Just like there are times when we feel excluded, there are others in which people value our talents, skills, knowledge and abilities. One such instance I clearly recall is when a group of youths asked me to coordinate a Volleyball Club they wanted to form. They knew that I was a skillful volleyball player who had leadership skills that could facilitate the accomplishment of the club's goals. 

As an educator, I have come across various unfortunate instances in which students are  excluded due to what others perceive as lack of skills, knowledge, popularity, and even socio-economic status. I had an instance in which a boy in my class was always discriminated upon and excluded due to his poor academic performance and combination of other unwanted behavioral characteristics. This in turn led to rebelliousness and even bullying. After close observation of his behavior and the causes that triggered it, I befriended him and got to know his hobbies and his interests. Using this new found knowledge I reeled him in, and I started delegating responsibilities that I considered he could manage. As time progressed, I observed that his attitude was changing. He looked forward to coming to school, fulfilling his duties, and even started doing his school work. This taught me that as teachers we set the mood in our classroom, and we can greatly impact our students!