Every Child has a Story!

Ok,so I have officially turned to plan C in the playbook and have figured out where I can blog on a regular basis. . .I promise. PLAN C - The Spooner Memorial Library. There seems to be no limits to my blogging here.

With basketball season just around that corner, my morals and ethics have been put to the test. I can see where many good teachers become poor, monotonous teachers by being sucked into the overemphasized importance of "high school athletics". Rather, I am a teacher, who has been asked to coach. Better yet, a coach that is teaching. . . a game in order to enhance their (kid's) lives and become useful citizens.

On with my story: Three weeks ago, I was informed that one of my students was being introduced to a Behavior Management Plan. I was rather suprised seeing as though this child has never caused any problems while attending phy. ed. For those of you who do not know, a Behavior Management Plan is essentially like training a dog - for every number of times the students does the desired behavior, they receive a reward that is pre-determined. Some educators tend to disagree with me but that is really what it is like: training a dog. Believe me I know. The great thing about it. It really does work and that is maybe why some do not like to refer to it that way. The child in particular is a new student to the district who happens to love EVERYTHING phy. ed. So what a better reward than MORE phy. ed.

After two weeks of having launched this BMP, Zach successfully achieved the desired behavior for the desired time and was rewarded with extra PE. Zach came to me Friday right before school was let out. This was his chance to have some good ol' unstructured play. I asked him what he wanted to do and let him know that he has earned this and he deserves it. He somehow found out that I was to be the boys basketball coach and asked if I could teach him some stuff about basketball because that was his favorite sport.

What started out as a basketball lesson, quickly turned into a shoot around and finally an all-out "story time" for lack of a better word. What Zack really wanted was to talk and vent. He was a kid who oved up to rural, nothern Wisconsin from Janesville where he lived in a poverty stricken home in a side of town that produced many criminals. In his words "We had our TV stolen twice and my bed was stolen once." He talked about how much he loves it here and how nice the people are. He reminded me of a miniature Eminem. He is a punk and he knows it. The majority of his BMP deals with him treating each other better.

The very next day (Monday) after our little extra PE session, Zachs teacher confronted me and let me know that whatever it was that Zach and I did, he really appreciated it. I do not know if he is excited for his next session but I know I sure am. My philosophy: Zach doesn't need a BMP, he needs someone to talk to . . . that probably goes for many kids. Teachers - you have more impact on a child's life than you can ever know. Parent's - your children just want to talk with you.