We're nearing the end of the school year and our days are filled with field trips, end-of-year celebrations, final tests, and plenty of babysitting. Since the school can suspend people for up to 10 days without school board approval, pretty much all the kids who get sent to the office are getting an "early vacation" via suspension.
Today, during a drama production, one of our sixth grade students was being too noisy, and then was being defiant and lippy when we pulled him into the hall. I wanted him to sit in the office for the rest of the drama and then rejoin his class afterwards, but he crossed words with one of the front office staff and ended up getting a dreaded office referral and was eventually the recipient of one of those early vacation packages. He was pretty upset, and I stopped in for a minute to talk to him.
"She hates me! She just wants to get me in trouble!" he blubbered with teary eyes.
"No she doesn't. But you have to think about how what you're saying effects other people," I replied. "You can be a very successful person one day." It wasn't empty praise; the kid is smart and articulate and often very funny. If he can get his people skills down and his need for control under...well, control, he will be a world changer.
Then I gave him a sideways hug and said something that I hope he'll remember: "School isn't like real life."
Unfortunately, that's more often true in the negative sense than the positive. Our school like all others has its share of petty tyrants, unnecessary drama, and of course wasted time. Throw compulsory attendance into the mix, and it's no wonder teachers and students alike can't wait for summer vacation.
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