Do You See The Opportunities Around You?
All you need to do is look
When I was a high school teacher, I had challenges with the arrangement of the desks and chairs.
No matter how I arranged the classroom, some students would end up in the back of the class — furthest away from my desk. Even if the students were arranged in a circular manner, some students would still be further away from me and the whiteboard.
As a result, every new school year, students would try to find a seat nearest to where they see my desk. One year, a particular student — we’ll call her Susan — was not so fortunate. By the time she got to our first class, she was one of the students furthest away from me.
I could tell that she was upset even though she said nothing.
As if to make a statement about her annoyance, she moved her desk and chair to the extreme back of the class and sat by herself; away from everyone else.
I watched her. Shortly after, I asked her to return to sit with the rest of the class. She reluctantly returned the desk and chair to the original position and sat down.
Spending energy moving her desk and chair back and forth had taken some of the upset feelings out of her, but not all.
