A student of mine once told me that he felt "not special." That left me dumbstruck. I was so moved by this statement, I was determined to do something to change his perception of himself. Our class was practicing a short play and to this student's utter surprise, he was given the lead role. I do not exaggerate, but he wowed the audience with his performance. He was funny, brave and simply amazing. It's been a while since I have seen him. He has moved on to Middle School and is a big and confident young man. One day I happened to meet him in the corridor. He winked at me and said, "Ms. Naini, I know I'm special." Ain't that just great?
This blog is a tribute to my parents who are life long-learners and my students whose identity and world views I am responsible for nurturing in the span of 365 days.