Brittney Bowen: A Teacher’s Success Story

True success for Brittney Bowen is summed up in being able to return to her elementary school as an inspirational teacher.

KE: What were your biggest struggles growing up? What were your toughest challenges in the classroom?
BB: Reading, for me, has always been very slow. It took me a long time to process material. Everyone in class was finished before me. Homework was labored and felt like it took forever. History was my hardest subject growing up. It took me so long to read the words that I had a hard time seeing the bigger picture. My dad had to re-teach me the history lesson like a story to bring meaning to what the words were saying. I didn’t like History until I took it in college. Spelling, as it is for most dyslexics, was and continues to be a daily weakness.

KE: How old were you when you were diagnosed with a learning disability? What is your earliest memory of struggling in school?
BB: My first memory of having a learning difference was at the age of 7. Until this point, I was sailing through Montessori school. I was ahead of the other kids and often was teaching them. I knew all I was supposed to know: my colors, numbers, letters… I was learning everything with my auditory skills.

Then I had to take a standardized test to get into Woodward Academy. To say that didnít go well is an understatement. I can still clearly remember crying throughout the test. The words didnít make any sense to me. I kept trying to get someone to explain the words to me but they couldnít assist me on the test. To my 7-year-old mind, I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t help me and I was very much alone. The results, as you can imagine, were not good. My learning difference was brought in full light then. When I could not rely on my listening skills and had to read instead, I was unable to succeed.

My mom consulted Dr. Mel Levine who sent me to a neurologist. I was diagnosed with ADD and dyslexia. The public school testing missed the diagnosis because they werenít looking for the gaps. There is a big discrepancy between my intellect and my reading ability. Because I appeared to be ìdoing fine,î I was overlooked as a child with learning issues. Thanks to my mom I was going to get the help I needed at The Schenck School.

KE: How did your challenges change as you progressed through elementary, middle school and high school?
BB: I went to Schenck through fourth grade and then transferred into Woodward Academy. Needless to say, I was scared about the transition. I took comfort in knowing that a former Schenck teacher, Lynn Givens, was going to be a tutor at Woodward. I knew she would be there to help me if I needed her. She helped reinforce the skills I learned to attack my reading difficulties.

The true test came when I entered the larger campus in seventh grade. My parents felt that I should go to a school closer to home. I transferred to the Wesleyan School after eighth grade. This school was the perfect fit for me. It was definitely still a challenge but with the hard work I was used to, it was attainable. Success was an uphill battle but achievable with all the skills I had obtained and all the support from home.

KE: Were there any particular interventions or teaching methods that helped you make gains academically?
BB: The Orton-Gillingham approach to reading, along with other memorization techniques I learned, was a great solid start to my future as a proficient reader. I still use many of these tricks (songs, acronyms, etc.). Organization and these skills have been essential in my success.

Books on tape are a godsend for children with reading difficulties. I was able to keep up with faster readers and still get the bigger picture as I listened and followed along in books as the stories would unfold. Extended time on testing and even everyday work is very important as well. I had to fight for two months to get extra time on my GRE. This was at the age of 22! Testing does not become less dreaded over time when you have reading difficulties.

Inattention was definitely interfering with my learning by the age of 8. After listening to the doctorís advice and doing extensive research, medication was found to be the right fit for me. Last year, after being on medication for 15 years, I decided to take myself off of the medication. I noticed a marked decline in my concentration skills and my ability to multitask. After battling with inattention for about a year, I recently started taking medication again and accepted the fact that I simply do better with it.

KE: Did you feel prepared to go to college after graduating from high school?
BB: Oh, yeah! I went to Samford University where I tried two years as a business major. This turned out to not be my calling. I did well, all As and Bs, but suffered for the success. I studied constantly for those two years, only getting three hours of sleep most nights. I knew something had to change.

When I changed to education, I knew where I belonged. I still had to study diligently to make the grades but I was now making a 4.0 and enjoying what I was doing. In my new major, they really showed us how to teach by example. They varied methods, styles and testing techniques to encompass all types of learners. They did not try to put us in a box.

KE: Did your struggles ever cause your self-esteem to suffer?
BB: My mom had many concerns over my self image. She spent a great deal of time and effort restoring any damage the world could do. She built me up in any way she could think of and, because of this, I really didnít suffer. Kids will always compare themselves to each other and I knew I learned differently. I was taught that this was not a negative and it doesnít define you.

Early intervention was a blessing for me. I left the Montessori school and entered Schenck where the other kids learned like me. I never had to face failures in a “regular” classroom setting. For this reason, among many others, I really believe in early intervention.

KE: What advice would you give to parents of children who struggle with learning challenges?
BB: Educate yourself! Learn what is best for your child and then do it! Whatever it takes, search for resources and give your child what he needs. You have to work hard for your kids. I would never be where I am today if my mom hadnít known her child and what I was capable of. That meant finding out how I learned best, finding who is the best in that field, and getting me exactly what I needed. All the while, she was letting me know that I was just as good as anyone else. My mom taught me the importance of knowing my own strengths and weaknesses and that mine are no better or worse than anyone elseís.

KE: What advice would you give a child who is struggling in school?
BB: I would advise him to be open to new ways to learn. If you need structure, medicine or a different learning style, try it to make learning less frustrating and success achievable. Remember that everyone learns differently and you can and will learn. Don’t compare yourself to others just find out how you learn and do it.

Kids need lots of encouragement. They need to know we believe in them and their unique abilities. Find their strengths and build on these. Also, make sure that kids are not defined by their educational experience. Find out what brings them joy and focus on this.

KE: Is there anything that you would do differently or think should have been done differently for you during your childhood education?
BB: There needs to be a better way to evaluate kids. The educational system needs to improve on testing. In order to find out a child’s full potential, different types of learning styles need to be examined. Standardized tests are not sufficient in an accurate evaluation of children who learn differently. We need to learn how to better teach kids using their learning style. We need to get the children out of the box they keep getting stuffed into.

KE: How do you define success at this point in your life?
BB: I have my dream job. I can look back and see that all my struggles have led me here ñ to a school where I can teach kids who are struggling. I am an example for the children of Schenck that success is right around the corner – life is possible.

Kids Enabled would like to thank Brittney Bowen for sharing her story with our readers

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