Deby Adair's Blog - Posts Tagged "we-re-each-unique"
When the obvious is new
‘I have something very important to tell you. Did you know that each human being born on this planet has a very special purpose that is completely their own and that belongs only to them? Did you know that each and every one of you is the only one who can do or be something that absolutely no one else can ever be or do?’
Last year during my school tour as an author and Friend of the National Year of Reading - to support and promote literacy - I went to a school which was considered a ‘difficult’ school. The teachers were some of the most amazing, dedicated and inspirational people that
I have ever met, and I will never forget their commitment and integrity.
I presented to approximately 800 children in that school that day and as the older children began filing into the hall, the teachers became more and more stressed and nervous and continued to let me know that if the kids were rude or badly behaved, not to take it personally and, to their credit, they kept asking me if I would be ok with that.
I responded by telling them that if I could once re-train ‘dangerous’ horses then children were no different… neither they, or the horses, were the problem, it was the approach that counted. I could see the teachers were hoping I wasn’t delusional.
The older children filed in, not terribly disinterested but not terribly interested either, unlike the dear younger children who were absolutely divine to present to.
The older children talked loudly amongst themselves, told stories and were obviously relieved to be out of the school room… until I spoke those words to them… ‘I have something very important to tell you. Did you know that each human being born on this planet has a very special purpose that is completely their own and that belongs only to them? Did you know that each and every one of you is the only one who can do or be something that absolutely no one else can ever be or do?’
And you could have cut the air with a knife, the silence was so thick. For the rest of the presentation I had their full attention.
It seems impossible doesn’t it, that what is so perfectly obvious, was new to those kids… by their silence they let me know that no one may ever have said those words to them before… and it was in the barrage of appreciative emails that they sent me in the following weeks that I knew that going to a ‘troubled and difficult’ school was one of the best choices I have ever made.
UnicornKisses to you all. Deby.
Last year during my school tour as an author and Friend of the National Year of Reading - to support and promote literacy - I went to a school which was considered a ‘difficult’ school. The teachers were some of the most amazing, dedicated and inspirational people that
I have ever met, and I will never forget their commitment and integrity.
I presented to approximately 800 children in that school that day and as the older children began filing into the hall, the teachers became more and more stressed and nervous and continued to let me know that if the kids were rude or badly behaved, not to take it personally and, to their credit, they kept asking me if I would be ok with that.
I responded by telling them that if I could once re-train ‘dangerous’ horses then children were no different… neither they, or the horses, were the problem, it was the approach that counted. I could see the teachers were hoping I wasn’t delusional.
The older children filed in, not terribly disinterested but not terribly interested either, unlike the dear younger children who were absolutely divine to present to.
The older children talked loudly amongst themselves, told stories and were obviously relieved to be out of the school room… until I spoke those words to them… ‘I have something very important to tell you. Did you know that each human being born on this planet has a very special purpose that is completely their own and that belongs only to them? Did you know that each and every one of you is the only one who can do or be something that absolutely no one else can ever be or do?’
And you could have cut the air with a knife, the silence was so thick. For the rest of the presentation I had their full attention.
It seems impossible doesn’t it, that what is so perfectly obvious, was new to those kids… by their silence they let me know that no one may ever have said those words to them before… and it was in the barrage of appreciative emails that they sent me in the following weeks that I knew that going to a ‘troubled and difficult’ school was one of the best choices I have ever made.
UnicornKisses to you all. Deby.
