This past week teachers and staff heard several speakers who came to share their unique views on education. Each speaker had a different point of view and provided us with new perspectives. However, each of the speakers had one general theme. It is the little things that count.
Kids are resilient. They are tough. They are challenging. Kids are sweet. Kids are kids. Even when they think they know it all, they are still just….kids. Like adults, kids have feelings and very often it is a little thing that makes all the difference. Because of this, we have to use care when speaking – choose our words carefully, watch the tone of voice and our body language. All these will send a message, and for the sake of our children, we need to be sure the message they are getting is the one we are trying to convey!
For example, when my husband was a little boy he had a plastic horse. You remember the kind – molded, seam down the center of the back, no moving parts. As all well-loved toys will do, the horse broke – right down the seam. Being an inventive boy he “fixed” it by tying it together with shoestring. And the horse continued to ride the range in the imagination of the child. Also like many children, my husband has an older brother who, being 1 ½ years older and therefore much wiser, decided the toy belonged in the trash. You can imagine the arguing which ensued! My husband’s mother, most likely tired of hearing the arguing, stepped in (literally) and resolved the issue of the horse, much to my husband’s horror.
This event, my husband claims (with a twinkle in his eye), traumatized him and left him scarred. While he certainly exaggerates, the impact was definitely felt. How do I know? Because I have heard this story many, many, MANY times! Finally, last year, his mother bought him a new plastic horse in an effort to stop the repeating of the horse tragedy.
Interestingly, this story actually influenced me as well! My youngest son, who is a little replica of his daddy, has a plastic sword. It’s a little cheap toy he purchased with $2.00 he earned himself. He loves that sword. He becomes a swashbuckling pirate, mom’s bodyguard, a soldier, a knight, or a ninja when he pulls out that sword. Needless to say, it has seen better days. Being his father’s son, however, the sword is a simple thing to fix. All my son needs to fix anything is tape! That sword has tape wrapped at various locations in an effort to hold it together.
This time, however, it was the older sister who decided it was trash. When the argument and tears began, I recalled my husband retelling the horse story and vowed this would not happen to my son. I gave him back the sword (now in even worse shape) and more tape. I then explained to my daughter the value this toy has for her little brother. She said to me, “But mom…it’s broken! I didn’t think it mattered!”
It matters to my son – he plays with it, tape and all! For saving the sword, I am now a hero in my son’s eyes. Not so much because the sword still “swishes” through the air as he defends and protects the queen (mom), but because I validated his feelings as important.
And so, as we begin our first week of a new school year, I have made it my personal goal to not be the cause of any “horse horror stories”. I will remember the horse, and the sword, and that it is the little things that matter most.
Christine Moore currently holds a degree from Howard Payne University and recently earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She will begin working on her PhD this September. Married with four children, Christine teaches 6th grade reading in Brownwood and has been working in education at various levels for the past 15 years. Her husband, Jeremy, owns a local company that specializes in web design, custom computer builds, and on-location repair called DreamSoft Design at www.dreamsoftdesign.com. Christine welcomes your questions and comments and would love to hear from you!
