In the Dark of Night, the Devins Nag Us
Publication Type:
Web ArticleYear of Publication:
2005Abstract:
Ellen Berg shares her experiences with engaging a gifted but resistant student. She asks guiding questions:
•
What needs differentiating – content, process, product,
or some combination?
• What strengths does the student bring to this concept?
Weaknesses?
• What interests does the student have that might be
incorporated into this lesson/unit/project?
Berg, E. (2005). In the dark of night, the devins nag us. Teacher Leaders Network diaries. Retrieved from the Teacher Leaders Network 11 Apr 2008. Link: http://www.teacherleaders.org/old_site/diaries04_05/EB15_04_05.html
Full Text:
In the Dark of Night, the Devins Nag Us
People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them. – Anthony Robbins
I have this kid named "Devin" that is steadily driving all of his teachers crazy. He turns in little work, does not participate in class, has his nose in a book instead of listening to the mini-lessons, then turns in projects that are above and beyond anything anyone else in the grade has turned in. His test scores are through the roof, but his grades hover in the C-D-F range depending on the amount of homework and classwork in relation to the amount of project work. He is a kid who obviously should be making straight A's but who consistently and consciously chooses not to — as if he is some modern-day Bartleby.
I had a kid like Devin a few years back who acted the same way, except he was a lot more vocal about what he would and would not do and why he would not do it. On the one hand, he'd read book after book, engaging me in conversations about theme and plot and the author's style. On the other hand, he turned in almost nothing and steadfastly earned F's.
When I had a private conversation one day, I asked him why he was choosing to fail when it was obvious he was more than capable of succeeding. His comment nearly knocked me to the floor: "Why should I do the work if I already know how to do it?" How profound and self-aware!
How often do we complain about the hoops we have to jump through as professionals? Why would we expect kids to jump through hoops for us when we despise it so much? And, if they do comply, what have they actually learned in our classrooms?
My earlier experiences helped me understand Devin's perspective a lot quicker than I might have, and our team has been working to take things to the next level with him and a few other kids who are more advanced. To differentiate instruction for our more academically proficient kids, we are considering the following:
• What needs differentiating – content, process, product, or some combination?
• What strengths does the student bring to this concept? Weaknesses?
• What interests does the student have that might be incorporated into this lesson/unit/project?
Really, the above questions apply to any case of differentiating instruction, whether it is for struggling or strong students. Understanding exactly what each student needs in order to engage in the learning process is essential if we expect to reach every kid.
Unfortunately, when we think of differentiation, we usually think only of struggling students. Many of us are tired and overworked and struggling with the concept ourselves, and so we think, "Devin will be fine; he is smart enough to be successful in life. I have Jamal and Andrea to worry about; they only read at the third grade level and have many other issues."
However, in the dark of night, the Devins in our classrooms still nag at our conscience, reminding us that all students deserve to spend their year learning and growing and taking advantage of the gifts they have.
It is not always easy, but the rewards of seeing kids like Devin excel are as satisfying as seeing our lowest students soar. Learning is learning at whatever level, and it is our responsibility to provide that experience for all of our kids.
