Life in Third Grade

We all know how third graders are... "So and So did this!"  "Well So and So did that!"

Today on our way back from computer lab, Destiny called to me, "Mrs. Laurie, James keeps pulling at my hair!"

In effort to curb incessant complaints like this, my response was simple, "Destiny, did you ask him to stop?"  

"No ma'am."

"Ok, then take care of it yourself, Destiny."  Never did I imagine what might happen next.  Suddenly, I hear a solid "Whack!"  Destiny had taken care of it herself.  Just not quite the way that I intended she would.

Now, probably the most shocking part of all of this is that James's response, instead of tattling or crying or hitting her back, was to blurt a quick chuckle and to give Destiny the space she needed.  Destiny had taken care of the problem better than I could have, and James learned a lesson that I couldn't teach him.