The Thinking Chair

The Boy's teacher sent home a list of classroom rules for the parents to go over with their children. The child and parent both had to sign and date the contract.

The rules are pretty basic: don't speak with your voice above a whisper, keep your hands and feet to yourself, no running in class or the hallway.

The first infraction in a day is a warning. A second problem warrants a trip to The Thinking Chair. If there is a third occurrence, she will call the parents.

First grade has been going very well for The Boy. He likes school, even though he was separated this year from his best friend and partner in crime from Kindergarten, and his work is neat and accurate.

When I picked him up at my mom's on Wednesday, he told me he got sent to The Thinking Chair and that I would have a call from the teacher. "I used my voice above a whisper twice after I was warned," he explained.

Indeed, there was a voice mail when I got home. I returned her call on my way to work Thursday morning. She was very apologetic, using the Teacher 101 introduction of "I like to call when things are positive, but......." and proceeded to tell me that she is just following up on her rules of two infractions, call the parents. I asked what he did and she told me he spoke with his voice above a whisper.

She seemed surprised when I told her that The Boy told me what happened and that I could expect a call from her. I told her "One thing he does not do is lie to us", that we talked about tomorrow being a new day and a chance to do better. I thanked her for keeping in touch with us.

The Boy is probably rarely going to have a day without a warning. That's just the way he rolls. He has such an exuberance about him, and it's one of his characteristics that I love the most.

At least he wasn't the boy that got in trouble for shaking his naked booty around the bathroom earlier that same day!