From Assistant Principal Pastoral Care

Smashing people  

Mr Wels  

Yes, come in. What’s happened?  

Got told to come here.  

What’s happened?  

Dunno.  

Who sent you? And I wouldn’t pick that leaf off my favourite plant if I were you. 

Mrs Jones.  

What happened?  

Everyone else was just mucking around and she picked on me. She always does. 

What happened? And  I’ve got a thing about Everybody Else, Everybody Else isn’t here.. 

I got hit by little Johnny. He’s a jerk.  

And?  

I chased him.  

And?  

We bumped some tables.  

Just bumped?  

Knocked over. 

Let’s review. Johnny thumped you and you chased him and together you knocked over some tables.  

Sort of, yeah.  

Why isn’t Johnny here?  

He gets away with everything. He such a suck. 

Why isn’t Johnny here?  

She never believes me.  

Why isn’t Johnny here?  

I was mainly the one who knocked over the tables. He said he was just muckin around and sat when she said. 

What were you thinking?  

What do you mean?  

You reckon Johnny hit you, so then what were you thinking.  

Thinkin nothin, Just smash him.  

And how was that always going to end?  

Bad.  

What do you think about it all now?  

But he started it. This is so unfair! 

So you say. But what do you think about what happened?  

Shouldn’t of, probably. But I’m supposed to just sit there and be hit? 

Why “shouldn’t of probably?” And I don’t think it sounds like your life was in danger. Why “shouldn’t of?” 

Cause I’m in trouble.  

And  

What?  

And who else was affected?  I love that plant remember, let it go …gently. 

What’s going to happen to Johnny?  

Someone will speak to Johnny, and we’ll all end up together at some point I suspect. Who else was affected?  

What do mean? Like the class?  

Go on.  

Because I was disruptive.  

And  

Don’t know  

Mrs Jones?.....  

Rude to her. But what about Johnny? 

So you were rude and disruptive – I can work with that. What happens now?  

Dunno. You get angry, Ring home. 

Ring home – good idea. What’s your best plan for fixing it?  

Apologise  

To who?  

The teacher.  

That’s a good start. But doesn’t do much if you don’t try to improve your behaviour and learn something. We’ll talk to Mrs Jones as soon as we can about how she feels about it all and what happens next. Then you and I and Johnny will chat a bit more about breaking hands off.  

Just great.  

The world is not going to end; you’re another work in progress. But what happens outside of school if “smashing people” is your answer to everything? This how far that's going to get you.  There will always be Little Johnnys pushing your buttons to watch the show…Have you ever thought about what goes through Little Johnny’s head?.................