Journal May 2026 Release_Full Edition - Flipbook - Page 11
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often wondered about how school systems could feel okay about them. The
descriptions were so limiting.
We were about to work on a new group project on African art, where kids could
share ideas and help each other with supplies. So, I asked the teacher’s
permission for Darnell to join the class. With raised eyebrows, she shrugged and
said it was up to me.
I told the students they could sit where they wanted, with four students to a
table. I motioned for Darnell to join in. He jumped up, and all the students quickly
moved about the room until they were settled in groups. I noticed that Darnell
was drawn to sit with two other boys. One boy, Tim, did not have a team and was
resigned to sitting with Darnell and his two friends.
I asked the students what they thought of dividing up responsibilities so that each
person had a role. They could give their own titles to the roles, but someone
would need to act as speaker for the group, someone in charge of supplies,
another student would write down their ideas, and someone could be a timekeeper. I had found that kids love to form tribes and have roles, so they were
quick to organize themselves and came up with titles for their group members.
Most groups also gave their team a name.
As I roamed the room, helping each group with challenges, I came to Darnell and
Tim’s group. The boys were in a big argument, and Tim was sobbing softly. I asked
what they could tell me about the situation. Tim claimed that the boys, especially
Darnell, were telling him to “shut up” and would not let him speak. I asked the
group if there was a problem here that needed to be solved, and Darnell jumped
in to say that they didn’t like Tim because he was weird.
While my first inclination was to provide a lecture to these boys about inclusion, I
decided that would likely go nowhere. What was needed was for me to somehow
create an opportunity for Darnell to decide for himself that excluding Tim was not
a kind thing to do. But how? I was in a bit of a panic, wondering what I could say
that might encourage him to show some kindness to another boy.
“It’s Taken Care Of”: A Collaborative Effort by a Student and a Teacher to Keep Trouble out of the Classroom
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May 2026 Release, p. 9-24.
www.journalnft.com
