Educating Einstein

Einstein and Newton are heralded as geniuses, rightly so.
The two men largely influenced how we view the world today.
Both had a talent for boiling complex idea simply and eloquently.
They also exhibited other similar traits.

Newton was highly introverted. He hardly spoke.
He was distant and short-tempered with the few friends he had.
He was so obsessed with his work that he would often forget to eat.
At the age of 50, he had a nervous breakdown due to depression and paranoia.

Einstein was also a loner.
As a child, he was notorious for obsessively repeating sentences.
He was known for wearing women's open-toed shoes and no socks.
There are stories of him taking long walks around Princeton and often forgetting how to get back home.

Although neither showed signs of a learning disability, they both exhibited obsessive interests, difficulty socializing and building relationships, and problems communicating. Although it is pure speculation based on anecdotal behavior, some have concluded that both men could have been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

Imagine Einstein was a student in the American school system today.
Would have an IEP or a 504 plan?
Would be placed in an In-Class Resource Room?
Pull-Out Resource Room?
A Self-Contained classroom?

Would these things help him or hinder him?
How would his teachers and peers view him?
Would he be given the opportunities to develop his general theory of relativity?

Take a look around your classroom.
There may be an Einstein among you.
They might be the last person you'd expect.