"I am not going to your class." A little boy stated. Quite firmly I might add.
"Why ever not?" I questioned him, squatting down in front of his bike.
"Because I hate you." He answered.
His little face was serious and he shrugged his shoulders with the answer given.
My neck snapped back and I can tell you why. I have never, EVER in my career been HATED by a child. Loved yes. Frightened of (at first), sure. I am quite loud and strict. But hate?
It was two weeks until transition and he was to be in my Fall Pre-K class.
"Why do you hate me?" I asked.
"Um. I dunno....I just do."
"If you hate someone you should know why."
He shrugged.
"If you USE the word hate you should know what it means."
He shrugged again.
I stood. "Talk to me in 2 weeks and we will see where we stand then." And I walked away to squish my children and stare up at the sky searching for aliens.
On the first day of the new school year, the little boy was sitting in the front row of my circle time.
I greeted the class and made them giggle with my puppets. I looked at him "Good Morning."
He stared at me.
"I see you are sitting in my class."
He nodded.
"Did you change your mind about coming to my class?"
"Nope. My dad just brought me here."
"Ah." And I continued circle time.
The next day, there he sat again. First row.
"Here again?"
"Yup. My dad just keeps bringing me here."
"I see." And I continued circle time.
Later during table work, I was squatting down, explaining a project to another child when he stood next to me. " I still hate you."
"Do you?"
"Yes." His face was completely bare of emotion.
"Why?"
"I dunno, I still just do."
"Okay, well now you are in my class. And I am your teacher."
He shrugged.
"Well. You may not be rude in my class. And by saying you hate me, you are being rude."
"So."
"It is unacceptable. Which means it is not allowed. And if you continue to be mean and say rude things like that, you can write me some sentences."
"I don't know how to write sentences."
"You'll learn."
He turned and walked away.
By the end of last week he would appear in front of me and stare at me. And then walk away. It sparked my curiosity, but I was busy and so I would turn and continue whatever else I was doing at the time.
This morning he came to my table for line work. I put his paper on the table and explained what I wanted him to do. "Trace the lines with the marker." And I did one line. "Paint the line with the color from the marker. Like this see?"
He nodded. And sat down. He scribbled all over the page and handed the paper to me. "I'm done."
I took it from him and placed another paper in front of him. "Do it again."
He stared at me. Sighed and scribbled all over the paper again.
"I'm done." he said, holding the paper up to me once more.
I accepted his paper and placed another one in front of him. "Do it again."
He stared at me and readied his hand for another page of scribble. I put my hand over his hand, and knelt next to him. "You will give me the kind of work that I expect from you. I know you can make these lines, and I will sit here right next to you until the work you hand me is acceptable. You do NOT have to like me. But you will do the work that I give you to the best of your ability. DO you understand what I am saying to you?"
"Yes."
"Show me." And I stood up.
2 minutes later he handed me a near perfect paper. "Is this acceptable?" He asked
"It is. And I knew you could do it."
He ran away to play, only to come running back immediately. "And I don't hate you anymore." And off he ran.
I smiled.
Each year brings me a new class of children. Each one a puzzle. Each one unique and delightfully special. Some laugh easily. (Some cry easily.) But each is a treasure, some are hard to open up. But once they do the prize inside is worth every struggle that was faced to open it. I look forward to learning every nuance and giggle spot of my new class.
And I hope that I can impress upon them strength of character and determination for growth. In more ways then intellectually. I hope I can make the hard to laugh, laugh easier. The shy ones beam with wonder, the loud ones calm their bodies and the sad ones find safety and love here with us all.
