Our team of sixth-grade teachers had a conference with a student and his parent this afternoon. The student is a good kid, but impulsive and silly at times. Other kids really like him, too, so he has the knack of spreading disruption in class at times. And, like many eleven-year-olds, he has a hard time accepting responsibility for his mistakes.
After we described the situation, his mother was having none of his half-baked justifications and excuses, and she gave him a firm scolding, right there and then, making clear her expectations for his conduct in school.
In truth, it was a little uncomfortable to hear, and I waited for the right moment to step in, when she had said her piece and we could refocus on strategies to help her son be more successful. After I spoke, she allowed the conversation to be redirected, but before we entirely shifted gears she told her son one more thing.
"You are surrounded right now by people who love and care for you. We all want the best for you, but the world is not like that," she shook her head. "The world does not love you. The world does not like you. You have to learn to make better choices now, so you won't..."
She trailed off and my breath caught at the implications of her unspoken warning to this very young man of color. The stakes seemed so much higher then, the mission so much more urgent.
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