Tis the Reason

Do you think I could reason with a jack-a-ninny? I ask because I’ve got this one kid who has seen it all where behavior modification is concerned. I’ve demonstrated proper classroom conduct. I’ve reviewed policies set at the beginning of the year. There have been calls home, e-mails, and even face-to-face meetings with parents. Warnings turned into referrals, which turned into after school detention, which turned in-school suspension, and finally became just plain old suspension.
 
Since nothing from the realm of traditional discipline has worked, then why not try tackling this problem form a different angle? It’s worth a try, and I think I know what I’m going to do. I think this kid may react well with me suggesting to him to take a day off. If he just reflects on the past few weeks he’ll see that he’s had the pedal to the metal. Last week he was singing into his the eraser of his pencil like Morrissey the word “ding-a-ling”. On Monday, he tried to break his previous record for jumping desks like they were barrels. His previous record was one, by the way. That is if that counted because he landed on his face. Tuesday’s disturbance involved him making a dummy out of my waste basket, a yard stick and his jacket. Then yesterday he started playing a game he called, “strip thumb war solitaire,” before I put an end to that. The title of the game explains itself.
 
With that kind of list of achievements, he is on a fast track for burnout if he doesn’t slow things down a bit. I’ll just suggest that it would benefit him to take a day off so he can save himself for more shenanigans down the road. That will have to appeal to him. Knowing that I could get one day of him off my radar certainly appeals to me.
 
Hmm, reasoning with a jack-a-ninny: this is uncharted territory. I’m anxious to see if it is even possible. This must have been how scientists felt just before they first tried to teach a gorilla sign language.