A Pair of Brothers

The Boys:
I have two sweet little brothers.  One is in my morning class (3rd grade) and the other is in my afternoon class (2nd grade).  These boys, like many others, have had some very tragic experiences already in their young little lives.  I will call them Sam and Jon.


Sam is in my morning class, and for some reason is constantly getting in trouble.  I can't quite figure out what he's doing wrong sometimes, but nonetheless, he is often being scolded for something.  I've decided to help him stay on task and encourage him as much as possible.  He is so incredibly affectionate, and loves hugs.  He hardly lets go sometimes. 


His younger brother, Jon, is the complete opposite.  He actually doesn't talk.  He can, but he doesn't.  Not in school at least.  I've been told that he talks at home and that he has one friend that he'll speak to at school, but that's about it.  He is always on task, and is doing pretty well in school.  I just have no idea what his voice sounds like.  My teammate, Lauren, has gotten a high five out of him, but I have had no such luck. 


Their Story:
I don't know much about these boys, but I do know this:  They witnessed their dad being shot and killed about a year ago.  My heart is broken.  They handle it so differently, but they are two incredibly sweet boys.  I am so sad for them.  It can't be expressed.


Many Stories Like These:
They are not alone.  One of the girls in my class is displaying both behavioral and learning disabilities.  During a meeting with her mother, it was discovered that her skull was fractured as an infant.  A straight answer as to how it happened was never uncovered.  When the mother was asked if the little girl was on any medication, the response was, "yeah, sometimes I give her two white ones in the morning."


And let's not forget about the other little girl who lost her mom tragically (I don't actually know the details) a few years ago.


Or about the little boy whose dad came in the other day.  His dad paid more attention to me and the other students than to his own son.  The boy had lost something and was falling behind in school, and the dad just sat at a computer while I helped  the student search his backpack and desk.  No support.


Or the student who randomly told me at recess on Friday that, "one time, my dad had a real gun so he could protect me and my mom."

Or the student who attends school quite infrequently because the aunt who is taking care of him (or maybe she's the mom, or grandma...it's a confusing situation) is suffering from such severe depression that she can't get out of bed to go to work and take him to school some days.Or the other time when a little girl was crying silently at her desk because she was hungry.  Thank goodness the school provides a breakfast option.  We got her to the cafeteria quick.


The list goes on and on...