Challenges of this nature are often associated with more traditional forms of education, but they can occur in any classroom, even our own.  If children come away from an experience with   a sense of frustration, we must look back on the work more carefully and courageously than ever. Even in a case where a child’s behavior was disruptive, we must look critically at our own words and actions, and then ask what we might have done differently.

Attending to the overall well-being of one’s class requires making  sure that each individual child is getting what they need. The deep desire to provide for every child, including the exceptionally creative is part of our cultural context.

It is possible to meet the needs of individual children, and at the same time move an entire class toward greater and greater collaboration. Focusing questions rather than the more traditional praise upon an exceptional child can help others to engage and soar higher.

If teachers can begin each day anticipating something wonderful taking place at any moment, they will be far more likely to notice the amazing. If teachers are not beginning their day with such a mindset, if they feel too rushed, this works against them. Most will still do their best to be cheerful as children begin to arrive, but their receptivity is often diminished. 

If we are not actively looking for the extraordinary, we are less likely to see it.  Most of the time, the transformation from ordinary to exceptional takes place in a matter of seconds, with one child’s creative response to someone or something. That spark of an idea is frequently emulated and further elaborated by others. Both Piaget and Vygotsky would be quite pleased. 

It is the uniqueness of each child which make group process so rich. Watching for and supporting remarkable individual actions and comments with a “Beautiful Question” (David Whyte, The Conversational Nature Of Reality/ OnBeing.org) or comment may help to propel an exploration to unexpected heights and elevate the thinking of the entire group, and occasionally a whole school community. 

The desire to share one’s thoughts, feelings and discoveries is built  upon the existence of a connection between the members of the group and the teachers, and between the children themselves. Creating and nurturing this bond of openness is a highly nuanced process.