On 9-10-02 half the 5th grade class came in to draw a still-life. A new boy named Alan didn't listen, etc., was disruptive. After half an hour I told him to go back to his classroom. Actually, now that I think of it, he threw a piece of silver paper in my general direction, then denied that he'd thrown it. "It wasn't me. I didn't do ANYTHING." The kids (5 minutes later) said (horrified) "He's out in the hall! He didn't go back to class!!" I said, "It doesn't matter -- I will tell your teacher and he'll be in worse trouble than when he left here." Then he came in some time later with a folded note (that I thought was from the teacher as it was 15 minutes later) --that said "I am sorry what I did so can I stay please. if I do it iginon I will get a fine. Sincirle Alan" He told the other students to mind their own business while I read it. I did, and said, "I'd like to believe you but...." "I promise. I always keep my word." "I'd like to believe you but I can't so just go back to your classroom. Good-bye." He left. Later I said to the others, "Gee, I felt really mean, but if I'd let him stay it would've been unfair to you." They said, "He made his choice!" I'm just relating this as he seems to be an intelligent, little boy who needs a big, solid wall put up in front of the road to bad behaviour. With a sign on it that reads, "You will REALLY regret going down here." And then he will probably have a happy life and cause no problems for himself. Usually I don't see who did something, or whatever, and that's too bad, but this time I did and maybe it will be helpful to the child. Also a boy said, "Why do you make boys draw the same things as girls?" I asked him what he meant, and he said, "Flowers are sissy things." I said, "You don't think boys like flowers?" He said they were sissy, girl things. Incredulous, I repeated, "You don't think BOYS like FLOWERS????? All right." I shook my head. I immediately thought of being in a car with 2 un-named boys (one high school age) in the back who were discussing the roses they'd seen that day in Portland -- describing the color, etc., in a very serious and detailed way. And one time I gave my car mechanic some flowers out of the blue -- and he was pleased and flabbergasted at the same time. Why is it people pull their gender-boundaries in so tightly -- is it fear? Fear of what?