Every Kindergarten teacher faces the task of teaching her new little charges the school rules during the first week of school. Raising your hand when you want to talk, keeping your hands to yourself, and walking quietly in a single file line in the hall are just a few of the rules kindergarteners are faced with learning as school begins.

I remember one particular year when I had a little boy J... who refused to say a word. His father had passed away during the summer and he was still coming to grips with the loss. His mother had asked me to be patient with him which I readily agreed to do. She was taking him to counseling and other than not speaking; he was a very sweet cooperative child.

One morning that first week of school, as we were walking down the hall, I exclaimed at how nice and quietly J.... was walking in line. I will never forget the child behind him turning to another child with a smirk on his face and saying "He don't talk NO way!"

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