Spotlight on: Adolph “Doc” Brown

“Dynamo” might be the best term to describe Adolph “Doc” Brown. Keynote speaker, workshop and seminar leader, organizational consultant, child and family psychologist, even karate and kickboxing instructor, Brown places his skills under the umbrella of “master teacher.” He emphasizes strategies that will help all kids succeed and, to that end, he offers these words of wisdom applicable to mental health and learning disabilities.

Be aware of environmental factors, not just congenital ones. “Often children from economically deprived backgrounds don’t have their educational needs met and so they can’t learn. They often are stigmatized. I have to tell them constantly in the classroom, ‘Not everyone can be a rocket scientist, but a rocket scientist can come from anywhere.’”

Focus on relationships. “When it comes to teaching, the essence is, if we want significant results, we need significant relationships. But educators feel like they don’t have enough time to really get to know the kids in their classroom.”

Look deeper. Behavior that suggests one thing may actually have a very different source. Many children with mental health and learning disabilities or those with low self-esteem, Brown says, will act out because they would rather be seen as “bad” than “stupid.”