Everyone Deserves a Cookie - srf Poster

Of course, this could be for a bakery or anyone; yet, as a later in life teacher of art after degrees and careers in corporate art, it has special meaning to me, and I wish every teacher would open the classroom door each morning reminded of this. It would be perfect for administration to explain and give to staff. When hired as the middle school (and at times high school) art teacher at the new school in my area, a Principal I came to adore asked what experience I had with the middle school age. I replied I had no experience with the middle school age; HOWEVER, I felt as though that age needs us more than any, because it's an awkward age in their lives .... and they won't let us know they need us, and I believe that. My school population had extremely wealthy privileged children far more than the norm, and I saw at times, they were treated as though they were exceptional ... and we had the extreme other degree of poverty (yet so many of those were wealthy in heritage and family love). I honestly loved all my students. One tough 8th grade young lady who would never let you know her feelings liked me a lot in spite of herself. Grinning to think of her. She was one tough cookie! With that in mind, it shocked me one day when out of the blue, she mouthed off at me very rudely and loudly which had never happened. Knowing there had to be something bothering her unrelated to me, I was shocked, but just looked at her and said nothing. She stomped away, and I noticed she didn't go to her table; rather, she went to a back table alone in my crowded room ... and put her head down. She was crying, and I know her tears came from being rude to me and regretting it (otherwise, she could have talked to the counsellor, a friend, to me, etc.). I reached in my bag and took out a cookie a parent had given me that morning, walked to the back table, and just sat across from her until she put her head up, and she asked, "WHAT do you want?" I replied that I just wanted to give her a cookie, because I knew she was upset. She asked why I would want to give her a cookie after she yelled at me ... to which I replied, "Everyone deserves a cookie." As I walked around the room helping others, I sat at my desk to get some markers, and she came up and (VERY UNLIKE HER) lunged at me to hug me .... and we all laughed when the chair practically flipped over. She didn't feel she was deserving; yet, to me, she was. All children are. It isn't the cookie. It's letting them know they are all deserving and wonderful. Thank you for reading this and caring for all your students. Please clear the computer cookies and come to Zazzle via my address as it helps me: please clear the cookies and visit Zazzle via my address as it helps me a bit, Sharon Rhea Ford, NBCT-Art .... https://www.zazzle.com/store/sharonrhea?rf=238102717089006821 ... I have several very popular school collections 1,2,3,4,5,6,etc. - all out of order since an update, so please look through my COLLECTIONS.