Our second graders went on a field trip a few weeks ago. Since I do not have my own classroom of students as a Title One Teacher, I usually don't go. But our principal asked me to go along this time. There were two boys in the second grade class who got in trouble for fighting on the playground that week. My mission: be their chaperone, don't let them get into trouble, and don't let them do anything fun. Nice! How is this going to work? Both the boys in my group were in trouble for fighting WITH EACH OTHER.
On the bus ride there, we squished into a bus seat. That's right! Me, Fighter 1, and Fighter 2 packed in like sardines. I had 1 cheek on the seat, 1 cheek in the aisle, and the bus driver was eyeing me down. Apparently they've tightened those rules on the buses since I've been a kid. I guess we won't be getting out of our seats as we go over a railroad and jumping at the perfect moment so we can hit the bump and go flying to the ceiling. No siree, "No arms, legs, or other body parts in the aisles, please!"
From the start, I could tell that the one boy was a likeable kid. The other one... oh I was trying hard to think about the things I could like about him. He was interesting. It didn't take me long to realize that if I didn't keep him busy, his boredom would get him into trouble (messing with the kids in front of his seat, behind his seat, even under his seat, and putting his hands in Fighter 2's personal space, just talking too close, and putting his hands in his face). I could see why these two had problems.
Anyway, I realized that my options were very limited to keep them busy, so I started talking. I asked questions and then talked some more. I talked the whole way there and the whole way back. I think I was more tired from talking and thinking of things to talk about than from anything else that I did that day. My mouth actually hurt.
As we were talking, I learned a lot about them. I came to realize that these 2 young men didn't have very good examples in their lives. One's mom had been in an abusive relationship. The other didn't even know his mom. They were also discussing the horror movies they both had watched. It was so discouraging. It seems like half of the students I see nowadays come from broken homes. And it's always the children who suffer the most. These guys were no exception to the rule. Along with the need to be taught right from wrong, how to behave appropriately, and how to get along socially with their peers, they just wanted to be loved.
They did pretty good on the field trip. Although the one boy couldn't wait to drink his "Yahoo", I think it's called. Some sort of chocolate milk in a can. It was the size of a pop. He opened it and chugged the entire can at the first drink. I was waiting for him to breathe. No breath, just a straight chug. That was a little um, interesting.
On the bus ride back to school, they were both tired. I noticed that the 1 little boy had laid his head on the other boys' shoulder and had fallen asleep. I tried to move him a bit, because I was worried this would cause problems between the 2, but the other boy said, "It's Ok, I don't mind." As I sat there watching them, I was marveling at how 2 little boys who didn't seem to get along very well at all, were capable of being so loving toward each other in a different circumstance. The lesson for the day...when you least expect it, people will surprise you.
