On Understanding Each Other
It was nearly the end of the day...
The announcement had already been made for scholars to begin preparing to leave...Clean up your area, stack your chairs, don't forget your lunch boxes and your backpacks, and get ready to go home.
99% of all kids understand this message...They hear it every day. Day after day.
It means you've only got about 10 minutes to pull it all together before Mom or Dad or the school bus whisks you away for another night of TV or video games, or whatever it is kids do at night during the school week.
That's why I was surprised and somewhat dismayed to see a huge pile of stuff on the floor by one little girl's desk.
"What's all this, honey?" I asked.
"I'm cleaning out my desk," was the reply.
I went on to explain that this mountain of stuff rivaling Everest would probably take longer to sort through than the few minutes she had remaining, but she seemed bound and determined to make the effort.
"All this stuff was in your desk?" I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
She nodded, smiling, as if it were some kind of badge of courage to have accumulated what to her was an elementary Taj Mahal of largely unfinished classwork, pencils, crayons, erasers, drawings, notes, unidentifiable, partially eaten food items, and other rare and mysterious 2nd grade artifacts.
There was nothing to be done but to dive into the mountainous morass with her, in hopes of getting her to the bus on time.
I grabbed a large trash receptacle and we set about the task of disposing of what she didn't want or need, and organizing her pile of treasures that were obviously dear to her heart. We miraculously managed to complete the task just as the final bell rang for dismissal.
Two points here: One is the importance of understanding each other. Hopefully, she now understands that dismissal time is not the best time to engage in a major spring cleaning effort.
It's easy to miss the message sometimes, especially for children.
Secondly, if you are a pack rat, at least try to make an effort to keep up with your stuff and stay somewhat organized.
It may well become overwhelming!
Recent Comments
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Sure it does , with my students all at different levels of English and varieties of ideas I have, and specially devised plans for especially difficult folks... heaps of paper sometimes...:)))
A great act Rick. Even though 2nd grade is a couple of years away, does the Sue give you some practice?
O, Mike!! a great, message...spoken,,,softy..
The necessity of sometimes, clearing
Away memories of past rats, and rocks...
I have a gal, taking and room..
.needs double-bed.....time to clear-out
Remnants of the storm...
and all my exes... In Texas!!LOL
Barb
It sounds like you were a very patient and understanding role model for the little girl in communicating a valuable lesson.
I am temporarily helping to manage a mini-warehouse storage facility right now and boy do I have some Pack-Rat Stories!
Rick,
Great story and the lesson is not only limited children.
In my careers, I have been responsible for cleaning up millions of dollars worth of collected parts and equipment that has limited true value but the liveliness of the company is based on its value.
Always have a plan to go through collected materials. organize, and dispose of the excess.
Jay
What a wonderful post! I wish all children could have such teachers. Unbelievable!
Just wonder what would you do if I accidentally dropped the contents of my bag and you were next by( I could compete with that girl)?lol..:))
Vera, I would absolutely stoop down and assist you in retrieving your belongings! No doubt. :))
Oh dear...You would be surprised how much a small lady's bag can contain!Especially if this lady could compete with your second-grader!:))
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A very good lesson here, ick. Have a great weekend :)
Thanks, Carol. You have a good weekend, too! :)