BREAK THROUGH He sat there with a look of disgust on his face as he listened to his neighbor. Not observing anything that would result in such a look, I asked him why he flashed that face. He responded that he did not do it, did not mean to look that way. I flashed him the same look to which he laughed, blushed, and laughed some more. As the lesson continued, he looked my way, laughed and seemed to relax. For the first time in four weeks he acted like he belonged with us, like he wanted to be with us, even enjoyed the attention. What a sweet face he showed us all. SHAME ON YOU Not sure what led up to the event, but one of my students was making excuses as to why he had not completed the assignment. I teasingly brushed one index finger down the other finger. Immediately the questions came. "What does that mean?" Shame on you for not doing your work. More than 2/3 of my class had never seen the sign nor heard the expression. I asked myself if their ignorance of "Shame on you" is a result of our efforts to protect their self-esteem. Has the pendulum swung to far in the protective direction?