If I wrote a book......

As many of you know, I taught preschool and elementary school for many years prior to coming home to tutor/teach music/homeschool while being a mommy. But, having worked with kids of various ages in all sorts of settings over the last 20 years (or more really), I have seen a LOT of interesting things.


My second year of teaching was at a local public school in a fifth grade class. I had replaced a teacher who had left part of the way through first semester, after dealing with a rather unique group of kids. I did not know her personally, so I can only say that as teacher, while I found this group of children to be challenging, I also found them to be really good kids who needed a lot of guidance after having missed out on a lot of learning opportunities due to several major events beyond their control. I am sure God had me there for a reason, and I did enjoy this group. Yes, I had to put the 'hammer down' on some of them, but most of them really did respond to a more soft touch..at least that's how I remember it.

Well, in order to be able to help the children catch up and 'heal' from a lot of things they had dealt with, we'd have sharing times in class from time to time..and one young man shared this story. It still makes me chuckle a bit every time I tell it...


The class was supposed to be doing an assignment, but as 'usual' some were working and some were talking, playing, goofing off, drawing.... The teacher became frustrated and tried to maintain order, but a few of the children still did not respond to her efforts. While she zoned in on those kids, T (the young man telling the story) decided he needed a pedicure!!!!! Yes, he had brought toe nail clippers to class!!!! So, while the teacher was very intently dealing with the kids who were not able to do what she asked, T got up from his desk, moved to the back corner of the room, removed his shoes and socks, and cut all ten nails. If I recall the story correctly, he then replaced his shoes and socks and returned to his seat and she never even noticed that he'd been up at all. Knowing the layout of the room, I could not imagine how that was even possible....except that she must have been very upset or very focused on those few who were not cooperating. When T told the story...I could picture him doing this...he was such a funny young man...and while I found that I had to sit on him pretty hard, he turned out to be one of the most respectful and well behaved young men in the class, once I made a believer out of him. As a matter of fact, I had him again the next year since I taught 5th and 6th grade history, and I never failed to remember the toe nail story!!

If I ever write a book...I will find a way to work this story into it...