08/31/2009 00:31
Racquetball does NOT equal Alcohol!
As this first week of a new school just ended, I feel compelled to relay some of the comments/situations I've encountered with this fresh batch of precocious 7th graders:
Scenario #1:
For starters, here's an EXACT transcript of a telephone conversation I had with a little girl in one of my classes on Wednesday night:
<phone rings>
Me: Hello?
Girl: Is this Ms. K______?
Me: Yes.
Girl: Hi. This is _____.
Me: Okay. What's up?
Girl: Ms. K______, we've been talking... And we don't think it's right that you're playing around with alcohol.
Me: Um...? What are you talking about?
Girl: Well, on Monday you told the whole class that you were gonna go play with alcohol, and we just don't think that's appropriate.
Me: <stunned>....
pause... I said I was gonna go play RACQUETBALL!
Girl: What's that?
*Oh my GOSH, this conversation had me FUMING. While it's kind of funny now, it was NOT funny at the time. And I scolded the child for perpetuating rumors based on lies and warned her that she had better go FIX this problem. I guess it's good she called me, though? Maybe she'll grow up to be an AA counselor?
<sigh>
Scenario #2:
Another situation involved my boss coming to me with an irate mother and a weeping little boy, S___, both of which accused me of being "mean," and wanting the child moved out of my class on the 2nd day of school:
Boss: Mrs. E feels that you and her son have a personality conflict,
Me: Oh? Well, I'm sorry to hear that. What's the conflict?
Mrs. E: You are too hard on him and give off a negative vibe. And the comments you made to him yesterday were completely inappropriate.
Me: Negative? Gosh, I'm sorry. Could you at least tell me what comments I made to you S___?
S___: <immediately starts crying>
Mrs. E: See! He's too upset to even say anything!
Boss: Well, it's okay. He doesn't have to say what Ms. K said to him. I'm sure it won't happen again.
Me: Can I ask when I said these things to him?
Mrs. E: Yesterday. He came home crying after school because of the things you said at the end of the day.
Me: Yesterday?
<thinking... thinking... checking my attendance book>
Me: Um, S___ was ABSENT yesterday.... I didn't even SEE him yesterday. How could I say hateful things when he wasn't even in my class?
Mrs. E: Well, you must've found a way!
*It was all a big, fat LIE from parent and child, but I still got blamed. Awesome...
Scenario #3:
On Friday, after the "drama" has dissapated and the balance was restored to my classroom, my students took a quiz:
Student: "I didn't have advanced English last year, so I was really nervous about this class. But today I realized that you are like an actual teacher, who like teaches and everything, and you're not just gonna leave us all out here on our own. It's gonna be fine. Thanks, Ms. K_____."
:) And THAT scenario, my friends, is the one that made this week worth remembering, made my lesson plans for next wek come easier, and made me NOT go eat a zillion pounds of ice-cream afterward.
Hooray for a much BETTER start than last year!