Talent can mean many different things. What do you think of when you hear the word talent? Maybe you think of the TV show Americas Got Talent. A show where people join the stage to perform a “talent” to impress the four judges and live audience to move on to the next round and finally be named the champion. The talent ranges from young to old, singing to knife throwing, and everything in between. I can say you can see things you can not think of seeing on this show.
As students enter classrooms, we work with each of them to discover their talents and even then, many will still have hidden skills we are unaware of in the classroom setting. Hidden talents children may have we do not pick up on in the classroom settings can be talents that help children excel in life. Education is the foundational skill needed to enhance all areas of mastery.
Dick VanDyke is a famous actor with talents in many areas. He comes from Danville, Illinois, where I spent half of my educational career as an administrator. I admit, one of my highlights and best days was spending the day with him. I grew up watching him and just loved the Disney movies he was in, especially Mary Poppins. He is as pure, funny, and delightful as on the screen you watch. I also had the opportunity to meet his wife, Arlene Silver, who is beautiful and very talented.
As we walked through the halls of his old high school, he could point out many different things and memories. He told jokes and talked about his teachers. He told me about the excellent foundation of education he got from the school and all of his remarkable experiences.
Educators, I hear so much noise and read so much as well. I hope you can turn the volume down on both right now and tune in loud and clear to this post.
Education is the most critical part of building a solid foundation in life, no matter what you decide to do with your life talent. Being part of providing this for others is the best talent to have, and thank you for doing this each day. Your talent is priceless! Please focus on the foundational skills you know your students need and collaborate with all of the support you can to help each child be successful in their life talents.
Today we need you, families, communities, and others to work together to support combined efforts to lift each child to achieve. If we focus first on a problem, we will only see a problem. If we focus first on a child in need of solutions, we will see keys and find answers to give support. You alone cannot, but you, others, and we can!
I know, I believe, I see, I understand what it takes each day to do all of the work when children are grade levels behind, have been traumatized, are unmotivated, have no respect for themselves or others, and all of the other things that stand in the way. Peeling back all of those layers, you have a child, a child who, with all of the support from us in providing a solid foundation to build the opportunities for talent, can be the next:
- Jerry VanDyke
- Joe Tanner
- Gene Hackman
- Bobby Short
- Ryan Thomas
- Robin Yount
- Joe Cannon
- Donald O’Connor
- Ned Luke
- Helen Morgan
Many famous people can be in your classroom right now. Future leaders of the country. The importance of what you do each day matters. You are not only supporting famous people and future leaders but everyone! Each child in your classroom has a purpose, a talent in life to give to others and a service to help others in making all of us complete. No job, task, or skill is too small to be valued in the work we do together to be united. Thank you for using your talent to be the solution daily in a town, city, nation, country, and world that needs you!
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
I Peter 4:10
