"And We Are Just Breakable, Breakable, Breakable Girls And Boys"

At first I was a bit verklempt at not having written a blog post last night in time for a 12:01am posting, but I'm glad I waited. Instead of feeding you filler I actually have something to share.

Today I participated in an all-day training at the language center where I teach that "certifies" me to work with children ages 4 to 17 both on-site and in schools. Some of you might be a bit shocked to hear that I would volunteer to work with other people's bratty ass kids but, eh, it's cool. The classes are short and (supposedly) fun so I doubt I will have too much trouble with the rugrats. There are puppets and flashcards and songs...yeah, I got this.

But another component we had to be ready for was: discipline. Y'all already know this is my forte. The last thing I will ever tolerate in this life is a child acting a straight fool while in my care. Nope. Not having it. Fuggetaboutit!

During the training, we were given 8 scenarios of behavioral issues in a classroom setting and asked how we'd handle it. You'll be proud to know I didn't answer each one with "Well I'd pull out my travel machete..." Instead I dug deep into my little bit of All Kinds of Mind training and superior child-rearing skills to find real solutions, similar to what I'd do at home except less El Generalissimo and more Super Nanny.

#sidenote: Can someone contact Super Nanny and ask her if she'd like an American apprentice? I love that show to death and am just itching to get my hands on these unruly families! #endnote

And I didn't adjust my responses to appear less mean, I really thought of the bigger picture and how best to handle the situation: I'm there to teach Spanish. This child is getting in the way of that (for whatever reason). I need to find a way to correct the behavior w/out making the other children suffer, humiliating the poorly behaved child and be able to continue my lesson as planned. Luckily, I have one of those geniusly equipped logical minds that loves to solve people problems and had NO issues w/this exercise.

My thing is this- a lot of times, kids misbehave because they are starving for attention. Even negative attention. Some are just antsy and can't help it. Others have some deep psychological problems that even I'm not equipped to handle. Whatever the case, kids are fragile. Yes, even that little bad-ass that kept kicking the back of your seat on the 6hr flight to California. Especially that one. They are fragile and need our guidance, love and understanding more than they need a swift kick in the ass (which I'm more than happy to dole out as needed).



Their lives, hell OUR lives, are nothing more than a series of teachable moments. How would you rather spend it- exerting your power over a small child like a bully or being a positive influence in their lives?

*smooches...fully aware that ass-whoopins are not enough*
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Still, you know I won't hesitate to check a 4yr old, right? Okay. As long as you know...