One of the students in my homeroom had literally nothing to say this morning as we waited to be called to an assembly. The rest of the group was having a jolly conversation about vegetables that we either loved or hated, but he sat unsmiling, arms crossed tightly. "You know what," I told him, "I know your social skills teacher (it's Heidi), and she says you talk all the time in that class! Why won't you talk to us?"
I smiled and winked. He clenched his arms even more tightly across his chest and grimaced. "Because this class," he started with a sneer and took a deep breath.
"Whoa!" I took advantage of the pause and held up my hands. "I think you might be getting ready to say something that could hurt my feelings. Take a minute to think about it."
He did not follow my advice. "Because this class is uselessly boring!" he proclaimed.
The other students froze and looked from him to me.
"All you people do is talk, talk, talk, about stupid stuff," he finished.
"Hey!" said another student. "It is not stupid! We are just trying to get to know each other!"
"I'm so sorry you feel that way," I told him. "But next week I'm going to give you a locker and an iPad-- I don't think you'll find either of those useless or boring." I paused and shrugged. "And give the rest of us a chance, too!"
I smiled and winked. He clenched his arms even more tightly across his chest and grimaced. "Because this class," he started with a sneer and took a deep breath.
"Whoa!" I took advantage of the pause and held up my hands. "I think you might be getting ready to say something that could hurt my feelings. Take a minute to think about it."
He did not follow my advice. "Because this class is uselessly boring!" he proclaimed.
The other students froze and looked from him to me.
"All you people do is talk, talk, talk, about stupid stuff," he finished.
"Hey!" said another student. "It is not stupid! We are just trying to get to know each other!"
"I'm so sorry you feel that way," I told him. "But next week I'm going to give you a locker and an iPad-- I don't think you'll find either of those useless or boring." I paused and shrugged. "And give the rest of us a chance, too!"
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