Dear little Emily,
I see what you do,
I have to walk towards you.
I hear your small voice,
I have to bend forward to you.
I feel your tension
I have to lead you.
Dear Emily,
You don't know me
I'm your temporary teacher.
You don't know what to do.
You are only five years of age!
Well, you do know ...
These are your tools for dealing with it:
You aren't listening. You do 'what ever comes up in your mind'. You tease other children. You are constantly checking whether I see what you are doing.
Dear Emily,
I understand it is difficult for you!
I have to walk towards you and speak to you in a fierce voice telling you to stop teasing.
I have to bend over to you and summit you to come directly, like all other children.
I have to take your hand and guide you towards the door where everybody is waiting.
At the end of the day we are both tired.
We say goodbye and 'perhaps we'll meet again'.
That's it.
Only two days we've been in each others lives.
Dear little Emily,
I was so happy to see you one week later!
I was teaching an other class.
You saw me in the hall and walked to me.
"I know you!" and while I recognised you and we both smiled, you came closer and we hugged.
Such short contacts. Such warm connections in spite of difficult behaviour. Those "wrong tools" ... you can't help it.
Ella de Jong
Temporary teacher - writer - trainer 'Energizing Communication with Troubled Youth' - youth counsellor - life coach www.elladejong.com
