JOY:

"Ms. Serrano...can you please tell M to stop...he's really irritating me and my angry side is really close to coming out..."

"Yes, A, I can tell that he's bothering you and he's being disruptive and I'm trying my best to calm him down. Keep on trying you best too to stay focused and working...I really appreciate you telling me. I'm really proud of you and how you're taking control of your reactions and being responsible with them..."

A little background on A. One minute she can be the sweetest girl and absolutely love you, but if you say the wrong thing or give her a wrong answer on accident, she'll turn on you cold and refuse to talk to you, she won't even want you around her and will tell you to get away from her. That's what happened yesterday in class. She was also being bothered by M yesterday and didn't react in the most positive way. She got sent out into the hall way and actually received a detention for her actions. After school I talked to her about her behavior and just wanted to know what was going on. "I don't appreciate at all how you treated me in class today, A. It was really unlike you." She said she didn't do anything wrong and asked in what way did she treat me that I had a problem with. We had a conversation about it and in the end she was able to realize that I expected more from her because I know she can do better. She knows she can do better. She apologized for her actions and by the end of the conversation she saw her friends and was happy again, but leaving the room I was unsure if she actually took anything in, if she cared.

This morning I saw her in the hallway before class..."Ms. Serrano, I apologize again for yesterday. I'm really sorry." "Thank you, A. I accept your apology and I'm glad to see you today. Have a good day, okay? See you in class."

I was extremely proud of her for calling me over and letting me know that she needed help so that she wouldn't explode. It took a  lot of control for her to decide she wasn't going to let distractions get the best of her and it gives me hope that what we talk about during our 50 Acts of Leadership Lunches are paying off. She even said so herself in her Leadership Log:

"I am very proud of myself because I think that I am becoming a very nice young lady."