Over the past few years i have been an educator, parents have always been astonished to see their children break out of their shells and become social butterflies in my classes. Other parents comment and take note of the amazing progress these children make. There are so many reasons these children are shy in the beginning, but only one reason they change.

Cheriese was the first three-year old child I ever met who would hide behind her mother's legs every time she walked in the door. It was normal for a child her age to hide behind her mother, but while most children would discontinue this habit after two or three visits, Cheriese continued to hide for a full month. After she finally decided to stand in plain sight, it was several more weeks before she would even say a word. By the time she was four and a half, Cheriese was taking part in advanced classes for children 7-10 years old without fear.

When Danielle first came to my class, I thought the four year old was scared and afraid to be there with so many other kids. There were many times i would ask her to do something for me and she would just stare at me. I thought she didn't want to participate due to her overwhelming shyness, but after talking to her mother, I realized Danielle came from a home that spoke only Spanish. I never knew because her mother could speak English so well, but she told me they used their native language at home. Danielle could not understand English very well and language barriers stopped her from interacting with other children. I began to implement gestures into my instruction, and Danielle responded immediately. Within weeks, i began to realize that even though she was still shy, Danielle did not mind demonstrating in front of the class.

Marissa was nine years old when she entered the class. I couldn't get her to talk to me at first and she kept her eyes on the floor no matter who was speaking to her. Her only acknowledgment was a meek nod or an occasional head shake when someone asked her a question. She stayed in my program for four years, and by the time she left she would walk in the door with her head up and a smile on her face, talking to her mother animatedly and cracking jokes with the other students. She even joined the top demonstration team in the school and became a junior leader in our Leadership Program.

Joshua was eleven when his mother came to me and told me about her son. He was born with one lung, diagnosed with severe asthma, and pronounced

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