cry me a river

     When I student-taught in fifth grade (it seems ages ago, but isn't really), I remember that one of the things that surprised me most was how often the boys cried.
     This observation holds true for my classroom. Boys who have cried lately: Junior, as mentioned in the previous post. Pilot, today. Biblio, today as well.
     My class had cafeteria duty today, so I marched the students over after recess. They didn't need everyone, so I had to take 3 students back to class. Pilot wanted to go back. I decided I wanted him to stay. He's so quiet and shy that I think any extra time he spends interacting and working with classmates is invaluable for his development. The students who were returning to class were standing against the wall, and Pilot walked over to join them. I told him he needed to get in the other line. He shook his head, but didn't say anything.
     When I said he was going to stay, he began to cry. I don't like making my students unhappy, but I felt the potential benefits outweighed his momentary unhappiness. As a shy person myself, I know how easy it is to follow the path that takes you _away _ from other people, instead of toward them, even when you really want to choose otherwise.
     This is my first mention of Biblio. He reminds me a little of me at that age. One of my clearest memories of fifth grade was a day when we were taking a spelling test.  I finished early and dove into a book. The teacher had to literally dig me out of the book to get me to join the class for the next subject; I hadn't heard the directions at all. Similarly, I will find Biblio sitting in the book corner, immersed in a book. He also leaves piles of books around the room. He is singularly disorganized; I've started checking his bag as he leaves to ensure he has his homework.
     Mom came in for the parent-teacher conference this afternoon, and Biblio sat with us. I started off by asking him to tell mom what he needs to work on. He said that he talks too much. We also discussed how he walks around the room, socializing and playing with things, instead of doing work. I pulled out the vocabulary practice from last week that Biblio had not completed, despite ample time in class. He got teary-eyed as mom lectured him about completing his work. He also had to show her his messy desk (not at its messiest point, but that's because we just rearranged seating and he hasn't had time to build his usual piles).
     Mom is very invested in Biblio's school success, so I'm looking forward to seeing some positive changes.
     All these tears remind me of what a friend's sage advice: "Remember, they're just little kids."