When I was a young bird, I was very cheerful and energetic. And I was always dancing!

But my first few years of school were hard, and I did not do so well.

At first, I was excited to learn, and I kept trying no matter how many times I got things wrong.

But, after a couple of months, it was very clear that I was different. It was hard for me to sit still and focus for long periods of time; I was constantly moving my feet. My backpack and desk were always a little messy, which my teacher really didn’t like.

I was struggling to understand my lessons; I couldn’t remember all the rules for letters and numbers. I didn’t understand the directions my teacher gave, and my handwriting was messy, too.

I could see the frustration in my teacher’s face. It felt like she was very disappointed in me.

It hurt my feelings when other kids laughed at me, so I would dance and tell jokes. Most kids thought I was funny, but sometimes I interrupted them, and I didn’t always know when to stop. It was hard to make friends.

At the beginning of the next school year, I had to meet with a person who asked a lot of questions. I had to count, read, and write as well. A few days later, my parents and I were called into a meeting with my teacher and some other grownups. I didn’t really know what they were talking about, but I kept hearing them say, “Lumo is learning disabled.”

After that, I was put in a different classroom away from the kids I knew. The room was full of windows, and every day, as students walked by, they would stare into the classroom. Some of them would point and laugh at us.

One day, while I was sitting in a tree during recess, some kids sat down under the tree. They didn’t know I was above them. I didn’t mean to listen to their conversation, but I didn’t want to interrupt them. I didn’t know how to get out of the tree, so I stayed quiet and tried to think about other things. I had almost forgotten about the kids until I heard someone say, “Lumo.” This caught my attention, so I listened closely. One kid said that I was in the special classroom because I was dumb and stupid. Another kid joked about my big feet and how I was always dancing. Someone said I would never be smart or fit in, and I would always fail. One of the kids said I should just give up because it wasn’t worth it for me to try. They all laughed until the bell rang and they ran inside.

That’s the day I learned that I was broken and there was something wrong with me.

The rest of the school year I was sad, and mad that I was different. I stopped trying to learn anything in school. I even stopped dancing.

My mom and dad were so worried about me, and they wanted to help. After the school year was over, they said they had a big surprise for me. I wondered what it could be. They took me to the ice cream shop and let me pick out whatever I wanted. As we sat and ate, Mom said, “Lumo, we know how hard school has been. We are so sorry. We love you as we want to help. Dad and I met a lady who is very good at helping students learn. Her name is Ms. Sarah. She is going to be your teacher next year, and she can’t wait to meet you!”

Before I could say anything, Dad said, “Ms. Sarah is the best teacher around, but she is at a different school. That means that you would go to a new school in the fall.”

I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t really believe anyone could fix me. But I didn’t mind going to a new school. It would be a new start, and maybe I wouldn’t get picked on right away.That following school year is when everything changed for me! Ms. Sarah really was the best teacher around. I can still remember what she said to me on the first day: “Lumo, you are very special, talented, and brilliant! You are not broken and there is nothing wrong with you. We are all made to be unique, and our brains are made to learn. We just need to discover how your brain learns best, and you will see just how smart you really are!”

No one had ever spoken about me like that! I wanted to believe it could really be true. I think I even felt a little dance coming back to my feet.

Throughout that school year, Ms. Sarah helped me understand how I learn best. She taught me about multisensory learning, which is using more than one sense at a time. I discovered that I am a visual and kinesthetic learner, which means I learn best through moving and using visual aids.

Ms. Sarah gave me breaks between lessons so I could move. She also encouraged me to come up with dance moves to help me remember things. She let me act out lessons, always allowing me to show her what I understood through my creativity. We did a lot of hands-on activities and group work, which I really liked.

She always used stories in her lessons, which really helped me understand things. She also included pictures and movement all the time. Ms. Sarah always had visual schedules and clear, step-by-step instructions with pictures. She even showed me how I could make them for myself. She showed me how I could use all these tools so I would always have what I needed to succeed.

It was the best school year; I learned so much from Ms. Sarah. I finally understood how my brain learns best. By the end of the year, I had caught up with my classmates and I was even ahead in some areas. I loved learning, and once again, I was dancing all the time!

When Ms. Sarah placed my graduation cap on my head, she said, “Lumo, always remember that everyone is different by design!”

Years later, Ms. Sarah retired from teaching in the classroom; she wanted to help as many students as possible. She took all she had learned and started a company called Child1st, which makes multisensory learning resources so everyone can discover how they learn best.

After I completed all my schooling, I started working at Child1st with Ms. Sarah. A few years later, I became the mayor of SnapTown. Today, I continue to spread Ms. Sarah’s message and belief that every child is different by design, and they have a natural ability to learn and succeed!