What Would You Do?

The first day of school is around the corner.  In fact, it's coming up less than a week. I start visualizing what kind of kids are coming into my classroom.  What kind of behavior am I going to deal with?  Although obviously I am very optimistic and hopeful in the beginning of the year, every year, I hit the first obstacle as early as the second week.  Then, I got depressed.  Why?  Because I was not prepared.  I think I need some virtual exercises prior to the  first day.  Here are some of lines I might hear;

1. "I'm done.  What do I do next."
2. "I don't want to."
3. "I don't like it."
4. "I can't think."
5. "I don't care."
6. "I don't know."

I am thinking how I would respond to these innocent (hopefully!) comments.  Thanks to Love and Logic, I learned these words are the valuable opportunities for kiddos to raise their responsibilities.  So my line would be, "What are you going to do?" with empathy.  If their own solution works for them, great.  If not, let them keep thinking.  If I raise responsible students by allowing them affordable mistakes in the learning community, I should be happily teaching.  So at the end of today, I feel still hopeful.