Like Bamboo: Growing Neuro-divergent Students Beyond What We See

So, the farmer did exactly as instructed. Each day, he watered and fertilized the seeds, but after the first year, nothing had sprouted. Confused and disappointed, he returned to the merchant and complained, “These seeds must be defective. I followed your instructions, but nothing happened.” The merchant simply replied, “You must continue watering and fertilizing every day. Stick to the plan.”



Reluctantly, the farmer returned home and continued with the daily care. The second year passed, and still, there was no sign of growth. The farmer, now frustrated, went back to the merchant and voiced his concerns. But the merchant reassured him to keep following the instructions and not to give up.

The third and fourth years came and went, yet nothing changed. The farmer’s patience wore thin. He returned to the merchant once more, demanding new seeds, convinced that the ones he had were bad. But again, the merchant insisted, “Keep going. Just one more try.”

So, in the fifth year, the farmer reluctantly continued watering and fertilizing. Then, one day, something amazing happened: tiny sprouts began to appear. He was overjoyed. Over the next six weeks, the bamboo shot up to an incredible 90 feet.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts to nurture and guide our Neuro-divergent students, it feels like we're not making progress and that nothing is changing. But like the bamboo, we can’t always see what’s happening beneath the surface and many judgments come because of what we see with our eyes. The true growth may be happening below, preparing them for their breakthrough. Even when it feels hopeless or frustrating, it’s important to never give up on the potential of our students, because the potential is always there, even when we can’t see it right away.

So, let’s continue nurturing and believing in their potential, because just like the bamboo, their growth might surprise us when we least expect it.