When the Going Gets Tough, Ask for Help (Especially Students with Learning Challenges)

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the learning process was always straightforward and easy to navigate? Wouldn't that make the whole process of taking in new information, synthesizing it, and applying it to a new situation utterly satisfying and enjoyable? I think most of us would respond to these questions with a resounding "yes"! It turns out that one's ability to absorb and process data can vary from person to person. Our genetics certainly play a role: learning challenges like ADD, ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexia can add some obstacles. The resources available to us (access to the internet, good instructors, textbooks) also play a role.

Invariably, we realize along this path of discovery and learning that we need help to get to where we want to go. Some concepts are just too complex for us to digest without someone sitting us down and walking us through them step-by-step. Sometimes we need to understand a certain perspective which is foreign to us and we just cannot seem to grasp where that theorist or author is coming from. It helps to have a competent instructor who can break the topics down into their constituent parts and explain them to us in a way that is comprehensible.

This assistance becomes invaluable to us as learners. When we are able to fully comprehend what we are learning, the process becomes more satisfying and enjoyable. It can even become motivating, as we are improving and overcoming challenges along the way. This is when the learning process becomes exciting.