During our Teacher Talk discussions, Lori Walsh, Gina Benz and I often reflect on our own time as public school students in South Dakota. While none of us attended the same schools here in South Dakota, nor at the same time, we do have common experiences. When Lori shares her stories of school, I often wonder what it would have been like to have Lori as one of my students.
For instance, Lori once told me a story about a special item that she brought to school as a child. Her teacher noticed the attachment she had to this item and spoke to Lori’s mother about not bringing it to school anymore, as Lori was concerned for the wellbeing of this item throughout the day. What would I have said to little Lori or her mom?
Lori’s story also reminded me of an article I read in The Atlantic in 2009, The Science of Success by David Dobbs. The article is laden with the cutting edge genetic research of the time regarding the genetic makeup of successful people. The genetic science was lost on me then – and it still was as I read it again recently. However, the folk wisdom that Dobbs used to explain the research to everyday Americans like me, I found fascinating.
The Swedes, according to Dobbs’ reporting, have long referred to the concept of “dandelion children.” Dandelion children will do well in basically any environment. They are hearty, healthy, and resilient. Like a dandelion, they can grow up in a cement crack or in a pristine garden. They can be well-tended or largely ignored. They will bloom where they are planted.
Orchid children, by contrast, require a master gardener with a greenhouse environment. For an orchid child to thrive, all environmental factors must be perfect. Too little water, too much light, and they wilt or refuse to bloom.
Public school, I think it is fair to say, is for the dandelion children. The best practices, teaching methodologies, and curriculum will work for the overwhelming majority of students who are capable of succeeding in most nurturing and encouraging environments. We discuss and share ideas about those topics each week on Teacher Talk.
But Lori will ask questions on behalf of the orchid children.
I don’t know if Lori would self-identify as an orchid child, but she always asks us to consider them in our discussions. What do teachers do with the sensitive souls in our school classrooms? How do we react when one of our students brings an item at school that is so precious to them, they can hardly think of anything else?
I have witnessed an orchid bloom entirely without my support. And also wither away under my constant vigilance and care. I am no gardener. I do not always have answers to Lori’s questions. I can only say that I appreciate every orchid child I have ever known. As an educator, it is an honor to watch all of the flower children – orchids, dandelions, peonies, and more – bloom into who they become.
The views and opinions expressed on SDPB’s Teacher Talk are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of South Dakota.
