It's 9/11 and #ThrowbackThursday. No, I'm not going to do a 9/11 tribute. There are others (many others, I suspect) who will do this, and they will do this much better than me. Today I'm offering something silly that was originally posted on February 22, 2008.
I needed a silent room. I was not getting it. So, I warned them: "I will take down the names of those who continue to talk." This only works when I cover some teachers. Ms. T is one of them.
They fought me on it for a moment. I stared down the few whose names were going to be on my list. Then one of the girls (the talkers were all girls in this group) told me to write down her name. "I'm Amanda," she said.
She offered up her name way too easily. I was suspicious. I checked the seating chart. Sure enough, Amanda sat in that seat. But she did not look like an Amanda. She did not feel like an Amanda. I was sure I was being lied to.
Twenty minutes later (I had gotten my silence, so I didn't need to make my list) two other students were exchanging words. "Amanda, I have it here." The first student was talking to a different girl, not the one who claimed to be Amanda. I knew it!
After a quick perusal of the seating chart, I figured out who the fake Amanda was. Joanna. I was pretty sure. The two girls had probably switched seats.
Then someone called to the fake Amanda, calling her Joanna. I was right.
I don't know why they do this. I don't know what they get out of it. Today? They get honorable mention in my note to their teacher.
My husband is a teacher and he wonders too. Like, what are they thinking?
ReplyDeleteEdge of Your Seat Stories
I think the point is, they're not.
DeleteSilly girls who think it is fun to screw with one's head...silly, silly
ReplyDeleteYou could be a detective if you ever give up substitution teaching :) (did I say that already in a comment?)
ReplyDeletebetty
I went back to substitute a couple of times at my old school after I left, and every single time, the kids tried to swap names.
ReplyDeleteI like Betty's suggestion of becoming a detective. Could be very cool! =)
We hand out a roll with photos and names to our relief teachers (substitutes). I guess you guys get that now too since this happened in 2008?
ReplyDeleteDepends on the school. One school gives us access to the online roll which has pictures. Another does not. Some teachers at this school do print out the photos for us, but that's up to individual teachers, it isn't school wide.
DeleteWhat a brat. She probably thought she was being so very cool, with her pretend-name story, soliciting laughter and such. Hope you write her up or whatever it is that would show her the opposite. Sorry, that just reminded me how silly some kids/teenagers can be and how unnecessary that is in the long haul.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Liz. As I'm sure I said before: hats off to you, teachers.
I left her name in the note. Which may not sound like much, but this particular teacher is pretty strict about things. A name in note generally garners a not nice punishment.
DeleteI found it most interesting that you didn't think she looked like an Amanda. What were the physical characteristics? Did she seem more like a Joanna? Teachers develop such sophisticated people instincts.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to explain it. Names usually seem to "fit" a student. Amanda didn't "fit" this girl.
DeleteI'm in agreement with Betty - you definitely are private detective or police detective material! I asked my son about this - and he confirms that most of his classes have one or two kids who think they're very clever and try stuff to mess with their subs. He says usually the girls are mean-spirited and the boys are just looking for a laugh. Could be because the boys are probably his football teammates! I hope she got her due.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she did. Ms. T is pretty strict with her classes, and no student wants their name in the note.
DeleteWhat do they get out of it? They're just immature and get some entertainment by messing with you.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it, either. I suppose if one is insecure enough-and what 7th grader isn't facing some insecurity?—putting one over on the individual in charge offers some cachet, and substitutes are an easy "mark." It's kind of cowardly when you think about it.
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
See, that's why you do so well with the Truth or Lie game. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteHa! What an honorable mention.
ReplyDeleteYeah, well, she brought it on herself.
DeleteBut why didn't the real Amanda say something; she stood to have her name on the bad list? I wasn't a 'good' kid in high school but I sure wouldn't have let someone else take my name so I could get in trouble.
ReplyDeleteIt's because of things like this that I knew teaching was not for me.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't happen all that much. Really. It's funny when a kid I know tries it.
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