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| A Rather Painful Lesson |
| 08.25.04 (6:01 am) [edit] |
So I had another young class today...frequent perusers of this blog will remember the last class of this species in which I had a particularly unstable little guy who kept wanting to exact his violent tendencies upon his unsuspecting mother. Today heralded another cheerful episode, this time a bit more personal.
The older brother of one of the little boys was present at today`s lesson, which isn`t uncommon; mothers often have to bring siblings along to the classes. This young gentleman was about four years old, and fairly well-built for a child of his age.
Several minutes after they came in, I was playing with a little girl when suddenly I hear, `Yuki, NO!` I look up to see the kid headed towards me with the velocity (it seemed at the time, anyway) of a cannonball. I didn`t even have time to move, then...WHAM! The kid headbutts me right in the stomache, and I fall backwards.
Now, you`re probably wondering about the physics involved in a collision between a 21 year old and a four year old, but all I can say is that he was going really, really fast, and he hit me right in the gut. It was unexpected. And it hurt. It felt like one time in Phys. Ed. when I get a basketball right in the stomache. It`s kinda painful.
And this was not just an accidental little push. This was malicious intent, premeditated to the point that I observed the little monster had actually moved some blocks out of the way so he could get a better run at me.
The mom did nothing; called him over to sit down, and grinned at me. I grinned back, fighting every impulse in my body that made me want to beat the kid senseless. So I go back to the little kid I was formerly playing with.
And all of thirty seconds later, the malevolent minikin headbutts me again...this time, from behind, so I go sprawling. Now I`m really angry...but all the mom does is call him over to sit with her again. I`m not going to try and play parent, not when she`s just sitting there...who knows what kind of harrassment I`d get hit with, a foreigner trying to discipline a Japanese kid with his mom standing right there. So I bite my tongue, swallow my anger, and hobble over to the other side of the room (hey, it hurt even more the second time). He stopped being violent, but he kept snarling every time anybody spoke to him. Reminded me of a rhino.
Thankfully, the rest of the class went smoothly. However, when I mentioned it offhand to the Japanese teacher who was there, she replied, `Oh, Yuki, he`ll be back - he`s in your last class today.` Great.
I do some thinking during the next few classes, and excuse me for taking a bit of a serious and sombre tone here, but I think it`s important, given the subject matter. I realized that maybe I was being too hard on the little guy. I mean, he has a baby brother - maybe he`s going through some jealousy thing. Maybe he doesn`t get any attention at home. I haven`t seen his dad; maybe his mom looks after the two of them on her own. The point is that this kid could have all sorts of issues and problems to deal with at the tender age of four that could make him angry when he comes into the classroom. As a teacher, I need to recognize that, and not judge or blame because of a kid`s behaviour on one afternoon. I resolve to not keep any grudges, and try to make him as happy as possible in my class.
So when he comes through the door, I remember the training they gave us, and try to make myself as unthreatening as possible. I kneel down, put a hand on his shoulder, smile, and say, `Hello, Yuki. How are you today?` And you know what?
The little b@st@rd punched me in the face. And this time it REALLY hurt.
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posted by: Holly (reply)
post date: 08.26.04 (1:29 pm)
Oh, Cam! That sounds so awful! Give me that kid's address and I'll take him on...munchkin on munchkin!! :P
posted by: lilrockygirl (reply)
post date: 09.25.04 (3:12 am)
Oh my goodness, now thats funny. I am sorry however that you were assalted by him. Wow, im a bit worried about this childs future.
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