I’m looking forward to working with the Educators of “At Risk Students” in Illinois on Thursday. Instead of the term at risk, I use the phrase “highly creative” because in most cases these students are very creative but don’t necessarily fit into the “way of learning” that we have here in America. In fact, in my opinion, (and backed by research) many of these teens possess amazing talents that aren’t necessarily rewarded in many school systems. We all don’t fit one mold when it comes to education. In fact Howard Gardner of Harvard years ago identified seven distinct intelligence’s, he says that “people have different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways, we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences – the so-called profile of intelligences-and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains.”
When I’ve worked with “Highly Creative Students” over the years, I’ve seen many come to life when there is an intuitive, caring teacher/mentor that can help them discover their gifts and help funnel their creative energy toward constructive means. It does wonders for their self esteem. It is always very inspirational for me to be an educational speaker. One of the challenges facing many educators working with these students is helping them to find a purpose that excites them so they can find the internal motivation to learn more about how to better fulfill that purpose. And when they do, these students are amazing!