The idea of a Personalized Learning Plan [PLP] refers to the understanding that every student learns differently. A student’s learning style speaks of how the student absorbs, comprehends and retains information. If we were building a house, it is expected that some people would understand the process by following verbal instructions, while others would prefer to see it first. The idea of PLP in recent years has earned enormous recognition in education theory. To better serve a student, it is highly recommended to develop a Personalized Learning Plan that takes into consideration the student’s cognitive level, and other internal or external factors. This is a level of attention that unfortunately cannot be easily duplicated in a regular school classroom due to factors such as limited financial resources, facilities or ineffective staff.
Schools provide students with the opportunity to learn and fall in love with amazing new things. However, the classroom setting may become tedious and frustrating because of the rules that students must follow to maintain order and discipline. For instance, teachers who often have classes with an average of 27 students must skillfully negotiate how to spend their time between giving personalized or general attention to their students. It is physically impossible for a teacher to address the needs of each student without sacrificing valuable teaching time. For this reason, there is little time to review, repeat or further explore the topics covered in school.
The learning process may also be negatively impacted by the student’s actions either consciously or not. All educators know and perhaps fondly remember those students who are notorious for getting in trouble. These attention seekers act on their impulses without giving a second thought to the consequences. They are the first ones to get up from their seats, to tattle tale, to raise their voices, to announce, to interrupt the class, etc. These types of impulsive behavior help to explain why these attention seekers break the rules. If the behavior continues, these students tend to end up getting detention or worse as a result of their behavioral problems. However, these students are not completely unconscious of their actions. They understand what they are doing; they simply do not understand why, or how to control it. Therefore, these students often benefit from strong professional guidance to provide them with a framework such as the PLP so they can be successful not only in school but in all aspects of their life.
Other students are almost the complete opposite of attention seekers. The avoidants (AvPD) can be the type of student who consistently neglects or forgets their assignments; they may also prefer to stay away from others or any meaningful social interaction. The avoidants often display early symptoms of anxiety and depression as they delve deeper into their minds. The term “avoidant” applies to the idea that these types of traits are both the conscious and/or unconscious efforts of the individual to avoid reality as a result of trauma, lack of a healthy structure or understanding. Sometimes, fear itself may cause someone to shut down. Nevertheless, there is always plenty of time to learn new healthy behaviors given the proper guidance and the willingness of the individual.
The learning process of all students is different. Both parents and students should become informed of this subject. There are plenty of resources available at your local school, as well as, online to help you understand this matter in better detail. A bright future awaits those willing to learn and remain focused on the tasks at hand.