We have a student this year who embodies a conundrum I've never tackled before. He is definitely oppositional: ask him to do any simple task, and he just can't help himself from doing the opposite. You have to say his name three times before he'll even turn his head, and yet? He misbehaves with the sunniest of smiles.
In all my years of teaching, I have never met such a contradictory soul. I redirect him, ready to be confronted with anger and resentment, and he simply laughs with a twinkle in his eye. When frustrated by a task, he shuts down, but when I give him guidance and suggestions, he digs in and does a great job.
He has lost his water bottle at least 10 out of the 14 days we've been in school so far, but he is always appreciative when I, his homeroom teacher, spot it and return it to him. Maybe that's why he always stops by at the end of the day for a few minutes with his friend from another team, even when they could both be heading home.
Today I met them at the door on my way back from a meeting. "Hey!" I said, "I think you're rubbing off on me. I just left my water bottle downstairs."
"Do you know where it is?" he asked.
"Yep," I answered.
"Well then," he told me, "I haven't rubbed off on you enough!"
In all my years of teaching, I have never met such a contradictory soul. I redirect him, ready to be confronted with anger and resentment, and he simply laughs with a twinkle in his eye. When frustrated by a task, he shuts down, but when I give him guidance and suggestions, he digs in and does a great job.
He has lost his water bottle at least 10 out of the 14 days we've been in school so far, but he is always appreciative when I, his homeroom teacher, spot it and return it to him. Maybe that's why he always stops by at the end of the day for a few minutes with his friend from another team, even when they could both be heading home.
Today I met them at the door on my way back from a meeting. "Hey!" I said, "I think you're rubbing off on me. I just left my water bottle downstairs."
"Do you know where it is?" he asked.
"Yep," I answered.
"Well then," he told me, "I haven't rubbed off on you enough!"
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