Shhhh! We Don’t Say Those Words Here!
Setting: Two 6 year olds
were engaged in a conversation in the corner of the class about their teacher
who had just sent them into “Time Out” for misbehaving.
Student 1: Hey Man, did you
see those?
Student 2: It was ginormous!
Student 1: What fool?
Student 2: Mrs. Lilly’s
cups.
Student 1: Man, I don’t know
what you talkin about.
Student 2: Mrs. Lilly got da
biggest butter cups I eva seen. (While cupping his hands into his chest area)
(Both students look at
each other and start to laugh.)
I overheard this conversation
while I was a junior camp counselor at the district recreation department
summer camp. I was fifteen years old and
I told the boys I would tell Mrs. Lilly if they were not quiet. I had no idea of what to do because I didn’t
want to get them into more trouble.
With the knowledge I have
gained from this course, I could have approached the boys without reprimand and
could be objective. I now would say, “Guys,
people come in all shapes and sizes. I have friends who have large body parts
and some friends who have smaller body parts.”
Look at you two, Harry is taller than you Sam but you guys are still
nice guys even though you are in punishment now. “Do you know of people who have different shapes,
maybe a different color, or talk different?” I would try to provoke the
children to think about themselves and how they are different from others. Then I would explain to them that it is all
right to be different. From the Resource
video, Start Seeing Diversity Race/
Ethnicity, the author says, “The best pictures are those that encourage
children to make comparisons then make connections.” I would use this as an opportunity to compare
and connect.
Resource
OMG! LOL Great story and you handled it perfect with a teaching moment. I have worked in the past with the alternative kids and i had a funny moment with a couple seventh grade boys. Everyone knows how their hormones are going wild. I escorted them to the lunch line and we were having hotdogs that day. One boy tried to embarrass me by saying, "Hey Miss Tammy, mine is bigger than that". I am quick witted, with ten older brothers and all the troubled kids I have worked with, I replied. "Ya, Ya, I know I have a two year old grandson at home". His other friend said, "OH, you got burned"! We all laughed about it. These kids were old enough to know better, that's why I handled it with humor. They are already in trouble and they just need to learn what not to say, because it just might turn around on them.
ReplyDeleteYour story is funnier than mine. LOL!
DeleteAn amusing anecdote from the past! Very often we do not have adequate tools to deal with situations as they arise. Hindsight is an exact science. I often find myself thinking, if only I had known this or done that ... Harro (2008) points out that empowering oneself through introspection, education and being aware of the issues in the first place is only the beginning. I like the strategy you have selected from our resources - 'to compare and connect' should you have had the opportunity to or were faced with a similar situation once again. Good solution.
ReplyDelete