The Good Choice Desk

So, patience has been a continued location of growth for me since school began in the end of August. My honest self-evaluation at this point is that I have grown to be more patient, but still have a great amount of work to do in that department.
One first grade boy has been the true test of that patience, in a way that has permitted me to get to know him on a level I did not know could exist. He has shown anger, frustration and sadness towards me many times these past two months, but has yet to go one day without running into me to provide an excessively large hug to start the afternoon. How does a boy of such struggle and internal pain show love so easily?
I wanted to be patient with him, so I had to come up with a way for him to express his anger effectively, without hurting himself or others in the process. With this in mind, I created the "Good Choice" desk, based on the art therapy principles that someone who has pent up emotions should release them in an artistic way. This desk was officially put into effect last week and has changed the life of this child. Typically, playground time ended with sand being thrown or kicked because he did not get the same amount of time on a swing as someone else, and classroom time would sometimes become disrupted with this boy kicking under the table because his blocks fell or he did not like the snack that day and wanted something else. This boy had plenty of great moments in my classroom, as he worked hard on homework and did his best to participate when he could, but these strong, negative emotions seem to give him a bit of an image most of the time. This "Good Choice" desk has changed him.
Instead of throwing sand, he goes back into the classroom and rolls play doh on the desk. Instead of kicking a desk, he puts headphones on for 10 minutes to relax. Instead of throwing toys, he colors pictures of how he feels and shares them with me. This child is making his positive emotions finally outweigh his negative ones.
If I did not have patience with him and faith that this would work, I do not know where I would be. Patient is definitely a virtue and I have a great respect for all those working with children.
So my challenge for those who read this is, instead of assuming the worst of those around us when they appear to be a certain way, ask them why they appear that way instead.