Case Study: Terry Terry is a talented young boy.

He is advanced at reading, and enjoys science, history, literature, and music. He often thinks deeper than his peers, seeing information holistically rather than on a surface level. He is teased for this, because it is different, and takes this very personally; he has a low self-esteem. He has a lot of trouble socially, and it seems to me that this is intimately related to his recent decline in effort in his classes. Terry seems to try too hard to fit in, and often tries to be someone he is not. I dont think its unreasonable to suggest that hes decided to perform less well in order to fit in better with his peers. I see two real solutions here. The first thing I would recommend, and perhaps the only solution that would deeply affect him, would be to accelerate him into the next grade (Grade Based Acceleration). (Or suggest he work towards graduating early, if he is near or in the 12th grade.) The environment Terry is currently in is clearly toxic for him; he feels pressured to be less intelligent than he is. His peers have already made their minds up about him, and it would be very difficult to change all of their attitudes towards him. This is a huge problem, as other kids in his grade who have the potential to engage in philosophical or deeply intellectual discussions with Terry wont, because they see how he is teased, and they want to avoid being teased themselves. The easiest thing we could do is move him up a grade, and it should be soon, as his peers come closer to his reading level every year. (His reading and language abilities are several years ahead of his peers, although as he gets older this gap seems to narrow.) This way, he would be removed from this negative social stigma and get another chance with a new set of peers. It is easy to presume that his new peers would be closer to his level, and thus he is much less likely to be teased about his intellect. Additionally and he would be in classes that would require more effort, and present more challenges for him. He could start to show his natural interests in science, history and literature. The second solution I could get behind is finding better courses for him. The information about him says that unfortunately, in the school setting as yet there is no subject that really grabs him to make him extend any special effort. But how do we know this for sure? Has he tried these subjects? Are there no AP or other advanced courses offered at this school? And certainly, in the very least, we could move him up to a higher grade English course. He has an aptitude for reading, and English courses develop critical thinking skills and ways of thought rather than provide linear knowledge, as most other courses do. If he is already advanced in his ways of thought, it makes so much sense to advance him in this way. I dont think any other solutions are even worth suggesting in a meeting about Terry. I think classroom-based accommodations and modifications would have little-to-no impact on Terry socially, and therefore do nothing to improve his self-esteem, which I believe to be the root of his current academic underachievement. That said, I might speak with the other teachers and encourage them to be more mindful of the teasing that goes on in their classroom. Surely we

Michelle Svenson

can all do more to speak with the students who bully him, make them accountable for their actions. I would say something like, Jimmy, I have noticed that you make comments under your breath that make your friends laugh whenever Terry talks in class. Would you share with me what you said? or even just, I am disappointed in you, Jimmy. And we could try to incorporate flexible grouping in our classes, so as to separate the bullies from the kids who have potential like Terrys. Perhaps there are kids who can openly appreciate his insights in the absence of kids like Jimmy. As for Maharishis principles, I think the most important here is upholding academic excellence. We can also raise the bar for Terry. Speak with him about his work when its subpar. I would say something like, This is not a bad grade, Terry, but I expect more from you. I know that you can do a lot better. Upholding academic excellence in this way might give Terry a little self-esteem boost, as it would show him that we, as teachers, appreciate him and the work he can do. I would recommend TM, actually, if it seemed he or his parents would be receptive to the idea. I think it would be highly beneficial to him. I know from personal experience how positively TM effects self-esteem. If we can give Terry the solid foundation of TM, it is likely he will have a confidence that will discourage other kids from teasing him. (There are plenty of studies I could site on selfactualization and integration of personality.) Not to mention it would probably raise the amount of effort he puts into his work. (Likewise, there are dozens of studies on creativity, intelligence, and learning ability, which I think are pertinent to the topic.) A list of these studies can be found at this link: http://www.mum.edu/tm_research/bibliography.html In summation, I believe the most beneficial thing for Terry would be to accelerate him by grade, followed closely by subject acceleration. This would give him a fresh start, and surround him with peers who are closer to his level and therefore less likely to tease him. It would also present him with new challenges that he could grow in confidence from overcoming. If this is denied by his parents, the administration, or other faculty members, the best I could do is uphold academic excellence in my classroom, discourage teasing, and use flexible grouping so as to give Terry and other achievers a safe space in which they can work. And of course, if he and his parents seem receptive to the idea of TM, I would share with them studies on how it effects academic achievement and confidence.