Helping our Flowers Thrive

If your students are not blooming, don't fix them, fix your environment.

We can help our students grow and thrive if we take some time to attend to the surroundings. We can take an Orchid Child and work toward giving them the skills of a Dandelion Child. We can at the very least try to get them to become a Tulip Child.

Pediatrician Thomas Boyce and Psychologist Bruce J Ellis started research into why some children thrive and some wither, even in the same environment. More recent studies have expanded this research and found that with compassion a child showing genes and traits of an orchid child can be helped to become a tulip child.

The flower theory is simply this: a dandelion grows anywhere, an orchid needs specific conditions to bloom, and a tulip needs tending to but can withstand cold temps and still grow. This means that a dandelion child is one who can grow even in an environment with trauma, chaos, and few needs met. In contrast an orchid child will not do well in that same environment. An orchid needs a calm, peaceful, and supportive environment. Then we have our tulip child, one who may have started out an orchid and with support has learned to be more like a dandelion.

Findings show that about 29% of people are dandelions, 31% are orchids, and 40% are tulips.

Research also finds that the first determinate of our flower type is genes. While there are many different genes in play, one important one looked at is the dopamine gene, of which we have two types. One type is known as the, risky type. The risky type dopamine gene is associated with ADHD, lower ability to handle stress, addiction, and aggression. You are more likely to be an orchid with this dopamine gene. But you do not have to remain an orchid.

One study tracked babies over 3,6, and 12 months. In this study it was discovered that by 12 months, if a baby with the risky dopamine gene had a highly warm mother who was sensitive to their needs the baby could shift to be more like the dandelion babies. These babies would be consider either dandelions or tulips.

We have a school full of orchids, dandelions, and tulips. We can look at some of our orchids and help change the environment and provide them with tools needs to become a tulip. We aren't changing the students, we are changing ourselves and the environment. In the baby study the researchers noted that it was the mothers affection that helped the babies change and thrive. How we interact with our students matters. The environment we create matters.

One of the easiest tools to use to help change us and the environment is mindfulness. 

Mindfulness doesn't change the flower. Mindfulness changes the environment. You create a calm, safe, and present space for students to thrive, grow, and bloom. With our help, over time, our orchid children may change to tulips. 

To go with our flower theme, here is a quick flower mindfulness. 

Does the classroom environment support or hinder the growth of your students? Are you helping your students with the risky dopamine gene to thrive? What about your environment may need to change to promote growth?

As we continue our April-May mindfulness challenge I encourage you to consider your classroom environment. Perhaps 5-10 minute of mindfulness a day could change the environment and help your students thrive and bloom. Inner Explorer is an easy way to cultivate a positive environment.