While I was reading some other blogs about how kids have changed over the years, I was reminded of a boy in my class about four years ago. This boy had a lot of behavior problems, but his mom was offended and defensive whenever I had to contact her about her son's demeanor at school. She always said it was the other kids' fault, no matter what he had done! She was difficult to deal with, and had an attitude. Her son was very savvy and street-wise, and it really was evident by something he did one day.
During class, he came up to me and handed me a piece of paper and asked that I read it. A little while later when I had the opportunity to read it, I was startled at what he had written. Apparently he had a disagreement with one (of many) student in our class, and he wrote the following:
Restraining Order
March 14, 2003
J.P. is ordered to stay 25 feet away from J.A. for the rest of the year. If he volates (sic) this order, the police will be called and he will go to jail.
Signed,
J.A.
This was surely a first for me! I've never had a student who knew about such things! Where was the innocence of this seven-year-old?