It’s Never Too Late to Change

Joe C.

Ahhhh…. Joe C.

It's time for another update.

He

is

doing

great!

And that IS NOT sarcasm!

That boy is a changed man. It's been three weeks of him being on-task, responsive, well-behaved, polite, and concerned about his behavior. He's even done all of his homework every night. Of course, none of it is correct but that really is asking a bit much of him. The fact that he's actually doing anything is a nice change.

He has apologized to me on several occasions for all the trouble he's caused, saying he "doesn't want to be a bad boy anymore," and announced today that he would like to write an apology letter to the police officers who had to come to school the day he brought the knife to school. We'll be sitting down tomorrow to work on that.

We've actually made him a bit paranoid about getting in trouble. The other day I was interviewing a student about bullying others on the playground and I was taking notes in the "The Notebook." I use this notebook for notes whenever there is trouble with a student. (I write down everything they tell me and then use it against them later in the conversation.)

Joe saw me writing in "The Notebook" and raced over to me with a distraught look on his face.

Joe: Am I in trouble? (He asks as he shoves his way past the sobbing kid standing before me.)

Me: Nope

Joe: Are you sure?

Me: Unless there's something I don't know about, I'm pretty sure.

Joe: But you're writing in "The Notebook!"

Me: Yes, but it's not about you.

Joe: Are you sure? It always has been in the past.

Me: I feel confident it's not you today. I've pretty much pinpointed the crying kid behind you as my target.

Joe: Oh…ok. But you'd let me know if it was me, right?

Me: First thing, I swear. You can relax now.

Joe: Pheew. (Then turning to Sobbing Boy, he pats him on the shoulder and says) Good luck, Man. She's no joke.

Ha! Irony!