Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Helicopter Student

It was 6th period.  I was covering 11th grade AP English.  They were reading and critiquing essays that they wrote previously.  It was kind of a brain-dead day for me.

Then, towards the middle to end of the period, one girl stood near the door.  As she stood there she was doing the pee-pee dance.  I didn't notice at first. Another student asked if she needed to use the bathroom.  She did.  The next question was: why don't you go?  

It was a reasonable question.  AP students.  11th graders.  I was allowing restroom passes.  All she had to do was ask, and I'd've let her go.  So, after the other student asked the question, I gave the girl a quizzical stare.

The girl explained that she was waiting for another student to finish reading her essay.  She wanted to see what comments this other girl was going to make.  
The restroom wasn't far.  She could have gone and been back before the other girl finished reading the essay.  I wasn't the only one to point this out.  I was the only one to tell her that hovering over the girl who was reading wasn't going to make her finish any quicker.  She saw my point and went to stand somewhere else.

Another student needed to use the restroom, so she went.  She got back.  Then the girl finished reading the essay.  My hovering student took back her essay, and then she went to the restroom.

Why she needed to wait?  I have no idea.  It's not like she would have missed anything.

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