The other day I took my children to Reptile Gardens for a fun filled day of adventure. We were enthralled by the Bird Show, grossly intrigued by the Snake show, and entertained by the Gator Show. We enjoyed a nice lunch and then ventured to the Sky Dome to marvel at the exotic flowers and various reptiles and amphibians. As my middle son was taking a closer look at a lizard, he lost his balance and ended up in a bed of cacti. These were not the type one could easily pull out with tweezers, but nasty, fuzzy little splinters and needles that infested his entire hand and were nearly impossible to see. I felt his pain and had no clue what to do at this moment. 
My son must have been a first because the accommodating staff of Reptile Gardens didn’t seem to know what to do either. Luckily, my good friend from Arizona, Shelly, was with me. She knew exactly what to do (from several personal experiences with her own kids). Shelly worked with Elmer’s glue and duck tape while her children gently and lovingly tried to reassure my son and take his mind of the pain. Although the good staff at Reptile Garden’s didn’t know exactly how to handle my son’s hands, they were great by stepping in and making us feel welcome. We got to go in a private room, a staff member gave all 6 kids special stickers, and they joked with the kids. We even got to have special time with a two year old baby alligator named Fluffy.
I couldn’t help but relate this experience to the cacti we encounter in our educational lives- unsupportive administration, cantankerous colleagues, irate parents, angry children, clueless policymakers, and misunderstanding public. At some time or another, we are all going to get poked. When we do, we need to know what to do to handle the slivers. Do we wash our hands, try to brush them off, blindly stab with the tweezers, or grab the Elmer’s glue? Just like I couldn’t have handled this little incident on my own, we need each other. Surround yourselves with positive people. Learn from others who excel at what they do. Develop and nurture strong relationships with supportive educators. Lean on an encouraging colleague, mentor, or friend. Check out your personal learning network on Twitter, Edublog, or other sites.
What do you do when you encounter spiteful little splinters? How do you remove the nasty needles without pushing them in further and causing more pain?
For those of you planning a trip to the Black Hills, be sure to visit Reptile Gardens for a fun and educational experience that won’t disappoint.
