makes it all worthwhile

Hailey's 2nd grade class is really tough. They have had more lessons on behavior than on Drama. Usually when they come to my class, they are already having all sorts of "drama" of their own. Fighting. Tattling. Pushing. Talking mean to each other. I spend the first 20 minutes calming them down and then end up give them a speach about the Golden Rule. I guess some of it is finally sinking in!

HAILEY: Mr. Bowers, this weekend, I was at my uncles house and we were playing in the pool and there was this tile that had come loose and we were playing with it by throwing it in the water and then diving for it. I was throwing it and I threw it too hard and it hit the side of the pool and broke."
BOWERS: Uh oh.
HAILEY: We weren't gonna tell my uncle, but then I thought about what you told us in class and then we decided to tell my uncle.
BOWERS: Did you get in trouble?
HAILEY: No! He said it was alright.
BOWERS: Were you scared when you were telling your uncle?
HAILEY: Yeah! I was real scared!
BOWERS: That took a lot of courage didn't it class? Let's give her a hand for telling the truth!
CLASS: YEAH!!