How I Stunned the Grade 3 Class

Hi All,

I guess you're all wondering now from the title how I managed to COMPLETELY stun a class of 17 eight and nine year olds. Well let me tell you....

As a stay at home Mom I have more than my share of time to do volunteer work in my community. As you all know, I LOVE living here on Boularderie Island, and feel it is my duty to be an asset to my community. Our whole family has volunteered to clean up 1/3 of a local park, and my husband and I do many hours of volunteer work at our children's school.

One of the new commitments I took on this year for Boularderie School is Roots of Empathy. Roots of Empathy is a program where I bring a baby and the baby's Mom into the classroom (in this case grade 3) to help teach the children about the baby's development, and to try to teach them empathy for the baby, and in turn, for each other. I do 27 visits over the course of nine months, and I bring the Mom and baby in for 9 of those classes. After completing my training in October to be a qualified Roots of Empathy instructor, I was assigned to the grade 3 class.

Things have been going very well, and the kids are just in LOVE with the baby. Their little faces just light up when they see him, and he seems to enjoy all the attention. He is absolutely adorable.

Last Friday, during a pre baby visit where we get prepared for the baby visit, things were completely getting out of hand. The kids were, at some points laying and pulling on the blanket we sit around during the class, shoving each other, and "changing" the words to the nursery rhymes we were practicing in preparation for our baby's visit. If you have children, or was one at some point, you can imagine the lyrics these kids can come up with. The teacher and I had tried to pull them back on track many times, but nothing seemed to be effective.

Since I've never been a "teacher" before in a school environment, I have to use the skills I've developed by raising three children. After the nursery rhymes fiasco, drastic measures had to be taken. I stood up and listened to the chatter, looked over to the teacher's aid (who had taken over from the teacher) and said loudly (just to be heard), "Can someone help me fold up the blanket, please?” something we do at the very end of our visit. Since they LOVE to be helpful, three or four children immediately jumped up and began to fold the blanket. After about 5 seconds, someone said, "Why are we folding the blanket"? No, a hush didn't come over the class, but those of who had heard the question began repeating it and that's when I stunned them.

I shushed them as they passed me my blanket and began to explain. I told them that I had to leave. Why, they asked, to which I replied, "You guys are not listening or participating the way that you are supposed to and this class is to get ready to bring the baby in and I won't be able to bring the baby into this kind of environment. You are being too loud and inappropriate and it's not a safe or loving environment to bring the baby into. I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

After they picked their little jaws off the floor, they pleaded with me to give them another chance. Between me, the teacher, and the teacher's aid, we had already given them at least a dozen warnings about their behavior. None had previously worked, but for one fleeting second, I contemplated putting the blanket back down and continuing. Then the next second, I went back to the only skills I really had to draw on from teaching, my own children. If I had given them that many warnings, would I go back on my word and stay? Not on your life. I apologized to them, and told them that I would have to come back another day and left. I could tell that they were sorry then, but why were they only sorry when something was taken away from them? Why weren't they sorry when we were pleading with them to pay attention? Were they sorry for their behavior towards me and the teachers, or for themselves? I would find out shortly.

I found the teacher in the school and told her what had happened. She agreed that I did the right thing, and we made arrangements between ourselves that I would return Monday morning.

My son (who is in the grade 3 class) came home after school and handed me an envelope. Inside was a letter from EVERY child in grade 3 (my son included) telling me how sorry they were, how much they liked the class, how they LOVED "their" baby, and how very very sorry they were about their behavior. It literally brought a tear to my eye. Not only did they appreciate the class, they also wanted me back, even though, "Miss took away our art class," was included in one letter.

I questioned my decision to leave so abruptly as soon as I stepped out of the school. I called my mentor for the program later that day and asked her if I'd done the right thing. She assured me that they had learned a lesson of empathy that is not in the books. They had learned that my time is important, and that a certain behavior is expected of them. They are far enough into the program that they know what's expected of them in terms of behavior. And, they were genuinely sorry. This I knew for sure.

I am happy to report that bright and early Monday morning, I was back in class, with their letters in my hand, to tell them how much it meant to me that they liked the class and wanted me back. I explained to them that I was not getting paid to do these classes and they did take time to prepare and I was glad that they could appreciate that. I also told them how much I truly LOVE teaching Roots of Empathy to them. And I am happy to report that class went off without a hitch, with kids who were laughing, smiling, and being kind to each other....and to me.

I am sure this is a lesson they'll never forget.

Until next time,

Michelle