The Power of a Mindful Comment
Just got this great email from a teacher Peter and I met at the Massachusetts State House event a few weeks ago launching the “Making Our Mark: The Big Dot” initiative (where kids helping Peter create the world’s biggest dot):
I’m a 5th grade english teacher at the Groton Dunstable Middle school. A member of my parent committee, Lori Basnett,
contacted you a few days ago about a possible visit from you with our after school club called Bookmakers and Dreamers for Peace. I am following up on that email to ask further questions. Both Lori and I met you and Peter at the State House ‘Make Your Mark’ event recently. I’d like to share a quick story before I get to my main point; our kids were very impressed with your talk and one child, Cathy Batliner, was especially moved by a comment made by either you or Peter, about her ‘mark/dot’ she had decorated, on which she had printed in very small lettering in a corner at the bottom that she wanted to be a fashion designer. In big lettering she had said she wanted to help create peace, because we were there with our club of course. Peter combined the two ideas and suggested she think about fashion design for peace! This kid has been on fire with all kinds of peace designed tee shirts and accessories ever since and has inspired several other kids in the club to help her. It is a wonderful thing to watch this shy little kid come alive with this one comment.
This is the power of noticing the unique gifts of a learner - and offering a small comment to help inspire a journey. This is the kind of strategy that doesn’t take huge amounts of money or administrative programming to implement … It just takes a few moments and a mindful eye and heart.
I am writing a book about North Star experiences - and would love to get other stories that show the power of connecting to a learner’s strengths/gifts in a creative way that helped spark his/her potential. — Paul Reynolds
March 18th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Paul,
Great letter - very inspiring… thanks for sharing it! I’m also very interested in hearing more about the book you’re writing…
Maribeth Bush
April 4th, 2007 at 8:42 am
Hi Paul,
Awesome letter. Connecting with and helping young people dscover their own dreams keeps inspirational educators in classrooms year after year. During a class meeting before spring break, one of my students discussed how much she would enjoy sharing e-mails or snail mail with other NorthStar classrooms around the United States or even around the world. How do we go about locating them?
Peace,
Kevin M.
July 10th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Oh… Kevin… We are all there we would gladly be penpals with your class next year. or any other class for that matter I think that is a tremendous idea… Children really need that inspiration and motivation from their own peer group. Being in Nova Scotia (Canada) I think it is neat to expand their horizons and meet kids from other Countries as well - they soon realize just how alike they are and how many of their own dreams are reflected in the writings of one so many miles away.
As an aside…
We actually did the largest dot activity last year but did not get to send them in. The children decided to write a poem on their dot… A concentric “About Me” poem… they were absolutely beautiful.
When they finished writing their poem they outlined the words in a thinline permanent marker then used chalk pastels and blended…. they looked like colourful marbles - those who read the poems I admit might have gotten a stiff neck from reading around the dot but the effect was absolutely stunning…
Thanks for the amazing inspirational idea - the children will cherish it in their grade 4/5 porfolios for a lifetime.
Lori