It would be difficult to pinpoint precisely when we determined that teaching and learning styles needed to better accommodate the varying learning paces of students, and why we have taken such a long time to fully acknowledge this need for adaptability in classroom pedagogy. My sense is that part of the tardiness related to a lack of will and basic denial on the part of the decision-makers. Another observation is the relevant costs were perhaps elusive to some and nonquantifiable for others. Whatever the case, the classroom experiences for many students have assuredly been uninspiring and unfulfilling when compared to expectations. Our inability or unwillingness to respond appropriately has resulted in too many students in classroom units, little or no additional one-on-one support for those who need it, increased student behavioral challenges, and even unprecedented school dropout rates. These realities are a stark reminder that while our schools have undoubtedly failed large populations of young people, we must be vigilant in our efforts to continually interpret and implement new pedagogical models that enable teaching professionals to operate effectively in classroom settings.

The one-size-fits-all model that was the dominant classroom approach for decades completely ignored the fact that student learning occurs along a continuum as opposed to adhering to specific timetables and fitting nicely in a box. For example, the early attempts to implement student tracking according to perceived aptitudes caused more confusion than clarity. Many of these tracking programs failed to account for the academic growth and development of students who were late bloomers and warranted being placed in higher performing tracks at later stages. Classroom pedagogy has evolved in ways that allow the time and space to merge a wider range of teaching and learning styles with different student learning paces and stages. Instead of feeling boxed in, teachers and students are given chances to explore and discover what methods and approaches work best in the context of their unique abilities. One important lesson learned has been the need to provide teaching professionals with the flexibility to create classroom environments that respond appropriately to their respective students' academic needs. The promise of school age teaching is that if we recruit and retain individuals who bring varied perspectives and experiences to classrooms, we perhaps stand even greater chances for achieving optimal matches between teacher and student talents and tendencies.