Through my personal experiences, the phrase “meet them where they are” refers to the idea that children learn in different ways, and there is no “one size fits all”. A method that might work for one student might not work for the next student, and likewise for the following student, so on and so forth. For example, through my time volunteering in a 4th grade classroom during my senior year of high school, I observed that when the teacher would instruct lessons, for example during reading and writing time, they would be learning new vocabulary of things observed in literature, but not all of the students would understand. Some would have looks of confusion on their face, and some would raise their hand when the teacher asked them for examples of what they were talking about. If what the student said was incorrect, or not exactly what the teacher was looking for, she would say something like, “not quite. But, good try.” And if any of the other students would laugh or make fun of that student for not getting it right, they were confronted immediately by the teacher. So, what I learned when I observed this is that the teacher would describe terminology or some vocabulary in a fashion that some but not all students would understand, but she would not make them feel bad for not understanding, and additionally, explain to them what it meant in a way that they did understand. She would meet them where they were in terms of what their current understanding was.
Another way in which the phrase “meet them where they are” can be observed is the fact that all students are at different levels in terms of their knowledge of different content areas. I would argue that generally speaking, students fall into 3 main categories; below sufficient, sufficient, or above average/ excelling. It means in no way, shape or form that the students who fall into the below average or average categories are “less” or “not as good” as the students who are above and beyond. Again, it means nothing bad, it’s just the way it is. Each student was put on this earth with different skills, abilities and learning styles/levels. Just because a student isn’t there yet doesn’t mean they will never get there. A way in which I observed this was also in high school, when I mentored a 6th grade boy whose family had just moved from Mexico. He spoke little English and was behind in almost every subject in school. I worked with him for about 70 minutes two times per week, helping him with his subjects and also teaching him some English. What I learned about this boy is that his work ethic and determination were not the problem. He came with me to the library every day with a good attitude, ready to learn and ready to work hard. Over the 3 month time in which I worked with him, he made tremendous progress in not only his learning, but how he was able to socialize with me and other people in the building. He just wasn’t there yet, but with his work ethic and good attitude, he will get to where he needs to be. All in all, what this idea means to me is that each student is unique in their own way. Not just how much they know, but the way in which they got there. It is different with every student. As an educator, it is crucial to understand the differences in each student and figure out the ways to get each student to learn the best. Each student. Not giving one or two students this effort isn’t good enough; I will need to figure out the best methods with each student. Especially being as though I plan to teach younger kids, this is a part of their lives where they are changing the most. These students will need me to meet them where they are at in order to ensure they maximize their learning and grow to be the best version of themselves.
