“Neba count toe in front ah de man wid nine toe”

Always act with discretion – Be sensitive

The definition of sensitive is ‘to be susceptible to the feelings, attitude and circumstances of others.’

Some people are more sensitive than others. Unless you know how that person is feeling, deep down inside, you may not be aware of their sensitivity. The easiest way to be sensitive is not to do or say anything, that you wouldn’t like to be done or said to you.

Don’t mock others

During one of my lessons, a few months ago, I encouraged everyone to take part in a group activity which involved reading. One of the students in the class struggled with reading. When it came to his turn to read, he hesitated. After much encouragement, he decided to read aloud in front of the class. He read well, but was a bit slow. One of the other students became impatient and mocked him by calling him ‘stupid.’

That insensitive remark upset the student and made him revert back into his shell. It also reversed the progress that I had made with him. Following that incident, I had a discussion with the class about the importance of  treating each other the way they would like to be treated. I also told them that I would not tolerate any form of ‘name-calling‘ in my classroom because they should always be sensitive to other people’s feelings.

Be careful about what you say

My youngest daughter is extremely sensitive. I’ve learnt to think about what I’m going to say to her before I say it. It wasn’t always like that though, but I’ve developed awareness of her weaknesses. Her sensitivity is a result of traumas that she experienced at a very young age.

Whenever I tell her that she’s lazy she gets very upset, even if I say it jokingly. I went into her room one day, and it was untidy as it usually was. I told her to sort it out and commented that most teenagers are lazy, and she was no different. I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, but she became upset and that comment turned into an argument.

Always think about the sensitivity of others, and don’t speak or act irrationally if you know your actions will hurt someone’s feelings.

 

Photo credit: Maggie Smith