ABSTRACT
Mustafa often looked unhappy. One day in the playground he hurried over to me and complained that Arun had just sworn at him. I quickly tried to determine the most effective and appropriate way to deal with the situation, especially as I had not witnessed the incident. I decided that a tactful approach without immediately accusing Arun might be the best approach. I went across to Arun and told him that although I did not know for sure whether he had used bad language, I would be disappointed if it were true and expected better from him. I reminded both the children of the rules and how we should be kind to one another, stressing that if I heard such language I would have to take action. I also said that as I did not know the truth about the incident, I was not telling them off but reminding them of the agreement the whole class had made to speak kindly to one another. I spoke to them in a soft voice, at their height (almost kneeling down) and with strong eye contact.
