Bribes, Bribes, Bribes

fon't despair! Elementary schoolers have many positives as well, the least of which isn'yt their tendemcy to "tell it like it is(or at least how they perceive it to be! Though sometimes(unwittibgly ) brutal, their candor is regreshing in a woeld where most pople hide behind"saying it nicely" or covering their true feelings/observations. a new hairdo or style of dress won't go either unniticed or ignore, and you'll know EXACTy how the change in your appearance strikes them! ther's also nothing comparable to seeing a child's enthusiasm when they witness something in nature you've come to take for granted for the first time, like watching a baby bird peck it's way out of it's egg or a butterfly emerging from it's coccoon. It's pretty difficult not to see the little miracles which surround us as exactly thay when you're experiencing them with a child at your side! I challenge even the mosthardened, winter-hating adult in the world not to rejoice at the first smowflakes of a inter season when you're around kids! while we see slippery roads and sidewalks, soaring heating bills and freezing extremeties, they envision sledding, hot chocolate with cookies and making snowpeople!(Not to mention the possibility of a few unexpected days off from school! It truly gives you an understanding of how important perception and attitude are in life! In addition, the joy and self-confidence they radiate when accomplishing something new(however trivialit might seem to usin terms of the "big picture") is wonderful to behold and can give even the most unconfident adult a taste of what pride and a sense of accomplisjment are all about!(We can truly learn from them about axxepting our worth and patting ourselces on the back! they naturally celebrate such milestones as learning to tie their on shoes or remaining vertical on roller skates and are eager to give thmselves accolades for same! Their enthuiasm is contagious, something most of us 'grownups have learned to fownplay. Many of tem are also qick to admit to their transgressions, something else that's rare in adults.(Of course, they're even quicker to point the finger of blame at someone else, so they aren't PERFECT, God love 'em!) i honestly feel fairly confident that tomorrow's leaders WILL be capable of taking over and quite likely will surpass those of today in many areas (Not that that would be particulatly difficult,IMHO!) THEIR SENSE OF HUMOR IS JUST WAITING TO BE DEVELPED, and they're ready to laugh at EVERYTHING Tthat tickles their dunnt bones! and I'm talking belly laughs, not the 'sanitized" laughter of many adults who appear to be ASHAMED that they have a sense of humor! Many of them are quick tyo acknowledge their transgressions and just as quick to ask forgiveness, another trait I gind admirable. (Of course, thwey're even more ready to point the finger at someone else, so they aren't PERFECT,God love 'em!) Mind you, i realize that I'm not truly objective, since I miss teaching so much that my lenses may be slightly rose-colored. It's also heartening to see how many of them are truly aware of and concerned about environmental issues such as recycling which become more and more critical with each passing day. But it's frequently the children who push their parents to recycle or geed the birds in winter. All in all, i'm pretty confident that our future is in fairly good hands. (In spite of the act that they will also be adults when they rake over the reins and will have shed some of their "childish' ways.)

Actually, Larry,thanks(?) to the early physical maturing of todays children (all those Flintstones vitamins?) that now starts at about fourth grade which is why most sex ed classes start that young as well. Talk about ugh! I never had to teach it, in MI you need special licensing, so my district hired an itinerant to cover the whole district. She was excellent; I always sat in with my students to be on the same page should questions arise later, and just observing was enough for ME! You're absolutely 1005 correct; the physical and emotional maturity don't arrive at the same time. The weorst part of ir (For me is noticing those students who became(suspiciously) TOO quiet and uneasy diring the segments concerning sexual abuse; I always felt the need to try and draw them out later one-on one to see if there was something they felt the need to unload. all too often there was indeed, and that's an AWFUL position to be in. The innocence I've witnessed destroyed is horrifying, and I, of course, was always obligated to file a report, which is never an easy thing to do. I was, however always upfront with the kids before we began talking so as to try and keep their sense of betrayal at a minimum. Even so, it was heart rendering to see the drama unfold once Protective services became involved.In spitre of the fact that I knew and believed with my whole heart that the kids need someone with some authority to intervene on their behalf, when it resulted (as it did more often than not) in the tearing apart of a family unit, there was always an element of guilt involved. Te thing about abused kids that's the hardest for me to take(Probably because of my own experiences) is thatas much as they hate the abuse, they love their parents/grandparents or whomever the perpetrator is hat they would nearly ALWAYS remain at gome even if it meant the abuse(physical, sexual OR emotional/verbal would continue. it's a terrible thing to witness that kind of "love"

I'm well aware that kids physically mature more quickly today. That's why I said 10 -- fourth grade, right?

Just on a day-to-day level, knowing how randy I was as a young pup, I feel horrible for the girls who never can be sure for what reasons (probably two specific ones, alas) boys are hovering over them.