I Used to Be in Special Ed. Now I Teach PhDs.

R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness · Mar 28, 2026 · 5m

One of the hardest things I’ve learned as a professor is this:

most people don’t “get it” on the first try.

And that’s not because they aren’t smart.

It’s because we all learn differently.

When I was a kid, I was in special education until grade six.

I struggled to read.

Phonics saved me.

Slowly. Painfully.

But here’s the strange thing—

as I grew older, I started to see things quickly.

I could understand patterns, solve equations, and connect ideas…

but I couldn’t explain how I did it.

That made me a terrible teacher at first.

I assumed my students would just “get it.”

They didn’t.

So I…