You may use this image in your ezine or website if you choose to publish my article. Click here to see the picture full-sized.--- Mark Kennedy

I managed to keep a straight face while replying, No, there are 
a few colors in between. The naiveté amused me. Yet in fairness, 
this group of 25 newly-minted yellow belts had been promoted in 
record time-just six weeks. It had been a special summer program 
for kids just out of juvenile hall, or expelled from district 
schools. An experiment.

So, I could see how they might think the whole process would be 
collapsed. On the other hand, I'd worked them two solid hours a 
day, four days a week, hour-for-hour at least the equivalent of 
a traditional program's three one-hour classes a week for 3-6 
months. There was no gimme to it. This kid had conveniently 
forgotten all the hard work they'd done, although some of the 
kids around him-still sore, stiff, and blistered-burst into 
laughter at his question. 

Yet I sensed a dark side to this mirthful moment as we stood in 
the afterglow of our hard-won achievement. Sure, on the surface 
this student's comment appeared to be merely a neophyte's 
inexperience. But 16 years of working with street-savvy kids kept 
me from dismissing the pall which had fallen. What was it?     

The unsettling feeling lasted a day or two before I could 
articulate it. And it was this: there was a dangerous assumption 
underlying the kid's basic outlook on life. Too often adolescents 
who have been cut off for long periods from traditional routes to 
success begin to look for shortcuts. They may feel like failures 
in one or more areas of their lives: school, socially, sports, 
dating, or maybe shame over their family or home situation. As 
I thought it over, the conviction grew that this boy may have 
actually believed there was an available shortcut. And that was 
worrisome. Because I've found that the more kids find themselves 
feeling on the outs from success, the more such shortcuts will 
seem acceptable, even normal.

So what might I take from this episode to make me better at 
working with and helping kids? I believe this street-wizened 
teen learned that he would have to work for his martial arts 
achievements-and maybe others as well-but also that he could be 
successful by doing so. He didn't need a shortcut. He was 
capable. And as simple as this sounds, there are many, many teens 
out there who don't believe they are capable. They may appear 
normal to adults, or even peers, but many teens feel a sense of 
deep failure in one or more area of life. What a great challenge-
and opportunity-for those of us who work with them, whether in 
the martial arts studio, the classroom, a church or civic 
setting, or across the dinner table. 

Mark Kennedy, M.Ed., twice teacher of the year and nationally- 
certified black belt instructor, is the author of two books 
for teachers and parents: Lessons from the Hawk (how to ensure 
learning for all) and Dance of the Dolphin (creating a learning 
rich environment). To learn more about your own approach to 
life and learning, take a free survey at 
https://great-ideas.org/DolphinMaterials.htm  (adults use the 
LSOS, teacher version—there's a shorter one for kids, too). 
Or for free articles, surefire ideas for reaching all kids, 
and helpful links visit http://www.harmoniouswarrior.com 
or contact mark@harmoniouswarrior.com.