Bloom Where You Are Planted

March 23, 2018
Spring is in the air as we head into break! It’s a recess for students. It’s a rejuvenation period for staff. It offers a chance for all of us to take a deep breath as we prepare for the last lap of the school year.

 

In my last blog post, we talked about safety, offering our students a voice in expressing what they think about having safe schools. A logical question that stems from this reflection is, “How do we do that?”

 

How can each of us play a part in redefining what the school experience should be, what it should look like? I came across an old saying that simply reads, “Bloom where you are planted.”Simple, yet profound. To a large degree, we have little to no control over where we were are born and raised, where we go to school, which neighborhood we live in, etc. What we do have control over is whom we will be in the place where we are. Can we be the people who are a bright light wherever we find ourselves?

 

This is about a choice. As stated, we don’t always have control over where we’re planted, but we do have the control over who we are, how we treat people, how we respond to people, and the positivity we bring to an environment. Are we maximizing our influence in the place where we are planted? Do we offer others enough light so they can bloom where they are planted as well? These are powerful questions to ask as we reflect over spring break.

 

The ability to bloom begins with being planted. The soil and environment we find ourselves in is not always of our choosing. Still, in order to grow, things need to happen, sustenance needs to be provided… light, water, nutrients. All of this hard work happens prior to the blooming. It is essential. However, as educators we are committed to the idea that every child can bloom regardless and often because of the unique design of their roots, strengths, and challenges.

 

We, the adults, must take responsibility to ensure we are making the most of where we are planted, in order to help our children thrive. Setting aside ourselves in order to ensure that the next generation is being provided the right conditions so that in their future they, too, may bloom. Recent upsetting events in school settings make it clear that the conditions are not always right. This only increases our resolve to protect our children, our students.

 

In Forest Ridge School District 142, we talk of our influence on children, we make this a topic of conversation so that it’s always in the forefront of our minds. We are intent on ensuring that our children are provided the proper conditions by which to grow and change and mature, and in the end, bloom.

 

Enjoy, deeply, Spring Break 2018.