Documentation

"What are you writing?" asked the student I sat next to during class as my co-teacher led the instruction.

"Oh, I'm just taking notes about your behavior," I told him. "Want me to read what I have so far?"

"Okay," he answered with an impressive mix of hesitation and defiance.

"1)" I started, "doing the Macarena in the middle of the classroom."

"What's the Macarena?" he scoffed.

"That little dance you were doing right after the bell rang," I explained. "2) shouting "Do you want a Kiss?" across the room while the teacher was giving instructions."

"I meant a Hershey Kiss," he said.

"I know," I assured him, "but that's what you were shouting. 3) Offering candy to other students while the teacher was doing the lesson."

"Nobody got any," he shrugged.

I nodded. "4) standing up and pretending to put his gym shorts on over his jeans."

"Fine!" he said. "I'll follow the directions."

"Great!" I replied and waited a moment. "5) got his writing notebook and iPad out."

He raised his eyebrows, and picked up his pencil.

"6)" I said, "wrote some great observations about the character in the story!"

He smiled. "Keep writing!" he told me. "I can do a lot more."