My day is never complete without a trip to Kroger or Trader Joes. On this particular day I was walking through the aisles at the Amelia Kroger to kill some time before picking up my daughter. As I perused through the vegetables and bread, one thing stood out to me:
- Overreaction……..A LOT of of parental overreaction.
One parental overreaction stands out in my mind. I was standing at the end of an aisles out of the way trying to figure out what I needed next. Out of nowhere, I hear this voice of rage, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!!! MY GOD YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.” I was expecting to see some out of control 12 year old kid, Mt. Dew in hand, and causing a ruckus. Instead, I saw this quiet 9 year old kid, pushing a small cart, who got caught up in looking at wheat bread.
I just couldn’t help but think how much he is talked to in that way. Then I begin thinking about how many kids leave school and enter that lifestyle on a daily basis. It made me stop and think about how important relationships can be in building trust and solving classroom management issues throughout the year.
Sometimes kids come to school for a respectful, caring environment. It’s not all about the academics. We are better off sitting down with students having a bad day or being apathetic and discussing their interests and asking 2 simple questions, “How has your day been? What can I do to help?” This is a simple way of making “small deposits” to get bigger returns in the long run.
As we near the final days of school, it’s important to remember that it’s easy to stress out and overreact. It’s easy to send kids out into the hall or down to the office for doing nothing. But, it’s just as easy to sit down, talk it out, and make those small deposits.
Moler's Musings 