By: Crystal Mayo
BABES Special Projects and Media Specialist
It was lesson eight of BABES’ Evidence Based training for Program Group students and students were graduating – they had completed all the lessons.
Presenters Yvonne Knox and Katrina Dixon waited in the office at Hutchinson Elementary School for the bell to ring for class change. Once I walked into the office, I noticed Knox talking to a student who had apparently been sent to the office for bad behavior.
As I walked towards Knox, I heard her say to the cutest little boy with big almond shaped eyes, “So, what happened?” It was apparent that he was one of the graduating students and felt very comfortable speaking to Knox about his situation. His answer still (today) puts a smile on my face.
“I made a bad decision and now I have to suffer the consequences.” By this time, Dixon had joined Knox in conversation with this first grader. Knox replied to his answer, “So what do you need to do?” He held his head up and said, “I need to apologize.” At this point, the three of us looked at the little boy then back at each other with smiles of affirmation — BABES DOES WORK! WE ARE REALLY REACHING THESE STUDENTS!
Consequences for your actions and making right decisions to avoid negative consequences was one of the lessons that this student and his classmates had learned during the eight weeks and, apparently, he was listening.
Knox then asked him, “So what would you do differently the next time?” He responded, “I will make better decisions.” Yes he did! When the Assistant Principal came into the office and was told what had happened, she spoke with the teacher who had sent him to the office and they decided that he could come back to class and graduate from the BABES Program with his classmates.
FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES …
“I made a bad decision and now I have to suffer the consequences.”
Decision Making is the primary message of the Basic BABES lesson and storybook 2.
In the words of Donovan Dignity
“Step 1 (Stop); Step 2 (Think) and Step 3 (Decide)… A good decision is one in which you aren’t harmed or harm doesn’t come to anyone else.”
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