear what an AR parent is feeling, because these learners are more likely than any others to talk about how they feel. An AR parent may ask, “How did the student feel while she took the test? Was she anxious or unhappy?” Sometimes an AR home schooling mother will ask, “Can I teach my child well?” or a father might want to know, “How does my son compare to other boys his age?” Usually all of these questions are leading to the question an AR parent or teacher most wants to know: “Do you like my child?”

When my own daughter, Elisabeth was in fourth grade, I went to a parent teacher conference six weeks into the school year. I sat at Elisabeth’s desk, and the teacher came and sat opposite me, holding a paper with a long list of things she did not want to forget to say. I soon realized that it was a list of things she did not like about Elisabeth. She did not like that Elisabeth chose to stand around and talk at recess instead of playing tag or hopscotch. She did not like that Elisabeth almost always put her science homework in the social studies bin. She did not like that Elisabeth was removed from her class once a week to participate in a program for gifted writers. I listened for several minutes before I said, “If you can show me one thing on your long list that you LIKE about my daughter, I will listen to everything else you have to say.” She could not, so I did not. She did not understand that as an AR parent, my most important question was, “Do you like my child?”

Finally, the CR parent reveals his learning style by asking, “Does anyone really believe in these tests any more?” and “Is it really necessary for my child to take this test?” The CR teacher might ask, “What can I do to fix this child’s problem?” or “I have an idea- could I do it this way?” It is important to give the CR consult an opportunity to create creative solutions to problems, to participate in the redemption of this child.

When I have listened carefully and think I have an idea what learning style is preferred, then I try to direct the consultation to meet the felt needs of each learner’s style. The CS learner needs a concrete, thorough plan, so I try to suggest or help them create a concrete step-by-step strategy they can take away with them from our meeting. I will often suggest a book or curriculum I think they might find helpful. I will always encourage them to define strengths in their child and plan ways to build upon those strengths.

The AS learner needs freedom to ask questions and think about solutions. I try to explain every idea very thoroughly and to give these consults plenty of time to digest information and deliberate before talking about a plan. I always suggest more resources and give a way to contact me should they think of any more questions they need to ask.

The AR learner needs a chance to talk about how they feel about what they have learned. I think the best thing I do for these parents is to give them an opportunity to tell about what delights them in their children. I offer compassion for concerns and encourage joy. I always answer the most important question: Yes! I really do like your child!

Finally, the CR teacher or parent needs to practice what they learn, to experience more than to understand. When consulting with these learners, I take time to let them brainstorm solutions to problems. I encourage creative responses and scathingly brilliant ideas. Whatever the perceived learning style of a parent or teacher with whom I consult, I try to shape the consultation to meet their specific learning needs.

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