Feeling Special and How to Get There
by Reisa Schwartzman
In today’s economic cutbacks, schools are being challenged to find ways to make each and every student feel special. Teachers are stretched with decreasing budgets and increasing classroom sizes that include students with multiple needs and special needs. So how should a caring educator help each individual and make everyone feel special?
I was lucky enough to teach for 18 years in an unconventional situation as a dance teacher in my own dance school. Having over 200 students, I tried to meet the needs by teaching the love and passion of dance and giving my love to my students as much as I could. I was a lot like a lot of other teachers.
One day, a parent came to me and told me that she was pulling her daughter from dancing so that she could have her focus on school because she was having difficulty in many subjects. Cecily was a gorgeous dancer and dance made her feel special. I knew it. Her mom didn’t think about that at first. I pleaded to her mom not to take her out of dance as this was her "special" thing and that if she could stick to dance she would always have something that made her feel special even if she was struggling at school. Gratefully the mom agreed and let Cecily continue.
Cecily continued thru school as a dancer, graduated high school and entered a dance program in university. She got a degree from a very good university, danced and then later was given a great position with a very large national company as a development manager. Not bad for someone who really struggled at school.
With my own son who struggled at school, we worked to find what made him feel special. It was football and drums! Neither of which were on my agenda of things I wanted to have in my house. We have drums in his room and down in the basement where the band practiced all the way through school. He is now in a very good university on scholarship in their business program. He found his special and found his way through all the other "stuff" to become successful.
Find that something that makes you "feel special". Everyone has one. If you can hold onto what makes you feel special, all the hard stuff is easier to manage so hear is a guide line to help find your special talents.
We all have hidden talents, and some that are not so hidden. Some people think that they have no special talents at all. Often what others consider a talent is something that we just do without thinking, which shows how much of a gift it is.
How to build your students special talents:
- Ask them to write down what they can do. Find what comes easiest to them. It does not have to be complicated at all.
- Ask them to write down what they like to do. Hobbies that they enjoy may not be seen as talent, but if they had no aptitude then it would not be a hobby. Even if it appears to be insignificant.
- Help them find their niche. Someone in the school or near by may have the same interest and hobbies. This also can help build new friendships and confidence.
- Let them cultivate and hone their talents. Raw talent needs to be developed. Let them take the next steps in building their talents. If they can do a cartwheel, learn how to do a one handed cartwheel. Talents are to be used and expanded, not to lay dormant and wither away. Or, simply put, use it or lose it.
- Let them perform or make what they like to do. If they enjoy what they do, then is it really work?
You could make this into a game in your classroom or take a more serious approach but finding out what makes you feel special can affect the rest of your life.
About Griddly Games
Griddly Games creates award-winning party and board games that deliver innovative, engaging fun that brings people together while encouraging social interaction, learning, strategy and challenges that anyone (the entire grid of people) can enjoy. To discover more about Griddly Games, visit http://www.griddlygames.com.
