The Power of Giving

Due to the nature of my work, I have been able to see a group of students grow and mature over the course of five years. Throughout this time I have noticed something very positive about this group of students.

When they were young, they were selfish. If they wanted a treat they would asked their mom and if they were denied... they couldn't handle it.

When they played with their friends- they wanted to play what they wanted to play. They couldn't play what their friend wanted to play.



This made life extremely difficult for them. Friendships were hard to maintain and battles occurred at home.

But as they grew up, they began to blossom. They started to realize that friendships and families need a balance of love, support and acceptance.

One day, I read the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to this group of students. I was amazed at their perception. Through critical analysis, this group of students connected this fictional story to their own lives and pondered at the seemingly one-sided relationship. They appreciated how the tree loved to give to the little boy but they couldn't accept the boy's blind acceptance of these gifts. They also took a deep look at their own friendships and discussed how they could be better friends to one another so that they could show that they care.

This lesson stayed with me as I took a look at my own life. How do I show the loved ones in my life that I care? Are my own relationships one-sided or does giving occur on both sides? As educators, I feel that it is so important to teach by example and if we want our own students to develop positive personality traits such as giving then we must be a prime example of this trait.