Thinking Outside the Box with Learning Specialist Mia Morris

Progress Parade tutor and math-enthusiast Mia Morris has always known she wanted to work with children in some capacity. And while she has a Master of Arts in Teaching, a Learning behavior Specialist license from the Illinois State Board of Education, and over 10 years experience in education, her career path has not always been as linear and straightforward as it seems.

“When I was in college, I majored in human development and family studies. I was looking to move on to the field of child development. So I went back to grad school to focus on child and family counseling. However, that program was being phased out right after I applied for it, so I pursued a degree in general community counseling, still hoping to work with families and children.”

After deviating from her original plan, Mia found herself interning in a therapeutic day school, and working with students who could no longer function in what we think of a regular education setting, and who need more precise services.

"I feel that all students should be given the chance to learn no matter their behavioral difficulties or academic challenges."

“While I was there I discovered that some teachers were not that great at making sure that all the students were learning. So that kind of piqued my interest in special education. I feel that all students should be given the chance to learn no matter their behavioral difficulties or academic challenges. So, I went back to grad school again! That’s when I became a Special Education teacher in Chicago Public Schools”.

Every student has their quirk

While working in schools, Mia realized that working with students one-on-one might be more effective than splitting her services between many students in the same class.

“It’s really hard to meet students' individual needs when you’re being split across the classroom.”

A common misconception is that there is a one-size fits all educational solution for kids with learning challenges, but educators involved in the neuro-diverse movement like Mia know that different people have different needs.

“Everything is not going to fit in one box. You have to figure out how your individual student learns and figure out what strategy will cater to that. You can't just push your techniques on a student. Their brain might not function that way. For me, it's about becoming more self-reflective in my practice and asking myself if what I am doing is working, or does a student need a different strategy to master the certain skill?”

For example, while ABH (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy might work for some kids, Mia believes that some neuro-diverse people might benefit from embracing or adapting their behaviors, rather than suppressing them altogether.

"Embracing and incorporating a child’s different behaviors and quirks is a more positive thing for the classroom than trying to dim those down."

“Every kid is different and every kid's gonna have their quirks. And even though, you know, a child may be neuro diverse. I don't think that means that we need to stop some of those behaviors that we may see, because that's what makes that child who they are. So I think embracing and incorporating different behaviors and different quirks is a more positive thing for the classroom than trying to dim those down.”

Setting realistic goals and celebrating progress

Some of the best advice Mia can give parents of children with special needs is to be patient, but also to be very realistic about what they want to achieve through one-on-one tutoring. Each student’s journey is different, and their progress should be celebrated. For example, one of her students hit a major milestone by being able to make eye-contact.

“I have a second grade student that I have been working with since first grade. He’s on the spectrum, and was very, very nervous and unsure of new people and situations. He would kind of look from the side of the face at me. I had to think about how I was going to develop this relationship, so we kind of talked about baseball, and the game go-fish and all that. And he’s made great academic success, but I think that what matters the most is that he’s opened up so much. He's starting to tell jokes and understand jokes. He’s making eye-contact! He asked me how my day is, which is really great for some kids on the spectrum to be able to have that perspective and be interested in another person.”

Thinking outside the box

Mia’s focus on adapting her strategy to student’s needs has been key to bringing her one-on-one services online. Even when her students don’t have access to some materials, she finds a way to make it work.

“It is difficult to teach concepts like counting money when some of my students do need physical money in front of them. So if they're at home and their parents don't have coins to use, it's a little bit more challenging. But I do have a way to make it so that they are still getting that information. I might have to use more visuals or practice my drawing skills on the screen a little bit or find something comparable online.”

Mia stresses that it’s important for parents to keep realistic expectations and set clear goals for what can be achieved through online tutoring. With her students, Mia works through challenges by exploring different resources that can be found online.

"It's hard to spend an hour sitting in front of a screen. So don't be afraid to get a little silly."

“Don't be afraid to look for different resources that are out of the box. There are a lot of different resources out there that you can utilize that are online. Anything interactive is good because I have a lot of little students like in 1st and 2nd grade who have ADHD. It's hard for them to spend an hour sitting in front of a screen. So don't be afraid to get a little silly. Anything on a screen that you can move around is good, and I can also give control of my screen to my kids. They like to do things like move things on my screen, sort of like a coloring book.”

Adapting to each student’s needs

At Progress Parade, we’re all about embracing the differences that make us unique, and matching diverse learners with a special educator who will champion their individual needs.

Executive Functioning coach Mia Morris has a Passion for Teaching Math, and extensive Social-Emotional Expertise. She has her Master of Arts in Teaching and is licensed by the  Illinois State Board of education as a learning behavior Specialist.

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If you’re looking to be matched with an online tutor with Mia’s expertise, book a free consultation with Progress Parade.