Third-grade children, working the land, side-by-side at the Edible Garden, are not only building community but they are learning that there is "something deeper and more important than their behavior." One little rambunctious boy, during a conflict-resolution lesson tells me and the class, "you can pretend to be nice but if your heart is angry your behavior won't matter." In amazement, I burst out you're right - you got it- there is a difference between behavior and an individual's "way of being." He seems pleased and so do the rest of the kids.These children are learning to see people with "a loving heart that says I care about you." A heart that helps them to think twice about being unkind to a classmate or a playmate. One little girl catches the vision: "Miss Ema, I like the conflict lessons because now when I get mad I ask myself if I have a caring heart or a heart that says I don't care about you. I used to whack the other kids on the head - when I got mad at them she says - but now I don't want to hit them anymore - I don't want to have an uncaring heart." I look at her and smile- we embrace with a great big hug and a high five. As I walk away I am reminded that we are never too young or too old to change our hearts.
