Third grade students in Mrs. Robinson's class were asked to squeeze a significant amount of toothpaste out of the tube and then to put the toothpaste back in the tube. After some real effort, the students realized that the task was impossible. Connections were made between the impossibility of returning toothpaste to its original tube and the power of words. Once something negative or hurtful is uttered aloud, those words can't be taken back or unsaid. A friend might forgive the words, but they will never be forgotten. This powerful lesson reminds us all to choose words that are kind, supportive, and positive.
