Winner-Loser Mindset

Student: "A bully is someone who does mean things to losers..."

After everything was said...

Teacher: "If a bully is someone who does mean things to losers, then the victims are losers -- what for you are bullies? Are they winners?

Student: (Long pause... thinking... thinking. Eureka!) "They are not winners."

Teacher: "If they are not winners, what are they?"

Student: Long pause... thinking... thinking. Eureka! "Yeah, they are not winners, the victims are the losers, because they are bullied."

Dejavu ...

Teacher: "You said, the victims are losers, my question is what are the bullies? Are they winners?"

Student: Short pause. "I already said they are not winners!"

Teacher: "If they are not winners, what are they?"

Student: "It is those bullied who are losers, and I am not saying bullies are winners."

Threapeat:

Teacher: "If bullies are not winners, what are they? Have you ever been bullied?"

Student: "No."

Teacher: :"Listen, young man. You have not answered my question. Until you have given me the right answer, we will be repeating, repeating, and repeating this all over again... Again, until you have given me the right answer, we will be repeating, repeating, and repeating this all over again. Again, until you have given me the right answer, we will be repeating, repeating, and repeating this all over again."

Noise rises in the classrom, cajoling the young man in front. The teacher asked the student to pull a chair and sit more comfortably.

Teacher: "Can I ask you a question? You may choose not to answer, but first can I ask you a question."

Student: "Yes, sir."

Teacher: "You have never been bullied, you said, how do you feel about your self. Are you a winner?"

Student: (Confronted). "I am not winner, but... I ... am... not also a loser. I... I... am someone in between?"

Noise again in the classroom. Students chattering, howling, cheering. Like as if the student gave a good answer. The teacher raised his voice to fill the room and reprimanded the class that no other comment is necessary. It was stressed that anyone who would speak, aside from the speaker and the teacher will be sent out to the Discipline Office.

Silence for a few moments...

Teacher: "Everybody listen to this, 'whatever is in your language, or whatever you say tells something about you, the one inside you, the real you in there. What you say is what you think and feel, and what you think and feel says something about you - your self."

Silence for a while, and then some students began to talk with their seatmates. The teacher again reprimanded the class about the rule of engagement. Silence continued, the rest of the class merely became attentive audience. The teacher ask the same repeated question.

Student: "I am not that, if you are thinking I am like that! I am not..."

Teacher: "What that?" What is that 'that'".

Student:"Okey, the bully is not a winner..."

Teacher: "So what is the bully, then? You said, you are not a loser and you are not a winner, you are something in between. You said, the bully is not the winner, and the victim is the loser. So where do you place the bullies?"

Student: "I am in between, but I am not that"

Teacher: "Again, what that?"

Student: "I am not a bully!"

Teacher: "I never said you are. So, what is a bully, if you are not one?"

Student: "A bully is a loser."

The pendulum of winner-loser mindset just swing right there. The teacher thanked the young student, and asked the rest of the class to give their classmate a round of applause. The teacher left some more thoughts to the students that made some of them talk about what a bullied victim feels and suggested practical insights on how they should treat each other in the classroom.

Class dismissed.