"In other words, if a teacher only teaches in one way, then they conclude that the kids who can't learn well that way don't have the ability, when, in fact, it may be that the way the teacher's teaching is not a particularly good match to the way those kids learn"
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Confusing students actual ability with their ability to learn from one method is a costly error. Robert Sternberg, known for the triarchic theory of intelligence, argues that learning thrives when teaching taps different strengths: analytical, creative, and practical. When instruction is narrow, students whose minds work differently are not seen; they are sorted. The verdict looks like a lack of ability, but the real mismatch lies between method and mind.
The consequences are not abstract. A student who struggles to absorb a concept from a lecture might grasp it instantly through a hands-on demonstration or a real-world problem. A talented writer with dyslexia may falter on timed, print-heavy tests yet shine in oral presentations or extended projects. English learners may have the ideas but not the language speed to show them in conventional formats. Labeling these students as less able creates a self-fulfilling loop of lowered expectations and shrinking opportunities.
Sternberg challenges both instruction and assessment. If the only acceptable proof of understanding is a multiple-choice test, then the system measures compliance with a format as much as knowledge. When teachers vary how they explain and how they ask students to show learning, they reveal hidden competencies and deepen mastery for everyone. Multiple representations, choice in demonstrations, collaborative and independent work, problems that require design as well as analysis all align with this view.
There is also an equity dimension. Cultural and socioeconomic differences can shape ways of communicating, problem solving, and valuing knowledge. A single pathway privileges students already fluent in that pathway and can magnify disparities. Broader pedagogy is not mere accommodation; it is a more valid measure of what students can do.
Good teaching is an act of translation. It meets minds where they are, offers more than one path in, and refuses to mistake a closed door for an empty room.
The consequences are not abstract. A student who struggles to absorb a concept from a lecture might grasp it instantly through a hands-on demonstration or a real-world problem. A talented writer with dyslexia may falter on timed, print-heavy tests yet shine in oral presentations or extended projects. English learners may have the ideas but not the language speed to show them in conventional formats. Labeling these students as less able creates a self-fulfilling loop of lowered expectations and shrinking opportunities.
Sternberg challenges both instruction and assessment. If the only acceptable proof of understanding is a multiple-choice test, then the system measures compliance with a format as much as knowledge. When teachers vary how they explain and how they ask students to show learning, they reveal hidden competencies and deepen mastery for everyone. Multiple representations, choice in demonstrations, collaborative and independent work, problems that require design as well as analysis all align with this view.
There is also an equity dimension. Cultural and socioeconomic differences can shape ways of communicating, problem solving, and valuing knowledge. A single pathway privileges students already fluent in that pathway and can magnify disparities. Broader pedagogy is not mere accommodation; it is a more valid measure of what students can do.
Good teaching is an act of translation. It meets minds where they are, offers more than one path in, and refuses to mistake a closed door for an empty room.
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| Topic | Teaching |
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