Levine- Accommodations and Teacher Policy

Taken from Levine, M. (2002). A Mind at a Time.

I often think it's a good idea to ask a child for a payback

for accommodation, in which case the student may take on some

form of additional work to compensate for a reduction of

demands in an area of difficulty. The payback system helps

students sustain their pride, and is fair to the other for

whom no accommodation was made. Ex: fewer problems on math

test but has two more for homework. Ex: shorter report but has

to draw a poster for it (because they are good at art).

Levine quoted a teacher saying: "Each year during the first

week of school I tell all the kids in my science classes, 'I'm

not going to treat any two of you the same way. And I don't

want to hear anything about it. Some of you might have to

write long reports and some of you are allowed to do shorter

ones. Some of you may have to read long articles and some of

you shorter ones. And that's just the way it is. Everyone

learns different. If there's any special thing any of you need

you can let me know, and I'll think about doing it for you.

But I don't want to catch you complaining about what I'm doing

for anyone else.'"

Levine text: I wholeheartedly agree with that teacher's policy

and philosophy and with the need to declare it openly to the

students.