I saw two boys playing in House Keeping one day with electric drills from the Tools center. Of course it's ok if they fix something on the house but it's not ok to peek through the kitchen window and pretend to shoot at your classmates.
Well, knowing this is reality for this one boy I took him and the other aside to discuss the incident.
Teacher: What were you doing? Were you playing like you had a gun? And do we play like that?
Student: Quiet at first. The boys said yes, and said no we are not suppose to play like that.
Teacher: Do you know what happens when you shoot someone? Have you seen someone with a gun?
Student: Very quiet now. They bleed, they get hurt. My uncle brought one over, and my dad has one.
Teacher: Neither boy said the person would die. Well, die isn't a vocabulary word widely used around young children. Yet this is reality.
We discussed how they might die and we discussed what would happen to that person that shot them. They would go to prison. They would both be missed by their mom's or family because they would not live at their home anymore.
This brought it home to these boys thinking about how there mom would feel if they weren't at home. Also, how they would feel if they never got to see that person that cares about them, feeds them, loves them. We talked about how the person who was shot's family would feel.
We also discussed as we had previously what to do if we see someone who wants to play with a gun.
You have to make it reality for kids even though they are kids. I had a friend ask don't you think it was a little harsh to say they might die. I said no because that's reality. TV sugar coats it we have to make it real before they do and are faced with it.
Well, he touched me. You never know if what you say will sink in you only hope.
Student to student.
Boy1 who was in previous discussion:
Mrs. Ginny says we don't play with guns. Do you know what happens if you shoot someone.Boy2: Puts gun down.
Boy1: continues to explain in his own words.
We don't always over hear or see where we've helped a child but in this case I was able to. I hold this story close to my heart because I grew up with gunfire outside my window at night in an inner city. I hope in this child's life and others it will make a difference.
This is something that I deal with with the children I work with. One child told me that she moved to a new house. So I thought about how new and exciting that could be and I asked her several questions. Did she have her own room, did she like it, what colors were in her room, why did they move. The only thing that stuck with me was that she moved because someone shot a hole through her other house. I remembered how sad I was about it and I told her that she was safe in her new house.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that our students have to live in these communities. Unfortunately it is the nature of the world we live in. I grew up with gun shots outside my window and I can tell you it is unsettling. I now live away from home in my own house but it is where I grew up and where my dad still lives that I remember why I do what I do today. I also know that though I may be in a better part of town that we are never truly safe. It's better but not great. Of course I would live at home again without thought though it was what it was, it was HOME. That is what it is for many of our students not great but HOME. We must remember that.
ReplyDelete