Ministry of Education, Guyana

We are hard-wired to pick up on other people’s emotions.

As a teacher, I noticed that children respond to challenges in different ways. Some children try harder when facing a tough task. Others, like Marshall, crumble at the slightest challenge.

Two preschoolers sit in the sandbox digging and chatting. From a distance, they appear to be talking nonstop. A few minutes into this “conversation”, however, one child appears upset and moves away from the other child. When that child follows him, he yells, “Stop talking to me!” His friend bursts into tears and runs from the scene.