All over “Can Do” Street parents were reviewing report cards as “Can Do” kids stood anxiously by waiting to hear what their parents had to say. While Orrie, Arthur Jay, Yundi, Wendy, Eulyn, and Annie didn’t have anything to worry about, others had some real worries.

Hector, Willie, and Jay got lower grades in reading and writing than they did on their last report cards. Kathy, did well in her grades for academic subjects, but didn’t do so well in the grades she got for classroom behavior.

Kathy was still falling asleep in class, some days, because she didn’t eat breakfast and ran out of energy about 10 AM.

Bobby also got an unsatisfactory in classroom behavior for not paying attention when Miss Pat was teaching, and for bothering others when they were trying to pay attention.

Nellie’s problem, well, she has a hard time sharing supplies when she works on a project with others.

The next day, the class was unusually quiet. Those that didn’t do so well on their report cards were thinking about what their parents had to say, and they were worrying about what Miss Pat was going to say to their parents at the parent teacher meeting that night.

Miss Pat cleared her throat and everyone looked up from the match assignment they were doing.

“Those of you who didn’t do well in your subjects need to study more and harder. The best way to start…put away the Internet games you are so fond of and might be spending too much time on. If you are really having a problem understanding the work you are expected to docome see me, in private, and I will see that you get the extra help that you need.”

Nellie raised her hand and asked,”What if your problem is not with the subjects, but about behaving in class?” A few of the “Can Dos” nodded their heads, as if they had the same question about their report cards.

Miss Pat smiled her knowing smile and answered, “Sometimes those problems that led to receiving an unsatisfactory on our report cards are harder to fix than fixing our subject grades. First we have to admit that what we did to cause getting an unsatisfactory mark in classroom behavior; then we have to be willing to change our behavior. Then comes that hard part-trying every day to work on the behavior that is a problem.”

Miss Pat let that thought sink in for a while. She handed out some coloring pages to give the “Can Dos” a break from all their worrying. Then she called each one of the “Can Do” kids who had a problem up to her desk to meet with her privately.

She offered those with problems with reading and writing after school tutoring to help them catch up with the rest of the class.

Kathy promised to participate in the school breakfast program at school, or carry an energy bar to school, eating it on the way, or getting up earlier to eat breakfast at home.

Miss Pat gave Bobby a choice of either moving his seat away from his other classmates, so he wouldn’t bother them while they were trying to listen to Miss Pat teaching, or staying where he was and working on paying attention and allowing others to pay attention. He asked to be allowed to stay where he was, promising to pay attention.

Nellie was not sure what she should do to get better at sharing. Miss Pat suggests that Nellie allow others to take their share of the group supplies before she takes her share. Then Nellie came up with an idea, every day she would share at least one thing…a cookie, note paper, a pencil, crayons.

After everyone had met with Miss Pat, she said to the class, “I am certain that those of you who had a problem on your report cards, will do better next marking period. Those of you, who did well on your report cards, well, keep up the good work!”