Five suggestions if you have an “Educational Late Bloomer”

Reading Time 8-10 minutes

I recently had an emotional conversation with a family member who was very “concerned” about one of  his child’s study habits. I have been thinking about this discussion and my students that may be in the same situation.  I have also been reflecting on my own educational growth and decided that maybe his child is what we, as a society, would call a “late bloomer”.

A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. The term is used metaphorically to describe a child or adolescent who develops more slowly than others in their age group, but eventually catches up and in some cases overtakes their peers, or an adult whose talent or genius in a particular field only appears later in life than is normal – in some cases only in old age.(Wikipedia.com)

Some of the most famous late bloomers were/are Einstein, Charles Schwab, Richard Branson, Kurt Warner, and Flora Thompson. Here are 5 ways to find an “Educational Late Bloomer.” These are suggestions/opinions and are not backed by research.

1. Many late bloomers are indecisive and have a very hard time picking one thing to excel in or stick with. These type of students may take many different electives, and are still trying to figure out what they are good at, or what they like to do. We could call these students well-rounded. They are good at many things, but do not excel or outshine other students in one particular area. It is possible that they just haven’t “decided” on what they want to excel at. As a parent, patience and choice are huge factors for helping them discover what they may “like” to do.
2. Late bloomers are very analytical, so the decisions that most people make very quickly tend to take longer for our late bloomers. They want to process all of the possible outcomes of a decision. Sometimes, these decisions can take years. While many students make rash, quick decisions that could lead to unknowns; late bloomers take a little while to make decisions, but when they do, watch out, they will go full force towards their decision.
3. Late bloomers will need lots of support. These type of students need to understand that sometimes it is ok not to know exactly what they want to do. Sometimes, it is hard to fit in when all of your friends know exactly what they want to do when they grow up. This typically happens in the high school, but can show up in middle school as well.
4.  Students should keep a journal or diary of thoughts and discoveries. Late bloomers have great ideas and sometimes they have been thinking about them for a long time (think Christopher Nolan and Inception.) The Inception concept was originally written in 2001, but Nolan had been thinking about “dream stealing” since the age of 16.  Because of budget and Nolan’s personal decisions, it took almost ten years for the movie to hit the big screen. Nolan was thinking of this idea for nearly 20 years.  Late bloomers need to record their ideas and thoughts so they have time to “bring them to the big screen”.
5. Last, but not least, allow late bloomers to stay true to who they are. This is probably the most difficult suggestion to follow. I think that many times the process of discovery gets stifled by the impatience of teachers, parents, advisors and other adults who already “know what they want to do.” Self discovery leads to personal accountability and self worth.

In the back of my mind, I always knew that I was going to be an educator of some sort. I didn’t know what subject, or what level, or to what capacity, but I knew it would eventually happen. As a late bloomer, it took me longer than most to get started, I started when I was 32, but I have entered the profession with full force.  I look at my current students, and see some late bloomers just budding on the branches waiting to become amazing adults.