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About the presenter: Claudia Groesman is the secretary and one of the three founders of the Spanish Stuttering Foundation. She is a social psychologist, originally from Argentina and currently living in Barcelona, Spain. She two children including a teenage son who has stuttered since he was two years old. |
The Cracked Jar
by Claudia Groesman
from Spain
"Cracked Jars" is a story written by an anonymous author a long time ago. I created this picture story to show how even things that seem like bad things to us, can create beauty.
The cracked jar is a story with great meaning and an important lesson. Ever since I found this beautiful little story on the Internet, I like to use it especially to suggest a way for teachers to talk to their students about the topic of stuttering. The story opens the way to talk about "differences" in general, and later to approach the topic of stuttering, which for many children is a new and misunderstood topic, and has often caused mockery or laughter among children when they encounter someone who stutters, especially another child who happens to stutter.
The cracked jar shows "differences" in our society. The one who is "different", or not like everyone else, is often not accepted. The story demonstrates how changing the way one looks at something, can even transform the difference in unexpected, and sometimes beautiful ways. Any difference can offer us an opportunity to grow, a potential that every human being has.
If we teach children about differences and capacities when they are very young (1st. grades), perhaps there would be fewer adults who discriminate against people who are "different" and we would have a more just society, including adults who are more understanding and accepting of stuttering.
I hope you like the story.
August 25, 2004