In Friday homework period, we ask the kids to read for 30 minutes since they usually don't have homework. A kid that gets in trouble with all the other teachers raises his hand. He seems to be having trouble reading. He is a very good reader and normally reads without problems. He tells me it's because he's hungry. The book he's reading mentions food every other page, making him hungrier. He shows me paragraphs about waffles and buttermilk pancakes, and asks for another book. I give him a book about deadly animals. "Awesome!" He dives in, not saying another word.
A few minutes later, another teacher walks in the room. She sees him reading, and asks why he's reading that book in an accusatory tone. I've seen this lady pick fights with this SECOND GRADE BOY over drinks of water and trips to the bathroom where she ends the argument by yelling, "I'm the teacher! I can do whatever I want! You have to listen to me!" so I jump in and tell her that he is hungry and the other book was making him hungrier. I try to emphasize that I gave him the other book thinking she might just drop it. In the most sarcastic tone, she says, "Oh, sure. I believe that garbage."
(I must be an idiot for falling for his trick! I mean, I'm just a dumb kid out of college and she has so much experience! Really, thanks for opening up my eyes and curing me of my naïveté!)
She yells at him for the next five minutes about how he doesn't get to make up stupid excuses, he needs to just read his book, and stop talking and complaining. He opens the book, blocking his face from her. I see from the side that he is calling her names and snarling. He snaps the book shut, puts his head down and proceeds to ignore her as she asks him ever louder, "Is that reading? Is that reading? Huh?"
No, he is not reading. No, he is not learning. But he was. Way to go.
I learned three things from witnessing this today:
- Start each day brand new. There are no bad kids, only bad behaviors.
- Set your own example. Follow the rules.
- Don't take yourself too seriously. Be a kid, too.
I'll explain how these lessons relate to the story, but right now I'm too tired from holding off three 2nd graders and four 4th graders in an all-out marathon game of Cops and Robbers. I love that I get my workouts in at work.
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