A Way to Get Unstuck When Working Through Complex Student Needs
An experienced learning specialist used Ellis when she felt stuck on a student case. It helped her step out of “tunnel vision,” generate ideas, and think through the situation more fully.
The Classroom Reality
Elaine Barry is a learning specialist at a school where about 85% of students have documented learning differences. She has been in the field for about 25 years and holds a doctorate in reading comprehension, teaching, and learning.
Her work involves supporting students with a wide range of needs and helping teachers think through accommodations and instructional approaches.
Even with that level of experience, there are moments where a situation becomes difficult to move forward.
She described turning to Ellis when she was “working too closely with a student” and needed another way to think about the situation.
Finding Clarity
Elaine began using Ellis out of curiosity, after seeing it in a newsletter. She entered information about the student scenario and where she felt stuck.
“I wrote in as many details about the student as I could think would be helpful.”
She described using it when she needed to step outside her usual way of thinking.
“It was really good at moving me out of tunnel vision when I’m working too closely with a student.”
Ellis' responses were often familiar at first, which was validating.
“The first four ideas… I’ve been there, tried those…”
But then something different surfaced that she hadn’t thought of before.
“I was like, ‘oh, I could try that’, and it helped me generate more ideas.”
What Shifted in Practice
Elaine described using Ellis as a step she can take when a situation becomes more complicated.
“If I’m stuck or I can’t come up with an answer… then I think it’s a great thing to jump into.”
She also noted that the structure of the tool helped her think through the student more fully.
“I like all the questions Ellis asked… you can select personality, and relationship, and all of that to truly customize the response.”
In practice, Ellis became a way to:
Step out of a narrow way of thinking
Revisit strategies she had already tried
Identify one or two additional ideas to test
What Felt Different
The shift for Elaine was not about changing her role or decision-making, but about having another way to think through complex situations.
“It’s a great idea generator that allows me to think through a problem more fully. I felt safe implementing the suggestions with the knowledge base from evidence-aligned expertise.”
What She’s Continuing to Build
Elaine continues to use Ellis when a more complex student need arises. She has also shared and demonstrated it in a department meeting with other learning specialists to show how it works in practice.
Call to Action
If you are working through a complex student situation and feel stuck, Ellis can help you step back, generate ideas, and think through your next step.
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