When You Wanna Go, You Gotta Go

I had made it through 7 hours of kindergarten with no major incidents.  The kids were obedient and the sub plans were comprehensible.  The morning class had been a breeze and the afternoon class was shaping up to be the same.  With less than one hour to go, I thought I had it made.  Then, one boy pushed another boy (hard enough to knock him to the ground).  I had warned this student a few times to make sure his behavior was appropriate for school or he would have to sit out until he could “remember how to be a kidergartener.”

When I sent him to a chair away from the rest of the class, he walked over quietly without arguing, so I thought that this would be a piece of cake.  The moment his butt hit the chair, however, he set up a howl so loud, I am surprised that you didn’t hear it wherever you were at.  I ignored his tantrum while I read a book to the class and gave them their snack.  He had to know that positive behavior would get him the attention that he wanted and that his negative behavior would not(it’s an ideal, and sometimes I am so idealistic that it borders on nieve).

While the other students were eating, I walked over and talked to him in a quiet voice so that he had to stop his fake sobs to hear me.  “Isn’t it sad that you missed the story and the snack?” I observed.  “What’s the problem?”  I asked.  “I want to go home,” he replied.  I told him that he couldn’t go home yet, but that school would be over in 30 minutes.  Then I asked why he wanted to go home.  “I WANT TO GO HOME!” he screamed.  I said that I was sorry, but that school would be over soon.  He just glared at me.  Then he scrunched up his face like he was putting a lot of effort into something.  Then he looked up at me like he had just gotten the better hand in a card game.  “I wet my pants.  Now I get to go home.”

I guess when you wanna go, you gotta go.