Jan Reeder's advice for teaching exceptional and at-risk students

¶ … Reeder, exceptional students don't always fit into the system. In many if not most cases, no amount of well-meaning programs, classroom exercises, or academic work can change at-risk or disabled students: They are the ones "for which no class or workshop can prepare us." Therefore, it is the teacher's responsibility to be "exceptional." Reeder's article can help young educators grapple with the most challenging teaching situations, the ones involving behavioral problems. Exceptional students, from those who have severe physical impairments to those who come to school drunk, require extra concern, energy, and attention, but they need not overwhelm young teachers. Reeder advises her readers to cultivate acceptance and to "prepare for anything."

Teachers, many of whom begin their careers with starry-eyed idealism, believe that they can make a difference in every student's life. They might feel that they alone can transform a bad attitude into a good one, failing grades into straight A's, a delinquent into a valedictorian. With just a little love and extra attention, some teachers think that their students' fate can be altered by a few kind or wise words. An experienced teacher and parent of a severely handicapped child, Jan Reeder warns teachers that it is "pure bunk" to think that any "good" teacher can "turn any kid around."