What is our fascination with butterflies? Oh I understand, they are beautiful. In my family we love monarchs. My children hunted for milkweeds with their grandma to find the caterpillars that would someday become the monarchs.
But what’s wrong with the caterpillar?
It’s as if the potential for something more beautiful, more appreciated is instinctive. “What if” sometimes seems more important than “what is”.
I’m guilty of it myself. I wrote about the butterfly and asked Whose Wings are You Seeing.
But the caterpillar is valuable and beautiful in and of itself. It does not need to transform to have value.
Helping our students see their potential is important. We build lessons and design activities to help them imagine success in high school, a college experience, or a future career. All great things to do. But it is equally important to ensure they know they are wonderful right now.
As educators it is our privilege and our awesome responsibility to ensure that every child in our care knows they matter. Right now, in their current condition, in their current state, they are wonderfully and perfectly made. Will they grow? Of course. When they know better, will they do better? I hope.
But I am trying to focus on appreciating people, and appreciating myself, for who we are right now.
Be That Person 