Level Two. Individuality.

Level Two. Individuality.

By Michelle Lloyd.

Sammy was an individual. He felt he expressed himself as an individual and he liked that ability of being a one-off and unique.

When Sammy started school it was a tough experience and this was for more way than one. Beginning to get acquainted with others his own age was fun but it was a bit of a revelation. Several other new class mates were good at subjects that Sammy thought only he knew that well.

As Sammy learnt more about school life more and more, concepts became less and less unique to him, and all too soon he felt that he was one in a crowd rather than the one individual in the crowd that he thought he had once been.

Sammy started to feel side-lined and ignored. If he answered a question then others did too and he felt in a constant competition to beat an opponent. Sammy began to feel less and less inclined to do as everybody else and it unfortunately led to him started to think of negative ways in which he could be different.

Misbehaving and being singled out for all the wrong reasons, it was not long before Sammy’s mum was called in to the school. Upset and misunderstood Sammy found explaining why he had behaved that way difficult because truly he did not understand it all himself. He had started off his school career believing that it would all be plain sailing and that everybody would see his individuality just as he had done, but he did not feel like that had been his experience at all.

The school had unbeknown to Sammy recognised his less recently displayed positive talents and his abilities and they decided to put a plan of action into progress.

Instead of being punished Sammy’s situation was discussed between parents and school. Sammy was given a special role whereby where he excelled in class he could step up and help those other students who maybe felt that subject more difficult or not as enjoyable. It meant that Sammy felt motivated and it turned his impression of individuality around. He did not feel as he could not be appreciated anymore and in bringing out others’ individuality and success, Sammy in turn, found that he learnt more about his own individuality.