I have attended staff meetings at the Fort Wayne Center for Learning for the past 7 years, learning about our upcoming students. There have been a variety of ages, learning differences, and backgrounds, and their needs span all three of our intensive programs. It is a daunting task to bring each student as far as possible in their programming in only 6 weeks. We will teach each student as quickly as we can, but as slowly as we must.

Initially, I thought we were teaching kids academic skills that would make them successful, which is true, but I quickly learned that relationships must come first. No true learning can happen until a relationship is established, and then the student can work toward our high expectations with effort and confidence.

Relationships must be nurtured by finding common ground.  The children are put more at ease by our interest in them because we are trying to see them for who they are. Instructors provide the initial expectations for each activity. The relationship helps the student believe us when we say, “You look nervous to try this. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you make a mistake? We’ll see what you understand, then work on the part that needs work.” Or “I care enough for the both of us, please give it a try!” The instructors must be relentlessly positive, caring, and supportive. It tells the child we have faith in them to be able to do the work- a new concept to many of our students.

One of the goals at the Fort Wayne Center for Learning is for our students to understand that they are not “stupid”, there is no pixie dust, no magic wand, and no “one size fits all” aspect to learning. The student’s idea of learning is being altered. They are learning that mistakes are chances to learn and improve, that small steps make a big difference, and that effort is required. But now, their effort is linked to trust and positive results. Nothing shows them the value of all the imaging of letters, numbers, or words, like the first time they apply it to reading a book or solving a large math problem. You can see the lightbulb flick on! This is the point where the students often start making their own goals: to read a specific complexity of text, to discover a specific math activity, or to explore a concept before their time with us ends. With the basics in place, they want to find information on their own. They are becoming lifelong learners.