by Tim Gray

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 21, 2008

Henry was 12 years of age and just entering junior high in the fall of 2003. His reputation as an infamous source of trouble and mayhem was well established by the time he was ready for seventh grade. I had casually observed him for the past few years knowing he was soon headed for the junior high wing. I was always attracted to and intrigued by troublemakers, as a school teacher. The hour of high noon had arrived it was time for a little live combat with Henry.

Although assigned to the other seventh grade homeroom, Henry would be in my Religion and Social Studies classes. He was slight of stature and appeared harmless on the surface, but his academic history told another story. As the year began he was in rare form.

Henry teased, tormented and conspired to undo the well being of just about any student he felt was fair game. His could be horribly malicious and the parents of other children had begun to voice their displeasures over Henry's deportment. The administration had made the decision that Henry was destined to hear the executioner's song, if his behavior didn't improve dramatically. Each junior high teacher was instructed to document all of Henry's misdeeds. When he'd acquired enough documentation to warrant intervention, he would be expelled from St. Stephen School.

Henry's parents were delightful and highly professional people. I'd had his older sister and she was an extremely high achiever and a pleasure to have in class. I knew the source of Henry's behavioral dilemma wasn't environmental. What was at the root of his inappropriate decision making?

I caught Henry one day just as he had finished wreaking havoc on another student in the hall. It was at that moment that I saw a deer in the headlights expression on his face that I'll never forget. Although not a doctor, I was convinced Henry had impulse control issues, that needed to be addressed by the medical community.

The next school day I pleaded with the principal to transfer Henry to my homeroom. I would take responsibility for insuring that he discontinued his troublemaking. If I failed, I told her, she could send me down the road at the end of the school year. I had an idea and I was staking my reputation on it. However, I felt certain that my suspicions would uncover the problem and redirect Henry's behavior. Thankfully, she complied with my request.

From that moment until the end of the year it must have seemed to Henry as if we were conjoined. I never left him unsupervised. If I went to the office

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