Comments on: The Rose Bead

By: Miss Carole

Miss Carole — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:51:25 +0000

Wow……..as the mother of two rose beads…..(out of 3 children)…..I need to read this daily………so that I can remember to let them be rose colored, and thererfor themselves….and not the perfect “soes” that I and the outside world sometimes expect them to be!

By: skennedy

skennedy — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:20:27 +0000

I have to admit that I agree with the many posts here — but I am not surprised at your eloquence. You speak beautifully, think beautifully, and you have an amazing dedication to children — how could you not craft gracious prose that reveals the depth of your insight.

The “odd man out” reminds me of a favorite book you may have read: “Totto Chan.” Totto Chan was a little girl in Japan who never quite fit in — until she found a special school where each child’s individual spirit was not just accepted – it was celebrated. Because of her education there, this quirky little girl was able to become herself, and grow up to become a generous and important entertainer and politician loved deeply throughout Japan. She took her strangeness, and made it part of her genius and her talent.

So – thank you for a stunning piece of writing that reminds us all: it is our strange little quirk that can be the seed — or the bead — of our budding and successful selves.

By: Sixth Grade Teachers » Blog Archive » Reflections on Powerful Writing

Sixth Grade Teachers » Blog Archive » Reflections on Powerful Writing — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:45:03 +0000

[...] one of the titles caught my eye. Ms. Pile, our ELD coordinator, recently wrote a post called The Rose Bead. The title caught my eye because it was not about blogs or wikis or an academic subject, and [...]

By: mhoward

mhoward — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:29:37 +0000

Wow, Dawn…I didn’t realize what a blogger you are! You may even give the sixth graders a run for their money! Per Willy’s comment, I would love for you to come talk to our kids. Not only about this post but more importantly, because so many of them need to hear this message. In our society, neighborhood, school…it’s easy thinking that that those rose beads need to be removed, hid, concealed. You got me thinking of ways to illuminate this message in my classroom on a daily basis. Thank you.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:27:47 +0000

Dawn, I agree with what Willy has written! This is a wonderful post. As a Kindergarten teacher, I always made it my priority to recognize the “rose bead” in all of my students, just as Willy’s teacher at Lovett did. Not only does it make the students feel like they are special, but it makes the teacher’s days and years unlike any that came before. As a Technology Specialist, I have a unique opportunity to find some “rose beads” in the computer lab that might not be spotted in her or his individual classrooms.

By: wkjellstrom

wkjellstrom — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:45:20 +0000

Wow! Really… Were you a writer in another life? I mean this in all seriousness: Would you talk to the sixth grade students about your inspiration for this post? Your ideas and the way in which you used storytelling (making the costume) and the analogy of children’s differences is rich and I know that other readers will agree. Please consider this request- not this week or the next because I know that you are busy with progress reports. Maybe not the week after that. Perhaps “sometime.”

So, let me add a bit of reflection to this comment… Throughout my life, I have felt like the “rose-colored bead” in some respects. It took the discerning eye of a sixth grade teacher, SK at Lovett, for me to realize that my differences might be my strength. To some extent, I am still waiting for some of the “important people” in my life to see that glimmer that this special teacher recognized.

Honestly, I have written and re-written this comment to the point that I am not sure what else to say. Just know that I understand what you are saying.