Excerpted and adapted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. © 2001, Health Communications, Inc, Deerfield Beach, FL.

The “Ideal” Student

by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D.

Traditional classrooms tend to favor students with the following characteristics or strengths:

Gold Square Dominance profile: Left-brain dominant, full sensory access: dominant right hand, eye, ear and leg. Note: Students who are right-brain dominant, full sensory limited (all functions right-dominant) may be at the greatest disadvantage.

Gold Square Strong in linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences

Gold Square Academically on grade level (not too far ahead or behind)

Gold Square Learning Preferences:

Gold Square Prefers working in a quiet environment
Gold Square Best time of day: Early morning, afternoon
Gold Square Social: Prefers working quietly alone or in a group (limited need for interaction)
Gold Square Can handle highly-structured environment (seated in chairs, sitting up straight, not rocking or fidgeting)
Gold Square Limited intake needs while working (food, drink, gum, snack)
Gold Square Low mobility needs

Gold Square Modality Strengths: High auditory, high visual; low kinesthetic

Gold Square High verbal skills; ability to respond immediately when called on (low need for time to process quietly, internally, before responding)

Gold Square Attending behaviors: Eye contact, little talking or movement (note-taking OK particularly in linear, traditional form)

Gold Square Temperament traits:

Gold Square High in adaptability, persistence, regularity
Gold Square Low in distractibility, intensity, sensory awareness (sensitivity to sound, light, smell or touch)
Gold Square Low to moderate in activity/energy levels

Gold Square Personality Traits: Concrete thinking, logical, rational, organized, prompt, able to follow rules and procedures.

Gold Square Studies show other factors (gender, culture, socio-economic status, appearance, popularity, membership in highly-valued groups or teams, for example) to be relevant in certain instances

Also adapted from Creating Emotionally Safe Schools:

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© 2008, Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., Instructional Support Services, Inc.
Last updated on October 16, 2006 5:38 PM