LISTEN to KIDS!

Whether it is parenting, or teaching, I have to remember to be a better listener.  Today a boy while doing small group work wanted to tell me a story about something that happened to him maybe 2 years ago in middle school.  The story and conversation we had was bit bloated, maybe 3-4 minutes that when other groups are working is hard to justify, especially when it didn't pertain to the assignment at hand.  But I listened and then we discussed what to do next time he is teased.

I have to admit that in times past I would have been in a hurry to get on to another group and would have dismissed this boy and his story, but this phrase (LISTEN TO KIDS) has been recently implanted in my brain and it's critical.

This morning I left for school with my ten year old son crying because of a toothache.  Neither my wife or I had a lot of time for him this morning besides telling him to chew on the other side and give him a pain reliever.  When I got to the car I thought that the correct response would have been with my son to hold him and say,  "I'm sorry", because a pain shared is a pain divided.  Or something like that.

Consider the ears on the deer pictured above.  Why so big?  Hearing a twig snap could save it's life.  Our ears are smaller but no less important.  What we hear is designed to help us.  In the case of a teacher, parent or friend, we can also help others with an appropriate response after taking time to listen.

Welcome back... to chaos!

Hi friends,

I had been warned that my classes would be enormous.  I have 42 desks and the first day back, I had anywhere from 45-53 kids in every class.  That meant all 42 desks full, plus the ten chairs, and in the last period of the day, a student sat in the last chair, my chair.  Gulp.

I know it won't last, it never does, but all these students left me a bit anxious.  Because none of the faces were familiar.  Strangers can look intimidating, especially a group of them that are also not thrilled about the temporary overcrowding.

And then something happened.  I started to notice smiles.  Smiles make me relax.   It disarms people.  It humanizes these bundles of hormones we call young adults.

One particular boy that I felt some unease with I started to strike up a conversation.  I found him very polite and we found common ground quickly.  I had gone from fearing this boy a little bit to liking him and not fearing him at all in just two minutes.

You can't judge these kids on appearance.  Some of the appearances are admittedly rough, but once you get past the facial piercings and the tattoos, these kids are still kids, with joys, hopes and dreams.

I am looking forward to another good year.