Lost at School, ch.1-2

This book is providing a new insight on challenging kids.  When I read the story about Joey, the boy who runs out of the school because he did not understand what he was supposed to do, I was shocked.  I could not believe what I was reading. I thought it was alarming, horrifying; I had so many feelings reading that part.  I can understand Joey in that he felt embarrassed and he did not want to feel on the spot.  The fact that Joey reacted in such a way proves that he is lacking a skill.  It is also a paradox as he didn't want to talk to the teacher or administrator because everyone was looking at him but then he ran away from school and got even more attention.  The felt saddened to think that this all happened because he did not understand the task at hand.  I am curious to see how Joey can learn the skills he needs to avoid another such episode and increase his productivity.  I especially enjoyed and learned a lot from chapter 2, which main focus was that kids do well if they can.  The author is right that adults often think that children do well if they want to and we contribute much of their issue to motivation.  I like that the author gave a real example of the skills and unsolved problems because it really allowed me to understand what he meant and apply it.  I currently work as a paraprofessional in a first grade class.  There is one student who is challenging and often cannot sit still on the rug and talks out of turn.  I am guilty of using the phrase, "how many times do I have to tell you" and I've heard it countless times in classrooms.  Looking at it from a new perspective, I understand that it has more to do with a skill.  Many of the students are still 5 and 6 years old so it is possible they need to develop the skill of sitting on their spot and raising their hand. My question to my group is, is there a time that you can relate to having these types of responses, and do you think about it any differently after reading these first two chapters?