Interview with Mary-Dean Barringer, CEO of All Kinds of Minds Institute
Mary-Dean Barringer is CEO of the All Kinds of Minds Institute. Co-founded by Dr. Mel Levine and financier Charles Schwab, the Institute provides support to parents and school personnel who are committed to making schools effective learning environments for students with learning differences. In her previous role as National Director for the All Kinds of Minds' Schools Attuned Program, Ms. Barringer focused on providing the latest research about learning differences to educators and parents as well as overseeing the training of 35,000 K-12 educators. She was a founding member of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and has received numerous awards for teaching, including the 1985 Council for Exceptional Children's National Teacher of the Year award.
Mary-Dean Barringer
Highlights: How would you like to see schools change to become more respectful and even appreciative of different learning styles?
Mary-Dean Barringer: I'd love to see educators in a school take an oath similar to the Hippocratic Oath that medical professionals take: "First, do no harm." Then, as a group, the faculty could examine all the policies and practices in their school to make sure that they do not inadvertently publicly humiliate children or punish them for their uniquely wired minds.
Educators need to get a working knowledge of the latest brain research and understand that each one of us has special "hard-wiring." With that understanding, teachers can begin to let go of the notion that we should all be "well-rounded" in all subjects, including foreign languages, athletics, music, and arts. Rather, teachers should look for and nurture those children who are "hard-wired" to succeed in these areas-and teach them through their passions and strengths.
That's not to say that we shouldn't have exposure to a wide range of subjects and interests, only that we should not expect the same level of proficiency from all students. We don't put this burden on adults. When we get to our adult work and personal life, we get to choose our specialties.
Highlights: What can parents do to make schools more sensitive to individual differences?
Mary-Dean Barringer: Be positive about individual differences. When I taught, I always appreciated parents who sent me a "letter of introduction" about their child. They told me things about their child that I wouldn't know otherwise. I learned what they thought their child was especially good at, what their child was passionate about, what their particular family interests were, and what anxieties their child had about school.
If this sharing of information between parent and teacher became part of the school culture, part of the "going back to school" ritual, it would make the statement that (a) the school expects all children to be unique and (b) that parents have a storehouse of information that schools need about each child.
Highlights: How can the parent of a child with a learning style that doesn't fit well with the demands of the school environment encourage that child to keep learning and feel empowered?
Mary-Dean Barringer: Parents need to let their child know that they will form a positive alliance with the teacher and that, as a team, they will all figure out how to overcome some of the obstacles interfering with success. They should always remember to label the potential barrier, not the child. A change of language from "why can't you pay attention" to "we really need to figure out what is stopping your terrific mind from concentrating" labels the challenge, not the child.
Parents should also pay attention to things that their child is drawn to at home and can do well. Is she the fix-it wizard of the house? The family planner and organizer of trips? The news reporter? The artist and decorator? Experiencing success in another arena is critical when a child is faltering in school.
For suggestions on ways to keep the communication open between you and your child's teacher, see Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences.
To read a Highlights interview with Dr. Mel Levine, Co-founder of the All Kinds of Minds Institute, click here.
To learn more about the All Kinds of Minds Interview, go to: www.allkindsofminds.org