A crushed heart

Back for a new school year, with 20 lovely kindergarten friends!

As part of the new school year, we were doing some community building.  I cut out two large paper hearts, and on one of them, we wrote down nice things that people say or do, that make us feel good.  On the other one, we brainstormed ideas for things that make us feel sad.

Then I crumbled up the sad heart, talking about how those things can make your heart feel crushed.  "And even", I said, smoothing it out.  "Even if the other person says 'I'm sorry', does this heart look the same as the other one?"  We all agreed that it didn't.  Once it's been crushed, it will always look different.

Fast forward to the following day.  One of the other teachers in the building has a kindergartner in my class.  I see her coming down the hall, shaking her finger at me in mock-anger.

"Ooooh, Mr. Graham", she accused.  "You are in SUCH trouble?"

"Me?" I replied.

"Yes, you!  Everytime I asked Brooklyn to do anything that she didn't want to last night, like come inside and brush her teeth, I got these soulful eyes and the response, 'Mama, you're crushing my heart....'  Finally, I just had to tell her, 'That's NOT what Mr. Graham meant!!'"

I laughed all the way back down to my classroom.