The Student Sleeps

I watched the eyes stare for a little too long and begin to droop. [the student] had fallen asleep. I didn’t wake [the student] up.

The Player(s)

[the student] was quiet, well-mannered, well-liked, and cared for by the others in the room. [the student] moved a little slower that [the student]’s peers at times, but generally was able to keep up with what was going on and could add some zingers and fabulous insights to discussions.

The Setup

I had just finished talking. The lesson and its content don’t particularly matter here, but I had done my part and the class was beginning to work. They were sitting in clusters of 4 students and were working together to get the work done.

The Sequence

As I meandered around the room monitoring behavior, answering questions, and observing the work, [the student] began to nod off. I watched the eyes stare for a little too long and begin to droop. [the student] had gone to sleep. I didn’t wake [the student] up.

The Denouement

I had spoken with the school nurse, the secretary (who knew everyone and most things about people in town), and the principal. [the student] was having problems at home. These problems weren’t caused by [the student]. A close relative had been diagnosed with a debilitating and incurable disease. Mom and dad were lashing out at each other and, at times, their children. Other relatives were dealing with the illness by making rash, reckless, and illegal decisions and were spending time in jail.

After the conversations with the principal, secretary/ and nurse, I requested and received permission to use alternative methods to assess learning and mastery for [the student]. If, in my opinion, [the student] had learned the material, I could enter passing grades, even if the work hadn’t been done to the set specifications. So, if [the student] wasn’t sleeping at home and needed to sleep in class, I was going to allow it.

It’s hard to keep secrets in a classroom. [the student]’s classmates wrapped [the student] up in support and helped to carry [the student] through the school year.

The Moral

Sometimes completing all 20 problems on an assignment isn’t what’s best for a child.