Temple Grandin Visits Colorado Academy
There was definitely a buzz in the air last Thursday as our SPEAK event was about to begin. Not only did we have a very large crowd gathering in the West Gym (one of the biggest ever for a SPEAK event), but the people I spoke to there all shared the sort of eager anticipation usually reserved for an interaction with a celebrity. Clearly, Temple Grandin was a big draw. Whether she has touched the lives of many with her personal story, or because she has inspired them through her work on behalf of people like her who have autism, or has amazed them with her incredible accomplishments in the field of animal science, she has definitely made an impact in many ways. In terms of education, I know there are many teachers who appreciate the way she has opened up the dialogue around different sorts of learners and has helped all of us reach a wider range of students.
Her book titles say a lot about how she has contributed to educational practice: The Way I See It, Thinking in Pictures, Calling All Minds, and The Autistic Brain, just to name a few. All of these books, full of the latest brain research and anecdotes about alternative modes of learning, have helped us appreciate the value of neurodiversity and divergent ways of seeing the world.
So by the time Ms. Grandin took the stage, we were ready for an informative presentation and the reflections of someone who has been a leader in multiple fields of study. What I don’t think many of us expected was how entertaining and humorous our speaker would be! Indeed, I think a stand-up comic would have been proud of this performance full of stories, wry humor, and cultural observations. There were a few topics and companies on the receiving end of her wit and wisdom: algebra (a subject she could never master and which she argued should not be an obstacle to those whose brains work differently); Boeing (they should have known about their 737’s design flaws), soy milk (it’s terrible for you!), and the meat packing industry.
She sprinkled in plenty of observations about how her brain works differently than others and how we need all sorts of minds to be successful as a culture. She described how she thinks in pictures, not words, and how that sort of thinking can be extremely effective in creative problem solving. Some of the great thinkers of history may have been on the spectrum, she argues, although we did not have the vocabulary to describe them as such back then.
After her talk, as Temple Grandin signed books, posed for pictures, and interacted with her admirers, it was clear that this was a person very comfortable with her own strengths and weaknesses and proud of her ability to connect with a wide range of people, despite (or maybe because of) her autism. Her appearance at CA was certainly a highlight of this academic year.
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