"I want you to be in charge of the cafeteria," I tell him. "You may make
any rules you wish...or you may say 'there are no rules'." William
thought there should be some rules.
"Tell me one of your rules," I say.
"No getting out of your seat without permission," William mumbles through
a tot.
"Why not?" I ask.
"You get in trouble," he says.
"But why do you get in trouble for getting out of your seat?"
"Cause you get a check mark," he says, surprised at my ignorance.
I persist: "I know, you get a check mark and get in trouble, but why is
it bad to get out of your seat?"
William stares at the glistening pool of ketchup which fills a square
recess in his tray. No answer.
I try another tactic. "What would happen in the lunchroom if everyone got
up and walked around any time they felt like it?"
William dips his finger in the ketchup up to the second knuckle and licks
it off slowly. "It would be a jungle in there," he said finally.
"Hmmm. Would you make any other rules?"
"No talking loud."
"Why not?"
"You get in trouble."
"Why do you get in trouble?"
"Cause you get a check mark."
Abbot and Costello live, I think. "Okay, but why is it bad to talk loud?"
Blank stare. Finger in ketchup. Finger drawn slowly out of mouth. Silence.
I press him: "What would happen if everyone in the cafeteria talked as
loud as they wanted?"
"It would be a jungle." William smiles.
"Hmmm. Any other rules?"
"You can't leave the cafeteria without permission."
"Why not?"
"You get in trouble."
"Why?"
"You get a check mark."
"What's so bad about leaving the cafeteria anytime you want?"
William stuffs a crumpled napkin into the crimson pool on his tray and
wipes it around, appreciating the bloody effect.
"What would happen if everybody left the cafeteria whenever they wanted?"
William grins, "It would be quiet."
We laugh. He's sharp. Learning disabled, behavior disordered and sharp.
"Sure, it would be quiet in the cafeteria, but what would the hallways be
like?"
"They'd be a jungle."
Your reflections invited LO-meisters.
Grace & Peace,
Scott Ott, Public Relations Specialist
sott@nkcsd.k12.mo.us
The North Kansas City School District
http://www.nkcsd.k12.mo.us
"Do not be conformed to this world
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind."
--Scott Ott <SOTT@nkcsd.k12.mo.us>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>