It really required me to get out of school to have some kind of vehicle for affirmation and for confidence building that wasn’t school. It was a little bit of hard work, a lot of fortune, and a lot of luck to get to be where I am today. With where you are today, does that journey feel affirmed? With all you’re able to do today, and who you’re able to serve, and what you’re able to do for learners with dyslexia? But it never occurred to think I could do that too because I was so bad at school. I had friends that were ambitious in their goals in life. I felt limited in my professional ambition, because I had to do something that, in my mind, that I could be trained to do and then do, versus create myself. Like in another world, I might want to be a writer or maybe this or that, but I couldn’t major in business or in English. It never occurred to me to pursue something that didn’t seem vocational in nature. Honestly, part of the reason I got into education was because it was vocational in nature. We talked about this, and a whole lot more, in the interview below: Do you use person first or identity first language to talk about dyslexia (“I have dyslexia” vs. In our interview, I shared with Clark that my son and husband are dyslexic, and about my own neurodivergence. Helping learners understand how they learn.Reminding students that test scores don’t dictate their future success.Accessible technology to bridge decoding gaps.Universal screenings for reading difficulties.High standards and expectations for all students. Curriculums based in structured literacy, which is supported by science.So how can schools give students who struggle with reading or have dyslexia an environment where they can be strong learners? However, our “weaknesses” are often only weaknesses because of the environments we’re in. And test scores and decoding remain important parts of education. And students with learning disabilities are still sometimes seen as lazy, or told they need to try harder.Īdditionally, research shows that about one in five learners has dyslexia, but not nearly that many are identified. You know how kids on playgrounds used to tease other kids for crying?īut kids still make fun of other kids’ tears. Given the right circumstances, a person’s vulnerability can be their strength. The second reason I share Clark’s tendency toward tears with you is that I believe this quality is a great metaphor for dyslexia, a learning disability that affects a person’s ability to read. Clark occupies some “big” roles as Chair of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Head of School for Landmark School, an independent school for students with learning disabilities, and is heavily involved with Made By Dyslexia. His passion also makes it clear that he cares deeply about his work. It makes it easy to trust that what he says is genuine. We chatted about his personal dyslexia journey, his experience teaching “dyslexic learners,” and why labels can be so darn validating.Ĭlark’s willingness to be vulnerable and show emotion give his words a lot of credibility. I recently had the absolute honor of interviewing Josh via video call. One, I’m hoping to catch your attention, because this endearing quality caught mine.
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