Perspective

 I'm a visual learner.  Back in the day when I was a student, teachers didn't pay attention to learning styles.  That was research and knowledge that came out of my generation to benefit students of today.  It was challenging to learn abstract concepts without a visual perspective.  So by way of modeling, I want to talk about perspective that you have as a teacher.

 You're getting a tour of our breakfast area at the same time by the way!  Back to perspective.  You may have a particularly challenging student that is difficult to connect with or is having a really hard time "getting it" whatever "it" is at this time.  Think about the problem from a different perspective.  The student's for example.  Does this child need another way of approaching the topic or problem?  Are there background issues for the child that may impede the learning process that need to be taken into consideration?

 Taking a look at the issue at hand from a different person's perspective can also be helpful.  Are there other significant adults in the child's life you can touch base with to gain another perspective?  As you look at the issue from different angles you may discover something about the child you hadn't seen before.  Your own change of perspective can help the student look at the learning challenge differently as well.

Your role as teacher and cheerleader needs to be a balance of instruction, correction and encouragement.  Remember, you are in their life to help them grow!