She Did, He Did

Okey doke! I'm back in the saddle. Here's a classroom conflict I interceded upon today:

"SHE flicked a pencil at me!"

"HE told me to stick my tongue out and then he said he saw a black dot on my tongue. But really, I threw it 'on accident'.'

The wise teacher's response: "We will discuss it together at 'Center Time'." (This is the BEST part of the day for most kindergartners.)

The unraveled incident:
SHE accidentally tossed her pencil in the direction of HIM when responding with gesture and words to a question or comment from another student.

HE was upset (understandably so) by the flying pencil.

SHE, all flustered, says "I'm sorry it was an accident!"

HE says, "Stick out your tongue, my mom says if you are lying there is a black dot on your tongue." followed by the dismal verdict, "Yup, I see a black dot. You're lying." and HE tosses the pencil back at HER. Whereupon tears ensue and the teacher is sought out.

TEACHER upon hearing the series of events and seeing the woeful, girl child INSISTING "It WAS an accident!" asks girl child to apologize for the pencil throwing; accident or not, the apology is important. Then the teacher turns to the boy child and says, "AT school we do not ask each other to stick our tongues out to see if we are telling the truth. Friends give each other a second (and third and fourth....) chance by accepting their words of apology AND if you are a friend you believe them when they say it is an 'accident'. When you don't believe a friend we say you are 'doubting them'. When you doubt a friend it hurts their feelings and that is NOT NICE. Do you understand that word; doubting?"

HE says, "Yeah, like that guy Thomas that doubted about Jesus in the Bible."

WHEW! At least somebody else was listening to the readings in church on Sunday.