The low performing learner can often be seen as the witch of the educational team. They are the student who struggles to keep up with their peers, who seems to constantly disrupt the flow of the classroom, and who requires extra attention and resources from the teacher. It is easy for the low performing learner to be seen as a burden, a problem that needs to be solved or managed. But this perspective overlooks the potential within these students. Yes, they may not be performing at the same level as their peers, but that does not mean they are incapable or untalented. In fact, these students often possess unique strengths and abilities that can be nurtured and developed.

Into the Popvoid

In fact, these students often possess unique strengths and abilities that can be nurtured and developed. It is the responsibility of the educational team to identify and harness these strengths in order to help the low performing learner reach their full potential. This requires a shift in mindset, from seeing the low performing learner as a problem to viewing them as an opportunity for growth and learning.

Uncharted territory: the smash hits that never were

Heart – Magic Man

As we’ve previously discussed in this column, while the US and UK singles charts of today look remarkably similar, back in the pre-digital age there were huge discrepancies between songs that became hits in the US and in the UK. These chart discrepancies also created huge career discrepancies for some of the biggest artists of the time. For some acts, this meant being superstars on one side of the Atlantic while remaining one-hit wonders on the other (see Take That). For others, it meant having completely different runs of hits in the US and the UK (ABBA, anyone?). And for at least one superstar group, it meant having a whole career of hit making in the US – almost ten years of hits, in fact – before denting the British charts. That group? Everyone’s favorite sister act, Heart.

Often erroneously considered a Canadian band, Heart was actually first formed in the late 1960s in the Seattle area and its original line-up was all male. The band went through several iterations (and several name changes, including “Hocus Pocus” and “White Heart”), but the addition of its eventual secret weapon, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, came about in an interesting way. In 1972, band member Mike Fisher fled to British Columbia to avoid the Vietnam draft. Ann Wilson met him in Vancouver at one of the band’s shows, promptly fell in love with him, and decided to stay in Canada. Her sister Nancy Wilson followed and then became romantically involved with Mike’s brother Roger. The four of them, along with bassist Steve Fossen (who had also moved to BC), formed what became the 1970s core of the band, now re-christened simply Heart. (Given the romantic entanglements, “Rain City ABBA” might have been a more appropriate name.)

The band recorded its first album, Dreamboat Annie, in Vancouver in 1975, and it sold fairly well in Canada. It was then released in the US, where it became a bona fide smash, reaching no.7 on the Billboard album charts and selling over a million copies. The album’s first single, Crazy on You, only reached no.35 on the US singles chart but became an FM radio airplay smash. Part of the reason for its success was the uncanny similarity of the Wilson sisters’ vocals to those of Grace Slick of Jefferson Starship/Airplane (and many listeners mistook the single for a new song by Starship). But on the album’s second single, Magic Man, the sisters and the band forged their own musical identity and created a smash.

Magic Man tells the heartwarming story of a girl who is seduced by an older man against her mother’s wishes. To no one’s surprise, Ann Wilson divulged in an interview that the song was about her relationship with Mike Fisher. The song, which features the supremely enjoyable and classically 1970s sound of the Minimoog synthesizer, reached the US top 10 and became one of the defining rock anthems of the 1970s there. It also launched the band’s first American imperial phase, which included nine additional top 40 hits between 1976 and 1981, including the classics Barracuda, Heartless, Straight On, Dog and Butterfly and the band’s amazing cover of Tell it Like it Is. None of these US smashes, however, even dented the UK singles chart.

Fast forward to 1986. A “new” group appears on the UK charts, fronted by two sisters with large hair and even larger voices. These Dreams initially peaked at no.62, but the following year Alone entered the British top 5 and signaled the start of a five-year run of 8 UK top 40 hits for Heart. Some of these – including These Dreams, Never and What About Love – came from 1985’s eponymous album, which had kick-started the band’s second American imperial phase. However, the previous ten years of US hit-making still remained relatively unknown. Even Simon Cowell was not immune to this Heart chart ignorance – when a contestant performed Magic Man on American Idol, Cowell’s response was “your vocal was good but why did you choose this song that NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD OF?” Of course, US fans knew better.

Entered chart: did not chart

Who could sing this today and have a hit? Little Mix might be able to do something cool with this, although I’d love to see America’s sweetheart Gwen Stefani pop-punk this up.

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Magic Man by Heart.

This song was the inspiration for the prompt words of the Haiku Challenge this week. Getting here was a roundabout way, from watching magic/syfy on Netflix, to thinking through during my quiet time about my current book idea, and ultimately having the words he’s a magic man come to mind. Well, being a child of the 80s means I also listened to a lot of music in the 70s. And thus, here we are.

Imagine my surprise when I began my research of this song and finding a Marine’s daughter who chased after this older man who left for Canada to avoid the draft and Vietnam. Yes, a whole lot of that song is autobiographical.

Ann Wilson was that girl, still living at home and going to art college, and meeting future band mate and manager (and older man) Mike Fisher. Ann stated in a Rolling Stone’s interview that during one of those phone conversations with her mother she was even asked if she were taking birth control. The early 70s was beyond the Marine wife’s comprehension.

Now you have a bit introduction into how Ann ended up being a rock goddess and member of the hall of fame, along with her sister Nancy. The sisters even dated brothers who were both in the band. Both couples broke up in 1979. Ann is married with children and Nancy, is now married again after divorcing director Cameron Crowe ending their 24 year marriage.

Ann was the lead singer, dark-haired beauty with a voice to wake the devil and warn him she was coming. She was told by industry people that she was the face while her younger sister Nancy was the body. Ann used drugs and starved herself trying to stay thin.

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MAGIC MAN

Jackson Wang, the Chinese singer/rapper formerly of the immensely popular K-pop boy band GOT7, has leaned into an alter ego. On his first solo physical album, his voice has never sounded so pop-rock cool. From the palm-muted power chords of “Blow” and the slick guitar riffs and huge drum fills of “Cruel” to the Machine Gun Kelly-esque emo performance of “Go Ghost” and retro ’80s synth-pop of “Drive It Like You Stole It,” this is a high-octane, rock ’n’ roll Wang like we’ve never heard before. Recorded entirely in English, MAGIC MAN is explosive in its pleasures, a surprising evolution for a veteran performer.

September 9, 2022 10 Songs, 27 minutes ℗ 2022 TEAM WANG records, exclusively distributed by 88rising Records/Warner Records Inc.

It means creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment where all students feel valued and empowered. It means providing targeted and individualized instruction that addresses the specific needs and challenges of the low performing learner. It means working collaboratively with parents, administrators, and specialists to develop a comprehensive plan for the student's success. And most importantly, it means always believing in the potential of the low performing learner, even when they might not believe in themselves. By embracing this perspective, the low performing learner can transform from the witch of the educational team to a valuable and respected member, contributing their unique talents and perspectives to the learning community..

Reviews for "Providing Special Education Services for Low-Performing Learners"

1. Sarah - 2 stars: I was really disappointed with "The low performing learner and the witch of the educational team". The storyline was confusing and hard to follow. Moreover, the characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with them. The book also had numerous grammatical and spelling errors, which were distracting and took away from the reading experience. Overall, I found this book to be poorly executed and would not recommend it.

2. John - 1 star: "The low performing learner and the witch of the educational team" was a complete waste of time. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, full of clichés and tired tropes. The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it hard to believe in the story or the characters. Additionally, the writing style was tedious and lacked any sort of flair or creativity. I struggled to finish this book and was left feeling thoroughly unsatisfied. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.

3. Lisa - 2 stars: I had high hopes for "The low performing learner and the witch of the educational team", but it fell short in many ways. The pacing was uneven, with slow sections that dragged on and failed to hold my interest. The dialogue was forced and awkward at times, making it difficult to fully engage with the story. The book also lacked any real character development, leaving me feeling apathetic towards the outcome. While the concept had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

Differentiating Instruction for Low-Performing Learners