Life is Really One Big Test After Another

            “[L]earners, regardless of their ability of predisposition can learn practically anything if teachers provide appropriate scaffolding” (Appleman, 2009,113). This quote is based on the ideas of Vygotsky, and I feel that it is an extremely important idea. Those students who struggle or just don’t try in class likely do not understand the material yet and want to give up because something is hard. When something is hard, sometimes it’s just easier and to take a bad mark and move on than to work through something that they struggle with that may make them feel inadequate. No student wants to be the one who can’t understand anything and I think that they often convince themselves that taking the bad mark and ignoring the problem will make it go away. If we as teachers can get through to our students that with our help they will be able to understand the material we present them with will greatly help their self-esteem. Ignoring the problem and hoping it goes away is deluding themselves into a short-lived time of being okay until their problems catch up with them. If we as teachers can help our students to work their way through their problems in school, when they leave our classroom we can be confident that they will be able to successfully work their way through the problems life throws at them. Writing this I'm reminded of the quote by Tom Bodett “The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson”. If we as teacher can teach our students  how to face the challenges in life while they are still in school, then perhaps they will pass the test in real life.