Subs are required for those teachers who are club advisors. They can't come back to class when it's their classes' turn to be in class since they are supervising their booths. For 4th, 5th, and 6th periods I got stuck with middle school band.
I watched as two girls walked in 25 minutes late. They had all their International Day paraphernalia (in this case balloons) with them. I had taken roll already, so if they wanted to be marked present, they had to check in. Then one of the girls did come up to me.
The girl explained that one teacher had told her she could stay outside, but then another had sent her to class. Whatever. Things were so crazy that I just accepted the story, noted her as late, and told her to have the other girl check in with me.
I watched the girl walk across the room to the other girl. Just about the time she got there, a boy threw something at one of her balloons and it popped. The girl spun on the boy and yelled. I went over to try to diffuse the situation.
The girl was understandably angry. The boy denied popping the balloon. He told me that it wasn't him. I told him that I had seen him do it. He still denied responsibility.
Then two boys behind this one boy backed up his story. Fine. Then who did the deed? They hemmed and hawed but gave me no other name.
I mean, I saw this happen. Yet, the boy still denied responsibility. He was pretty convincing, too.
I tried to settle the girl down, telling her that I saw everything, and the boy would be reported to the band director. (I didn't write him up since it was the end of the period and the day was so crazy that he would definitely fall through the cracks on this.) Since no actual fight ensued, I considered this a success.
I just don't get it. Even when I witness these things, they still deny everything. I wonder if they think they can convince me to doubt my own eyes.
A good diffuser for this sort of situation is just to tell the offenders - "Yes, and everyone in prison for murder says they are innocent, too!"
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