Words drip
from dictionary
lips—
challenges
& curses
stain the classroom
carpet.
OK, then.
Let’s mop these
words up off
the ground
turn them into
something
you can use.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
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If only it were that easy! 😉
No kidding, but it does get easier to just let things roll off and not take things personally. Interestingly, once you learn that lesson, the kids seem to know at stop trying to get to you.
I don’t envy you but if you can cause thought and reason to re-work disruptive/abusive language into a positive creation, which will hold attention and provoke consideration, I’d say that was a valuable lesson.
Thanks, Derrick. It’s kind of a teacher trick, I guess. In helping kids “revise” their expressions of anger, that anger often dissipates and we can get down to core issues. Bringing out the “thought and reason” is what it’s all about.
we call it processing, wading through the escalations to find what’s underneath. unfortunately, most of our kids can’t find any words at all.
I love that image of turning the “discarded” words into something usable.
Thanks. We work with what we’re given. You’re right that too often they don’t even have the words for what they want to say.