Slice of Life March Challenge #20 - Some thoughts about the documentary "Bully."

The Slice of Life March Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers

I've been thinking about this story on NPR ever since I first heard of it - as a teacher and as a mom, I've seen all sides of bullying, but this was especially hard to listen to:

The actions of the assistant principal seem unbelievably stupid, listening to her was like listening to a bad movie script...the kind where the audience gets involved with booing and hissing.  But this is real life, and this conversation really took place, and this boy will suffer the consequences of this woman's stupidity for years to come.
Listening to this story reminded me of my first year of teaching.  We had a bullying situation at lunch time;  two of my second graders were involved and  the principal came to see me later that afternoon wanting to stage a "conciliation meeting." While I was still trying to wrap my head around what exactly this meant, she went into the classroom and asked the two students involved to meet us in the hallway.  I settled my class and came back into the hallway, just in time to see this principal set out four chairs.  We were asked to sit facing each other - the principal and I facing each other, and the two children facing each other.  The bully and the bullied sat almost knee to knee - and the victim was now close to tears.  I was aghast, trying to collect my thoughts, trying to figure out what to do.  But the principal plowed on - utterly blind to the inequity of this little masquerade in "conflict resolution."
After some pointless back and forthing, she asked the girls to apologize to each other and shake hands.  The victim was now crying, and I was beside myself.  Once the principal had left, I took her aside and comforted her - I told her that our classroom would continue to be a safe place, that she should come to me if there were further incidences.  As for that principal, I can still remember the blithe way in which she spoke, how her words and her behavior showed that she knew very little about children at all.  The principal in the movie reminds me of her - I think I will send her an email asking her to check the movie out, and hoping she'll learn a thing or two.

Slice of Life March Challenge#19: ...and away she goes! My youngest gets her license...

The Slice of Life March Challenge is hosted by Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers

Text message from Olivia to Mom, 10:30 a.m., Thursday:   PASSED THE TEST!!!

Text messages from Olivia to Mom,  11:00 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:25 p.m., 3:10 p.m.: When u b home???

I arrive home at 3:45, extra early, expecting and receiving this greeting: "Can we go now, Mom?"

So, we set off for the nearest DMV.  This being the State of New Jersey, everything has to be twice as hard - the system was down in the morning when Olivia took her driver's test, so we need to make yet another trip to the DMV...sigh...

As I wearily back out of our driveway, I notice that my daughter is smiling...this is not a regular, "I am happy" kind of smile. No, this is an "I am deliriously happy and I am in danger of exploding with said happiness" kind of smile.

We arrive and I notice that there is no line...we are truly blessed today! In our haste to leave, I had not checked to see if we had all the paperwork necessary (we neglected to do this with our first born, and wound up having to make two trips - not fun).  But I see that Olivia is clutching the envelope in her hand - and striding forward with great purpose (still smiling).  She is in charge, filling out paperwork, all I need to do is pay the fee (I increasingly find that this is pretty much all that is required of us as parents these days, but that is another story).  

She gets ready for her picture, adjusts her hair and looks straight into the camera - and there it is: a New Jersey license with a picture of my Olivia, flashing a blinding smile.

I offer to let her drive me for a change, but she says she is so excited that her hands are shaking - not shaking enough, apparently, so that she is prevented from texting all her friends to let them know the good news.

An hour later, it is time to return to school for play rehearsal.  I hear Olivia coming down the stairs, and reach for my keys....

"You don't have to drive me, Mom, remember, I can drive myself now!" I note that she is still smiling as she says this.   Minutes later, Sophie and I stand by the back door to see the van back out - I will not have to drive Olivia to play practice, or the mall, or her friends' houses, or the movies, or even for ice cream....it is the dawn of a new day.  I realize suddenly, as I shut the door and make my way back into the quiet house, that I am actually rather sad.