For some reason
“I keep mowing over the dandelions, but for some reason, there are new ones every week.” (Image by Susanne Jutzeler)
“I don’t know, for some reason I just can’t get it.”
These words awaken my inner teacher detective (which I’ve decided is a thing). “For some reason” invites me to find that reason.
In my experience, the reason that someone is struggling with a skill, concept, or knowledge area comes down to some basics:
They’re taking on too much.
They’re moving too fast.
They haven’t spent enough time.
They’re going through the motions without actually engaging.
They don’t really believe they’re going to get it.
Sometimes, there is a learning disability that makes progress slow or virtually impossible. But often, even with such an obstacle, there’s a way forward that the person just hasn’t seen yet.
Many times, the learner is trying to do something that they’re not prepared to do. The necessary foundation isn’t there, so all their effort will come to nothing. They’re trying to drive a car that has no gasoline in it. More effort won’t solve it. My job as a teacher is to identify the missing foundational pieces so that progress can be made.
Other times, I need to find a way to help someone slow down and do less — to spend more time on a smaller amount of material.
And finally, the student may need to make a shift in attitude. If they don’t really want to do the work or they feel bad and have given up hope, I can offer support there.
As I have progressed as a teacher, I’ve improved and expanded my capacity to deal with barriers to learning. In fact, I relish the opportunity, because it allows me to grow.
Unfortunately, all too often, when a learner says, “for some reason,” it means that they are not interested in knowing what that reason is. It’s a way of avoiding having to go any deeper. It assumes that the reason is unknowable, period. But that is rarely the case.
It’s understandable that a learner will get stuck in ignorance and give up. However, as a teacher, I have a responsibility not to do so. I can keep trying different approaches until something clicks.
“For some reason,” is the beginning, not the end. Ideally, the learner and the teacher can work together to figure out how to break through. The “aha moment” is worth the effort.