This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeaFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast. Welcome back, everyone. Today's episode is called Saturday Stories Leadership Kit: Stop Interrupting — Aaliyah Notices. Since today is Saturday, I want to introduce a new ongoing Saturday series I'm starting called Saturday Stories. Saturday Stories is where I share short, student-friendly leadership stories that teachers can use with kids. Not as lectures. Not as behavior charts. But as a way to build shared language around leadership. All of these stories live inside something I'm building called the Leadership Kit. The Leadership Kit is a collection of leadership stories and discussion resources built around values, practiced through specific skills, and grounded in real moments kids recognize. Every Saturday, I’ll share one story from the Leadership Kit that you can use all week long with students. You don’t have to teach it perfectly. You just have to start the conversation. Before we dive into the story, I want to ground myself in gratitude. The first thing I’m thankful for is moments when classrooms slow down just enough for everyone to feel heard. The second thing I’m thankful for is kids who aren’t trying to be rude. They’re just excited and still learning how to manage that excitement. The third thing I’m thankful for is stories, because stories teach things that reminders and rules never can. All right, let’s jump into our first Saturday Story. This episode is part of the Leadership Kit. The value we’re focusing on this week is listening to others. The skill students are practicing is stop interrupting. The story you’re about to hear is called Aaliyah Notices. The characters in the story are Aaliyah, Jaden, and Sophia. I’m going to read the story all the way through. No interruptions. Just listen. Aaliyah noticed it before anyone else said anything. Jaden wasn’t trying to be rude. He was just excited. Every time someone started to talk, his hand shot up and the words came out before they finished. It happened during reading group. It happened during science. It even happened while they were lining up for lunch. By the third interruption, Sophia stopped mid-sentence and looked down at her book. Aaliyah felt that tight feeling in her chest—the one that shows up when something isn’t fair but speaking up feels uncomfortable. Jaden jumped in again. “Oh, I know this part.” Aaliyah raised her hand. “I think Sophia wasn’t done yet,” she said, keeping her voice calm. The group went quiet. Jaden froze. He looked at Sophia. “Oh, sorry. Go ahead.” Sophia hesitated, then continued reading. Her voice grew steadier as she went on. Later, Jaden leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t notice I was doing that,” he said. Aaliyah nodded. “I think we all do it sometimes.” The next time Jaden felt the urge to interrupt, he stopped himself. He waited. It felt strange, but it also felt right. Aaliyah noticed and smiled. The skill focus in that story is stop interrupting. Sometimes we get excited and want to talk right away. Stopping ourselves and waiting shows respect and helps everyone feel heard. Good listeners pause, listen fully, and then respond. This story works best when discussion questions are spread out over time. I usually start with a reflection question like, “How does it feel when someone finishes listening to you before responding?” Then I use noticing questions such as, “What did you notice happening in the story?” or “How did the interruptions affect Sophia?” or “What choice did Aaliyah make?” Later in the week, I ask application questions like, “When is it hardest for you to stop interrupting?” or “What helps you wait your turn?” or “How can we help each other listen better?” That’s how the skill moves from story into real life. Read the story. Ask a question. Let students talk. As the weeks go on, notice moments and name the skill. “That was a stop interrupting moment.” “I noticed you waited.” “That helped someone feel heard.” The more the language shows up naturally, the more the skill sticks. If you want the printable version of this story with teacher questions and a student handout, you can find it at BeAFunkyTeacher.com. It’s free for classroom use. As you head into your week, here’s the leadership focus: listening to others isn’t about being quiet. It’s about noticing when someone isn’t finished yet. This week, you don’t need to correct every interruption. Just notice moments. Name the skill. Celebrate the pause. Because when students start recognizing those moments for themselves, that’s when leadership begins to grow. If you found value in this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and leave a five-star review. It helps more teachers find this space. Remember to inspire greatness in young people. And don’t forget to be a funky teacher. Bye now.