Normal

(During the summer months, I like to take the A-Z Challenge and come up with words alphabetically and see how they apply to education. I think it’s a great exercise for teachers and students to give this a try.)

Normal is a word that is overused and overrated. Who is to say what normal is? What is normal for me may not be normal for you. What is normal in one situation may not be normal in another situation.

Many times my students would come to me and tell me that they wish they could be normal. What do they mean by normal? They want to be like everyone else. That is not normal. That is being like everyone else. I think they want to be accepted and mistake that for being normal. I try to explain to my students that being unique is much more fun than being normal. Being unique means we have different strengths than other people have. Being unique is a good thing and not a bad thing.

Since Covid hit, all I hear everyone talk about is how they want things to get back to normal. Normal to them is getting back to the way things used to be. I don't think that everything was great the way it used to be. Our whole world was turned upside down and many people learn new things. This is a good thing. It pushed teachers to grow in their teaching techniques and learn these strategies to reach students differently. I don't think going back to the way things were is a good thing in this instance. If that was normal, I don't want to go back to normal.

Normal in a classroom may be a set of routines that everyone follows. Many of my students like having this structure of a routine in my class. When they go away on vacation, they like to come to class where things are normal. Normal for them means they know what to expect. So I think when people say they want things to go back to normal, they really want to go back to a time where they knew what to expect. But, in reality, I think we learned that we can't take anything for granted and we need to expect that anything can happen. We need to stay alert and be prepared for the unexpected.

Normal can be defined differently by many different people. We all have different values and standards so who determines what is normal?

Nothing is normal.

Photo by OpticalNomad on Unsplash

What is Normal?

What is normal? Who gets to decide?

I’ve heard this saying on a few podcasts lately and I don’t know who the creator was, but here it is:
"Normal is just a setting a washing machine."

That saying has been going around and around in my head and I’m loving it!

As a teacher of students with special needs, I have seen a lot of children feel as if they were not normal because they were different. They see normal as fitting in, being like everyone else, and not standing out as different. These students want to be “normal.”

Some teachers see a lot of students as normal in the same way. They want all of their students to fit in with what they expect. They want all students to take the same tests and succeed in the same way. They want all of their students to behave in the same cookie cutter fashion and if they don’t, then they see these students as not being normal.

I think I would do a major disservice to my students if I expect them to be “normal” and just like everyone else. I want to honor their uniqueness and help them be proud of their differences.

If they don’t learn like everyone else, I want them to feel that is okay as long as we figure out a way for them to learn that fits them. I have to help them find the learning style that works for them and encourage them to use this so they can get the most out of learning. Instead of trying to fit them in a mold, I need to give them tools to use because they don’t fit in a mold.

If they don’t show how they understand and can apply their learning the way others do, that is okay too. As long as they are able in some way to show me that they understand and can apply what they have learned. I need to give them opportunities to show me how they do this.

I need to stop trying to make all of my students normal and respect them for who they are.
I need to remember that normal is just a setting on a washing machine.

How do you help your students feel comfortable in their uniqueness? Please share.

Image: 'There's Always One'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7762644@N04/2205118143
Found on flickrcc.net