I was walking along an ocean beach one hot summer day. In the distance, I saw a man who was doing a strange dance, bending over again and again. As I got closer, I saw that he was picking up starfish that had washed up on the shore and was throwing them back. I asked him, "Why are you throwing those starfish into the sea?"
He replied, "The tide is going out, the sun is hot, and if I don't, they will die here."I asked him why he was doing this since the beach was miles long and there were thousands of starfish and the few he threw back wouldn't make any difference.
The man paused with a starfish in his hand. He looked at it, then looked out at the ocean. Then, he tossed the starfish out and said, 'Made a difference to that one.'
The pin has hung above my desk ever since...it reminds me that every interaction I have with students is delicate...and has a lasting impact.
Last week the students and staff at my school held our first ever "Identity Day". It was a culmination of months of planning, organizing, and cajoling. At the end of the day a few staff members gathered at a favorite watering hole and reflected on the experience. Our discussion reminded me of the man and the starfish.
The day was filled with students connecting, making friends, and sharing their passions. Some of the highlights:
- "A" is a shy student with poor handwriting but impressed many with her knowledge of cake decorating. She brought in several samples of decorative flowers she made and answered questions to a captive audience.
- "R" is a shy student that wanted to stay home because of her anxiety about presenting. During her presentation (piano playing) she met a another student that shared her passion and they spent the rest of the day playing the piano together and getting to know each other.
- "R" is a student that tops our list of minor & major discipline referrals. Yet on this day, he talked endlessly about his knowledge of his family's business: cutting hair. He talked expertly about the different tools of the trade and impressed many.
- "A" is a student that likes to draw. She draws female models wearing fashions she images in her mind. She thought her drawings were just a hobby until she was told she could study fashion in high school...and learn how to make real versions of her fashions. For the rest of the day she was on cloud nine!
There were many such stories throughout the day...these are just a few I witnessed for myself. Unfortunately there were some not so flattering moments like the 150+ students that stayed home (four times the normal amount), students thinking that the "food room" was a place for free samples, or the large number of presentations that saw student after student walk past without acknowledging the presenter.
During the planning phase we talked about encouraging students to take a risk not knowing what the payoff would be. For some, the payoff never materialized. For others, the risk was met with negativity. But for hundreds of others, the payoff came in the form of positive feedback or the new friends they made. All-in-all it was a positive day in our school. That doesn't mean we can rest easy.
I am troubled knowing that students walked away from Identity Day with a negative experience. Was the risk worth it to them? How do we minimize the risk next time?
When I think about Identity Day, I think about our staff as the man on the beach throwing back starfish. They did a fantastic job of encouraging, modeling, and preparing our students for a successful day....but we didn't get to everyone.
