Respect. Protect. Honor.

Another funny school story. Our high school students were engaging in inappropriate sexual banter, as school kids can do. A special speaker was chosen to speak to the boys, and another for the girls, separately.

The male speaker told the boys their God-given mission was to treat women with respect, to protect them, and to honor them. Respect, protect, honor. I wrote those words on my whiteboard (pictured) and they stayed there for the rest of the year. I referred the students to them often! All our math work was written in the space around those three words for months.

One day, my eight graders were acting up, talking trash, so I pointed out those words on the board. Respect, protect, honor. One of the smart girls who was a model of good behavior and kindness got this wry smile on her face, squinted her eyes, and looked straight at one of the trash talking boys, telling him: "You're none of those!" The boy frowned at her, knowing she had him nailed.

I was standing right there watching this and try as I might, I could not keep my composure. I turned around and walked across the classroom, slowly, laughing under my breath. I paused for a moment, collected my wits, turned around, and the girl was looking straight at me with this "You know I'm right" smile all over her face. I lost it again.

Then the boy looked straight at me with this "I know she's right" scowl all over his face. He was silent, a rarity for him.

She was right.

Some of those kids, even the eighth graders, had the ability to see through all the teen junk, right into the heart. Beautiful.

— Hank