I received an email today that contained the above message.  It got me thinking about the students in our school who struggle with not being understood at school, who struggle with behavior, who struggle making friends, those who struggle in general.

It led me to start linking this back to our Catholic faith.  We are all born in the image and likeness of God.  We are all born unique, no two of us are the same, we all have our own strengths and of course weaknesses.  We were not born perfect!    We were created to be awesome – to find our greatness!!

This term I have been dealing with many student issues, primarily those occurring on the playground but also some from classrooms.  My greatest learning to this point is that sometimes students just need someone to be there to listen to them, just listen.

Students know right from wrong; even the little ones in Early Stage 1 are able to identify things that they should not do.   Some students struggle with how to deal with their own behavior and how to deal when in trouble, some may argue, some shut down , some melt down – they struggle with being understood – listening, just sitting and being with them can be the biggest help that they can receive in these situations.

Students need help to unpack different situations, they need help to think about how others feel in situations – but again they need someone to be there to listen to them, even if they are in the wrong.

Most students struggle to find their awesomeness, they struggle to find their greatness – they need assistance.  This is the most vital part in their development where teachers can help by listening, truly listening.  Not listening to respond but to listen to how another feels.  If you truly listen you may then be able to nurture students using their strengths, to help them find their greatness.

This won’t just happen overnight, but this is something that St Luke’s Catholic College is attempting to implement by having a 15 year continuum of learning where faith-filled, curious children are nurtured to become creative contributors and innovative problem solvers for a changing world.   For all students, not just a select few, this is the goal – I intend to further my listening skills to help all students in our care.