Milk Duds and Popcorn

There are some combinations that work so well together and we can't always figure out why.  You might not know it, but Milk Duds and popcorn are one of the most delicious snacks when you put them together.  Sure...they are pretty good on their own, but together they make something that is truly unlike anything else.  It's almost as if they have needed each other all along.

There is an unlikely combination in my classroom that I have just recently started watching.  Derrick and Monti are clearly opposites- a salty and a sweet, if you will.  Derrick is what you might call a "problem child."  He has a home life that few adults would be able to survive in.  He is well below grade level and has severe anger issues.  He's obsessed with watching himself bleed and he always sits by himself.  Most teachers just try to tolerate Derrick until the bell rings.  Most students fear him.  I've never known him to have one single friend.  Monti is also below grade level.  Most assignments are challenging for her, but she always tries.  She is very outgoing and is always making friends, but Monti struggles with childhood obesity.  Each day she faces grade school teasing and hurtful whispers behind her back.  In the year that I have known her, she has never once acknowledged the teasing.  She ignores it and pushes on through her day.

It was about 2 weeks ago when Derrick asked to be moved from his isolated seat and to be back in a group.  He wanted to know if he could sit with Monti.  This surprised me, but Derrick is always surprising me.  I decided to keep my eye on him.  I soon realized that he was different sitting with Monti.  He was protective of her which caused many of the cruel whispers about her to be hushed.  My salty Derrick was becoming sweet. 

One day last week Derrick used a pencil to stab himself in his arm.  He was escorted out of class and didn't return for the remainder of the day.  The next morning before class began I overheard Monti and Derrick talking at their group.  Monti was asking why Derrick stabbed himself.  When Derrick told her that he wanted to do it because nobody cares about him, Monti softly replied, "I care.  You're my friend."

With that, I melted.  I melted just like Milk Duds and popcorn.  I realized that this was most certainly an unlikely combination that has needed each other all along.