MISSED OPPORTUNITY

I had a student who asked to leave the classroom to fill a water bottle. I wouldn't allow it. 

"Why not?"

"It's unnecessary."

"I'm thirsty."

"You can survive three days without water."

At this point a second student chimed in, addressing the first student, "It's OK. He doesn't like me either."

Now, of course, I took this opportunity to re-affirm the fact that I like ALL my students. They don't believe this, but it's true. And then the subject was dropped.

Within seconds, I realized what I SHOULD have said to the second student: 

"I like you just fine. What I dislike is some small fragment of your behavior. Who you are is so much more than your occasional misbehavior. That misbehavior can stretch my patience in the moment, but it never touches the fact that I like - even love - every one of my students."

An opportunity to define "unconditional love", and I missed it!