Recently I read (Margaret Wente in the Globe and Mail) that the head of a small private school often diagnosed new students as being NBT- ‘Never Been Taught’. She stated that many of the children who came to her school were not learning well because they had not been taught well.
Her school takes a traditional approach to helping children learn. The students are given lots of direct instruction, and are taught such subjects as spelling and handwriting. All mistakes are noticed and the child is expected to correct them before moving on. Great, all children need to spell well and write clearly.
In the article parents noted how much better their child was doing in this school than in the public schools they had been in before.
I think that is wonderful. However, I do not think it is because the student are NBT – as described by this principal. I think the students have been taught, but probably have not been taught in a way that they can learn.
Children learn in different ways.
Some children learn best with direct instruction, they need the discipline of defined goals, set curriculum and strict rules and expectations. Others do not. They learn best when they feel that they are allowed to take responsibility for their learning, and have more choice over what they learn.
Let me tell you a story. I have two stepsons, and I came into their lives as they were about to go to High School. Where we lived at the time students had the luxury of being able to choose which school they went to.
One of them decided to go to the ‘traditional’ school where there was plenty of direct instruction, and he would be expected to do his work on time and reach a certain standard. He said that he needed the discipline that the school would impose.
The other opted to go to the school that had a much more open-ended approach to teaching and learning. Students were encouraged to participate in setting their curriculum, and given plenty of freedom in when, and how, they worked.
Two totally different settings, two totally different learners. Both of my stepsons ended up getting good degrees and having great careers.
So I totally disagree with a child being labeled as NBT. The question is not whether or not the child has been taught, but whether he has been taught in a way that matches how he learns.
Children with different learning styles need to be taught in different ways. In a class of over 30 students it can be very difficult for a teacher to meet the needs of all their students. That is why parents need to be involved in their child’s education, they need to understand how their child learns and what type of education will meet their needs.
Thankfully, the parents who sent their children to this private school had discovered how to meet their child’s learning needs.
When other parents are able to do the same we will be able to get rid of this disrespectful NBT label and ensure that all children get the type of education they need and deserve.
