Introduction
The presenter is a 35-year veteran teacher with extensive experience working with students in elementary, middle, and high school. Jeffrey Benson is also an experienced instructor in undergraduate and graduate programs. Benson provided key principles on how to succeed when it comes to educating “challenging students.” The term “challenging students” is a euphemism for difficult-to-teach students. It is also a label that mainstream school systems use to describe problematic students. Benson acknowledged the difficult obstacles facing those who wanted to take on “challenging students.” However, Benson also reminded everyone that they have a sacred duty to teach every type of student.
Benson reminded everyone in attendance that the key to success is a mindset geared towards adherence to a particular process. The first step is to identify the problems related to teaching “challenging students.” The second step is to promote safety and success for all. The third step is to develop a team to tackle problems and challenges. The fourth step is to promote the principle that learning does not always follow a straight path. The fifth step is to incorporate the principle of investing 30% of resources on skill training and 70% on structural change. Finally, the sixth step is to work in a force field. Benson asserted the importance of creating a system characterized by creative solutions that enhances the school’s capability to work with other “challenging students.”
Main Focus of the Video
The main focus of the video is to look into the strategies that teachers can use to help “challenging students.” Benson prefaced the discussion with thoughts on how difficult it is to work with “challenging students.” He said that teachers have the option to ignore students struggling with different issues. However, teachers have the moral obligation to help different types of students. Benson clarified that it is an uphill climb; therefore, commitment and perseverance are key ingredients.
The second part of the video describes the strategies and frameworks required to run a successful school system that handles “challenging students.” Benson pointed out that learning new skills and habits will require patience and the efficient use of time. He also explained why the path of learning does not always follow a linear path. He underscored the importance of creativity and the strength to choose the path less traveled. He said that a certain mindset is required to handle this type of students, because it is important to analyze the situation from the student’s perspective. Benson asserted the importance of seeking out key attractors to grow the school’s capacity to work with this type of students. Finally, he highlighted the importance of celebrating success along the way.
How Insights Affect Future Teaching and Interactions
Benson shared three key insights that could change the way school systems handle problematic students, and these are listed as follows: 1) be bold and creative with what you control, because it is important to invest more in changing structures; 2) it is important to seek key attractors to enhance the school’s capability to reach out and help “challenging students”; and 3) learning does not always follow a linear path.
Benson identified the common mistakes that school administrators make when it comes to dealing with problematic students. The emphasis is on training. However, with the application of key insights, school administrators will shift their focus on structures. In the process, they will discover the importance of thinking out-of-the-box, and develop teaching strategies that does not necessarily follow a linear path to learning.
School administrators will also benefit from the insight on the importance of key attractors. In the present time, teachers and school officials try to solve the problem by working hard. They extol the value of hard work and perseverance. However, Benson’s framework encourages them to work smarter. In other words, Benson wanted them to create a “snowball effect” so that small inputs and improvements will work together in the end. Teachers handling “challenging students” experience frustration because they did not build the correct atmosphere that multiplies their capabilities. Thus, every ounce of energy they expend drains their emotional and psychological reserves. However, the application of Benson’s principles will help create a more conducive atmosphere that encourages students not only to learn effectively but also to help others as well.
Conclusion
Benson provided key insights that help transform how teachers and school administrators understand the dynamics inherent in a system geared towards helping “challenging students.” Benson pointed out the reason why those who tried to help problematic students are forced to give up. Benson said that there is a better way. In Benson’s point of view it is not prudent to only focus on hard work. One of the turning points in the presentation was when Benson highlighted the importance of changing structures. In the past, school administrators and teachers invest significant time and resources transforming teaching techniques. Nevertheless, the unnecessary expense of time and effort ended in frustration. Benson rallied the teachers to develop bold and creative solutions. He reminded them to focus on structure changes. Benson radically altered the way people perceive “challenging students”, because he prescribed a way to leverage resources in order to help them learn in a non-linear fashion.