This morning, peacefully taking a few stitches on this new tree before heading off to school, I made a plan to pay attention, to watch for some lovely student/teacher moment to share here. Ha.
What a day... I couldn't even tell you what all happened... Inking, printing, spray bottles of water, clay glazing, markers, sharpies, etc., and lots and lots of washing tools, tables and children.
Somewhere in there was a first grade boy who was NOT happy. He rarely is. He came with a support person, but still, he was under the table, out the door, in, out, in, roaming the room... The teacher reached for the phone to call for office help, and then he really lost it. I scrambled down the hall and stairs to find more reinforcements, returning to find him sitting still at a table. Whew.
The other two teachers were helping others, I sat down across the table, trying not to laugh at his scrunched up mouth and eyes, glaring and scowling as hard as possible.
"How are you doing?"
"Not good."
"Yep, you seem pretty unhappy. The project is about drawing a happy place. Where are you happy?"
"Nowhere. I'm never happy."
"Hmm. Where can you imagine being happy? On vacation, in the park, by the ocean?"
"The ocean is NOT a happy place!" And then he proceeded to tell me a wild tale about being on a boat when he was three, being bitten by a shark and having a dolphin scold him. It went on and on... And then things digressed into hating art, pointing out all of the "ugly" art on the walls, telling me I was a jerk, and that if I didn't move away from him, he would stand on the table and pull the lights down... Finally, class was over.
"I hope you find some ways to turn things around for you," I told him as he grumbled at the end of the line heading out of the door.
"I won't."
During my ten minutes with him, he stayed at the table, did not climb on or under it, and wasn't yelling or disruptive. This jerk is calling it a win.
