Friday, June 5, 2015

Not Even Plausible Lies


"But you're the teacher, not her. You don't need her permission to let me go..."

Johnny protested loudly, talking over me after I had said no and he asked me why. My explanation of, "Mrs. V already said no," was unacceptable. But I know this game. I give a reason. They argue the point. (It's why, "Because I said so," is my go-to reason for most things.)

Mrs. V was the instructional assistant (IA). She knows the students. And for things like restroom passes, I follow the lead of the IA. (I follow the lead of the IA for just about everything. They know the room. The routines. How the students are supposed to behave. They are my biggest allies. They have my back, so I back them up.)

It was the beginning of the period. The bell had barely rung. Johnny leaned out the door. Asked to go to the restroom. Mrs. V asked him why had hadn't gone during snack--10 minutes of free time that had preceded the period. Johnny said that he was stuck in testing.

(The Smarter Balanced testing. They've been calling students out of class to make up portions that they missed.)

Mrs. V dug deeper into that. She asked to see his pass. Turned out he returned to 2nd period towards the end. Johnny said that he stayed in at snack to get the assignment. Another student piped up with the information that they had been watching a movie.

So, did Johnny stay in at snack? Well, that's easy enough to verify. Who's his teacher? He didn't know. (Um, it's the end of the school year, and he doesn't know his teacher's name?) Okay then, what class? He had no idea. (Said he sleeps through class.)

Sleeps through class. Doesn't know the teacher's name. Stays after class to get assignment that he missed for being out of class. Which of these things is not like the others?

Clearly, he was angling to get out of class. Before it even began.

(That was a day. I had two other students that I can only describe as jerks in later periods. Sigh.)

24 comments:

  1. I love that. Sleeps through class and doesn't know the teacher's name. Totally plausible.

    I had a class in college that I used to sleep though all the time. I don't remember the professor's name now, but I'm sure I did back then.

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  2. Those kids sure keep you on your toes!

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  3. When he can't keep the lies straight, that's bad.

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  4. Wow. Not even trying for believable. Just kind of employing the sandpaper method of bugging you until you say yes.

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    1. And clearly he doesn't know me well, because that doesn't work on me.

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  5. Hmm... sounds like a bathroom monitor is in need to walk him to and bring him back. I remember those...

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    1. Apparently he asked to go everyday and was denied everyday.

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  6. Maybe a looonng twine could be attached to his ankle. He obviously is a beginner when it comes to lying.

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    1. Or perhaps no one tried to question him before. I've met plenty of teens who could could have held up under questioning longer than that.

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  7. Every thing that kid said was just digging himself in deeper. I give him props for continuing to try, though.

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  8. Our school has been out for a week now, and the schools around us had this for the last day. Surely yours will be over soon?

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  9. I can only continue to shake my head in dismay!!

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  10. wow. totally unacceptable, imo.

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  11. "I sleep through class." Is that something to freely admit to another teacher? That's crazy!

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    1. Well, it was better than letting us call that teacher to verify that he didn't spend snack in there.

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  12. Oh dear. D- Must try harder next time. Perhaps next time he'll try and keep his lies straight.

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    1. No, don't wish for that! If he learns to keep his lies straight, I'll never be able to catch them.

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  13. You must have the patience of a saint!

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  14. It is so funny, like I mentioned before, how they think they can pull something over an adult and that you would believe them.

    betty

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    1. Either they have very gullible people in their lives, or... I'm not sure of the or here.

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  15. I'm glad you didn't relent. It's no wonder kids are learning nothing today, sleeping in class or missing it altogether.

    Sunni
    http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/

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    1. I have a feeling that he just didn't want us checking up on him.

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