Putting the Extra in Extraordinary

By. Teresa Marchant

Extraordinary can be defined as not typical or goes above what is expected. I believe we work with these people everyday.  We have teachers, lunchroom workers, and administrators that go above and beyond every. single. day!  They make a huge impact on those around them.  But this post isn’t about them… this post is about extraordinary students. Yes, many of us teach gifted students, but I’m not talking about those students either. I’m talking about those students that we may not even know are struggling or dealing with things that would literally crush us!

Homelessness is becoming more present in school districts. How is it possible to learn when they do not know where they will sleep at night? For them school is a place they call home and the staff is their family.

Why does learning have to be so hard for some students? I’m not a special education teacher, but I believe physical and academic challenges don’t define the individual. We have students setting and achieving goals!

There are some students that live in abusive homes or are in unhealthy relationships. Yes, we are mandatory reporters, but sometimes these may fly under the radar. The emotional scars are likely hidden, but these students keep working hard. 

Depression and other mental health issues are finally being talked about. There are students that appear happy on the outside, but are hurting so deeply on the inside. They struggle just to show up, but are there.

For other students, trauma is their constant companion. It is present in their lives in the form of death, divorce, deployments and illnesses. When students misbehave, it is very likely they have trauma so deep, it overflows. In spite of their challenges, they rarely miss school.

These extraordinary students defy the odds!  They show up, work hard and I acknowledge them. When you discover their struggles, I encourage you to find ways to support them during this difficult time in their lives. You will make all the difference. Extraordinary educators help these students to truly become extraordinary in spite of their different situations!