First I must say that my happy place is a meadow of wildflowers. The sun is warm and shining and there is a slight breeze. The meadow is on a hill that overlooks the surrounding land. I often find myself sitting bare back upon a horse. It is there that I seek refuge in my mind.
Now as for the field of flowers as a metaphor for a classroom of children, one could easily see the faces of children as those wildflowers. Just as with flowers, students are different because of their many traits and environment. Several kinds of flowers are often found in fields. Most often there is more of one kind of flower than others. So it goes with a classroom. There always seems to be a majority and a minority whether it be race, achievement level, culture, etc. Many of each kind of flower bloom close together and look so much alike but if special attention is paid to each one, differences can be noticed. Some students may look similar however their shape, size, personalities, interests is what sets them apart from all the others. Flowers are shaped by their environment. If a flower is provided sunlight, air, water, nutrients, and space, it will grow large and beautifully. However, if a flower is crowded and must fight for nutrients, space, or water, then it will spend more energy on survival then on flourishing. So it goes with children also. When looking upon children, it’s amazing how much there is about each of them if we just stop, look, and listen.
