Chaos Uncovering Secrets

by Anna Zach

If the average person had moseyed into the Relax Room on this seemingly normal day in April, I would expect to have seen expressions of perhaps cringing maybe even disdain on their faces. Why you ask? It may have been the mess of paper on the floor – an aftermath of a handful of students using construction paper to fashion mustaches, beards, teeth and uni-brows to tape to their faces. It may have been the sight of these very children dancing around the room with purple goatees and orange mustaches. Or it may have been the distinctive sounds coming from our newly founded percussion section, born from the crafting of tinker toys into drumsticks and mallets, and using a variety of surfaces to create some beats. Actually, to an innocent bystander, I’m sure it would have sound a lot like racket, a precursor to a headache perhaps. But amidst the chaos, something wonderful was happening. The often hidden and unseen personalities and interests of our children were coming into full view.

I feel it necessary to note that I am normally one for order. In my class I insist on straight lines and raised hands. So as things seemed to get a little crazy in the Relax Room my initial inclination was to reign in what seemed to have the potential for disorder. But, as I watched Madison, who initiated the facial accessories, put on a paper crown, beard, and mustache, I genuinely mused at her transformation into the character she had created. She marched around with her crown and gave little orders in a deepened voice to no one in particular. She was “king”. It was funny, really funny to watch her. And what was before my eyes was a little girl I had not seen before. It was then that I made a decision, I was not going to squelch what was happening. I wanted to see what other fun things would come of this. Well, interestingly enough a small of band of musicians got together in another corner of the room. These children had made themselves some drumsticks out of tinker toys and were using buckets, lids, stools and the wall as their drumheads. It was a racket. At the center of this group was Quincy. This is worth noting because as others came and went with varying degrees of interest, Quincy was focused. I watched him with his expression of concentration and I realized this was an open door. I made my move. I went over to him, picked up an abandoned drumstick and decided on a beat and then asked Quincy to pick a beat too. The look of concentration deepened. He was into it. I was so excited for this moment. Quincy doesn’t give out much information, that is to say he is generally very guarded. The beauty of that chaotic day was the unexpected peak into a secret place. I was let in on a little piece of who Quincy is, and I feel like that is a great beginning.