Do you know any odd birds? Individuals in your life who you love, even though some of their behaviors can be unique and challenging? Or are you like me, the person who at times can relate to being that odd bird? Either way, there are lessons to be learned from this.

I’ve spent the last week with family and friends on our annual beach vacation in Galveston, Texas. We started this tradition over 30 years ago and excluding five years of continual childbirth, have not missed a trip since. Though we have all moved and settled in different places, our same group of college friends gather. And each year, when I am feeling ever so thankful for our diverse collection of odd birds, each with our own eccentricities, differing beliefs, and at times off-putting behaviors, I think to myself, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

This point is driven home for me when we visit the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens. I see all my friends and family represented in the varied wildlife – tons of exotic animals, unique and special, all cohabitating in a very confined space. Hmmm… Sounds like a typical classroom to me.

Teachers, as you head into this last month of school look for ways to celebrate your own unique class rainforest. Help kids identify their individual gifts and challenges and embrace them. For once students leave your classroom the rainforest will only get larger.  Accordingly, it is important they learn the critical life lesson that even with their differences, they have a place and are accepted.