Our words are very powerful things. In the 1960s, a Grade 3 teacher in Iowa conducted an experiment with her class. She told them that brown-eyed people were smarter and more gifted than their blue-eyed counterparts. Since she was in a position of authority, the students believed her. The marks of brown-eyed children improved, and those of blue-eyed children dropped. A few days later she reversed the experiment and told the blue-eyed children that they were more gifted, again with similar results. The goal of the experiment was to teach the children about the negative impact of prejudice; it did that, but it also demonstrated the power of words.
More recent studies have shown that when parents and teachers emphasize the successes of students, young people improve not only in their areas of strength, but also in their areas of weakness. When weak areas are emphasized in a negative way, areas of strength tend to weaken.
Though I have always been a generally positive person, in recent years I've made a concerted effort to point out the good things that I see in others. I tell students who are struggling yet who show up and puts forth an effort every day, "You have the gift of persistence. This is one of the most important qualities of successful people." To students who do nice things for others I say, "Kindness is so important. All employers are looking for people who get along well with others." To those who show exceptional aptitude in an area I say, "You are really good at this. You may want to consider studying it in university."
I don't have a study to show the impact this has had on the young people I work with, but I can say that it has created an excellent work environment. Students seem to enjoy coming to my classes and their evaluations of my courses are quite positive. I can say for certain how I feel. I absolutely love what I do and I have been better able to see the giftedness in myself. This has allowed me to do things that I never considered possible, like writing a weekly newspaper column, and I know that this is only the beginning. It is the same for all of us; our potential for good as human beings really is without limit.
I have been teaching and working with young people for over 30 years. I have yet to encounter a student who is not in some way, shape or form exceptionally gifted. Those of us in positions of authority need to be especially mindful of the power of our words. Our comments can make another feel like they can take on the world. Yes, there are times when we need to use our words to help keep others on course, but there is so much more that we can say to affirm each other. Our words are powerful tools for good, and they really can change the world.
