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Scoop.it!
"When’s the last time the deficit model of viewing student performance really irked you? Just thinking about it can be quite enraging. Here’s why: Students end up being placed along a bell curve (hope this doesn’t induce a headache) to decipher how on target they are—how close to the “average” learner. And this is deciphered basically by looking at their test scores…then placing them along this line of doom." 
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Scoop.it!
Jimmy Thompson, the quiet student in the front row, is smoothing his hair back nervously with his left hand. His right hand is tapping his pencil, eraser-side down, on the desk rhythmically...His fidgeting is causing other students’ attention waning from the test, and instead being focused on him. Hoping to help ease his frustration, you walk to his desk, bend down slightly, and whisper: “Are you ok? Do you need help with anything?” He looks up at you, defeated, and says the words no teacher wants to hear: “I’m just too dumb for this.” (quoted from source)
Beth Dichter's insight:
How many times has a student in your classroom said something like Jimmy in the description above? What did you do to help him/her understand that each of us have different strengths and weaknesses? Were able to say words that would motivate him/her? This post explores these questions and much more. The sections include: * What do you do? * What Do You Know? * It is all Relative! * The Bell Curve * Inherited Smarts * Disparity of IQ * On Being Smart vs Intelligent * So, Back to Jimmy This post may provide opportunities for you to reflect on how you might change or shift ways you deal with some students. You may also be interested in searching this Scoop.it for information on fixed mindset and growth mindset, concepts explored by Carol Dweck.
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The myth of average may be a new concept to you but if you listen to the short video clip by Todd Rose you will get an idea of what this issue is, and there is a link to a TEDx talk in the post (a longer presentation on 'Project Variability and the dangers of “averaging” learners.'
Additional resources are also available in this post including a new Universal Design for Learning book that may be found online. For more information click through to the post.