For my first blog post I decided to expand on the prompt “Share a story about how you overcame a learning challenge. Why was it a challenge? What strategies did you use? Use the language you learned in this unit”. Overcoming learning challenges is very relevant for me and had a large impact on my life. Reflecting on the most influential experience in overcoming my academic challenges occurred in early highschool. Immediately after starting kindergarten I was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD and other learning disabilities. I was unaware of what my diagnosis meant, and so were my classmates. Unlike most students I started tutoring in kindergarten, never took a language; overall my learning was adapted to suit my academic abilities. Due to my diagnosis I thought there was something extremely wrong with me, and became super embarrassed, anxious, insecure and secretive about my diagnosis. After years of hiding my learning struggles, people slowly started catching on. One day at lunch one of my friends started making fun of my learning setbacks and although I thought my world was ending, I now wasn’t able to hide that side of my life and now am very comfortable with it. My story isn’t conventional, and I remain having the same learning disabilities; however I now recognize my mental mindset was the barrier, not my learning style. Now that I am comfortable with people knowing I struggle with school, I am more confident asking for help, using my extra time, taking tests in quiet rooms, instead of struggling in silence. The blog page “Why is learning hard?” says “learning is changing your mind about something” which I agree with. No doubt, learning is difficult, but I’ve realized if you are motivated, focused, and believe in yourself you can accomplish much more than you might expect! This relates to constructivism, and how learners develop foundation knowledge through experiences and interactions. For my situation, unlocking my confidence improved my understanding of my studies, which resulted in increased satisfaction.
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I enjoyed reading about your learning story and I am glad you are feeling more comfortable with making the most out of your learning and using accommodations when necessary. Everyone has unique barriers to learning and I loved how you emphasized the important rule of motivation. If we are not motivated to complete a task little else will matter.
Thank you so much for sharing such a personal story! I greatly appreciate your openness! Your experience inspires us not to give up! We are all different, and the way our brain processes information may also vary. That’s why, as you mentioned, it is essential to find strategies that work for us in a particular learning context and not limit ourselves.
Thank you for sharing your experience of overcoming learning challenges. Your story highlights the impact that mindset and confidence can have on our ability to learn and succeed. Embracing your learning disabilities and seeking support was a brave step, and your success is a result of your determination and hard work. Your reflection on constructivism is also noteworthy, as it emphasizes the role of experiences and interactions in shaping our foundation knowledge. Overall, your story is a reminder that with the right approach and mindset, anyone can overcome their challenges in learning.