Lure of the Forbidden

Some days I really should ignore the phone.

It was fourth period when I got the call from the office. Could I cover a fifth period? (Fifth was the teacher's conference, so I was free.) I never turn these down, even when I can tell by the room number that I'm in for another period in a severely handicapped special ed class.

When I got there, the room was packed. Fifth period is right after lunch, so I walked in on the tail end of a party. By the bell, the room contained seven students, three aides, and me.

I was pretty useless.

I tried to help out where I could. They had been watching a movie during the party. As the movie was ending, one boy grabbed the remote control and started rewinding the DVD. Now, I don't know these kids, so I don't know where the lines are. All I could do was ask for the remote, but the boy refused to give it.

He wasn't even supposed to be back by the TV. Luckily, one of the amazing aides noticed my plight and got the remote away from the boy. He spent the rest of the period getting too close to the "forbidden zone" behind the teacher's desk, going past the blue line any chance he could. I don't know why. There wasn't all that much of interest back there.

I guess it's the lure of the forbidden.

Another boy had to be hemmed in by another aide all period. The boy had a tendency to take off and get into trouble. At one point he got all the way on the other side of the room, snatched a pen, and started writing all over a desk.

At least the pen was of the dry erase variety. But why he felt the need to write F W something all over everything (there was a third letter to this graffiti, but we managed to get the pen away from him before he went any further) I have no idea.

This is the third such class I've covered (for one period only) this year. (I didn't write about the second time, but the first time is here.) I don't have a point about this. Just making note of it.