Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Rhymes with Witch


The lesson plan contained subtle clues that led me to believe that the class might not be all that cooperative. Things like: "Make sure they remain in their assigned seats". Okay then.

So, I made sure to check the seating chart carefully. As things were getting started, one girl stood up and made her way across the room... 

"Back to your assigned seat, please."

She turned. Headed back to her seat. Muttered something... Something about a bitch... 

*Ahem* 

Moments later, I received a slip asking me to send that girl to the office. Happily, I sent her out. 

But she returned. *Deep sigh*  I let her know I heard her comment from before she left. 

"I wasn't talking to you..." 

She explained she was referring to her friend. The friend called her over, and somehow my telling her to go back to her seat became a reason to call her friend a name.

Okay. Fine. We'll go with that story, and I let it drop.

But now she needed to make sure I fixed the note. Names in note get serious consequences. 

I was busy. But she followed up several times. She hadn't been talking to me, so the incident needed to be expunged. 

Thing is, I don't believe her. 

But, I made a "correction" note anyway. I wrote her explanation next to my note.

I'll meet her again eventually in some class or other. Better to try to make nice in hopes of her future cooperation. Besides, I didn't delete the note. I just let her have her say as well.

38 comments:

  1. That was the best way to handle it. Because yeah, I don't buy her story either.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Next time you might tell her that word is not allowed in your class no matter who it is spoken to. The students called me "Dirty Harry" to one another when I substituted. :-) But times have only gotten more chaotic as a teacher, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dirty Harry? Brilliant. I've tried to do the whole no profanity thing. Some just will not comply with that.

      Delete
  3. I would have done the same; record her explanation; but I'm with you, I wouldn't have believed it anyway.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was so under her breath that if it was directed at her friend, it wasn't meant to be heard.

      Delete
  4. I wouldn't have changed the note! But them it's possible that I am really a bitch!! I understand that changing it might make your future dealings with her better!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I put in her side of the story. Sometimes that's enough.

      Delete
    2. Yep! Of course her side of the story should have been shared!

      Delete
  5. At least you didn't delete the note. The teacher can get to the bottom of it, and decide if she believes the girl's story or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And she knows the student pretty well, so she'll know what story is believable.

      Delete
  6. That's probably the best way you could have handled it *nods* Hope that type of thing doesn't happen too often!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It didn't used to. But it just happened again today. This time the boy didn't deny it.

      Delete
  7. Sounds like you handled it well. I was called unflattering things many a time, but it was a behavioral program filled with angry teens, so it was just kind of expected.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That was way over the line. She may have instantly regretted it when it slipped out, but she needs to get punished for it. Maybe next time she'll be able to hold her tongue better.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm glad your note stands - in my book, calling anyone a bitch is not cool. In fact, probably worse to call your "friend" a bitch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely. I don't know why she thought that made things better.

      Delete
  10. She shouldn't be calling anyone a bitch. Swearing in school got you sent to the office back when I was in high school, and probably suspended.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very fair, and I admire your patience, but do you ever get home at night and scream in frustration?

    VR Barkowski

    ReplyDelete
  12. You handled it well and you let her know that you heard her

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seems to have a quelling effect. Same thing happened today. The boy, however, didn't deny saying it.

      Delete
  13. Hitch rhymes with Witch. Sound like she doesn't respect authority and I would guess she also don't respect her self.
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. That. Exactly. She's got other obvious issues.

      Delete
  14. As others have already said, I think you did the right thing. At least the girl must have some respect for her teacher (or fear of consequences), since she kept trying to get you to fix the note.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fear of the consequences. She's already on the school's radar for various other misdeeds.

      Delete
  15. Ugh... I'm sorry you dealt with such disrespect. It sounds like this student has some growing up to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup. And I doubt I'll see that while she's at school.

      Delete
  16. That was very decent of you. Gosh they can be infuriating. Sometimes I think they think teachers are idiots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, they do. They don't get that we've all been their age once.

      Delete
  17. I could not handle your job. It seems you have a really good sense of how to handle the kids. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know if that's true. I just battle on through.

      Delete
  18. Good job writing her story next to your own. She got her say, you got your say. Sometimes it's just not worth the fight. Hopefully next time you run into her she will be more cooperative and kind. Maybe she will even be grateful? You never know with kids though. Sometimes they are sweet … and sometimes they aren't. :-/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nah. Grateful? If anything, I'll hear from outside the door, "Oh no, not her." And probably some version of, "She hates me." Which isn't true.

      Delete
  19. You handled that quite well. I would have done the same.

    Mary
    #AtoZChallenge Reflections and #IWSG

    ReplyDelete
  20. Name calling is name calling, no matter who it is for. You can explain that, very matter of factly, and it makes her argument a moot point. The real key is, did she get to you? If she got to you emotionally, she won, regardless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nah. When things like this happen, I think, blog fodder!

      Delete

I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.