The class was one of those leadership-type classes that isn't ASB. (It's a kind of character building thing that serves as an elective as well as some extracurricular stuff.) On this day, they were going over the behavior expectations (code of conduct and code of ethics stuff).
So, it was discussion time. And we were at the continuation high school. (The other schools don't start until this week.) The part of the code of ethics about reporting criminal activity didn't go over well. ("We're not snitches.")
The discussion meandered, as discussions usually do, and we were interrupted by the phone. A student needed to go to the office. He left, and then he returned in a bit of a worse mood.
"I got some bad news and some good news."
The class wanted to know. The bad news was kind of expected. As for the good news...
"I can't say," and he indicated that he couldn't divulge the good news in front of me.
The rest of the class protested.
"What's said in here stays in here," someone pointed out.
The teacher has set the class up as a safe zone, where the kiddos can talk out their issues. And they have to know that what they say isn't going to be used against them later on. I get that. So, after telling me I couldn't "snitch" on him, he let us know about his after school plans.
The class laughed. And they looked at me. Apparently, I had a good enough shocked face.
Great. Something I can't let slide?
Yeah, see, that's the problem. I had no idea what he said. He was turned away from me, and mumbling a bit (and my hearing isn't always the best, especially in these circumstances).
So, I played like I heard. Gave him a stern look. And we moved on.
I so shouldn't have let him say anything. Sigh.
(The next day I had the same class, and he repeated that he got to smoke a blunt after school. Sigh. I think I was better off not knowing.)
That's what he shared with the class?
ReplyDeleteYup. Drug use is prevalent on that campus. It's why several of them ended up there.
Deletehe found that good news? He has low expectations. Now I want to know the bad news:)
ReplyDeleteIt was something about some request he had being denied.
DeleteOkay. That's funny that he repeated it. Good job on the expression. ~grin~ And thanks for the clever advice on getting Palaye Royale to play my favorite regional venue. You are wise, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that if I am patient, they will repeat what I missed.
DeleteI guess you didn't hear it the first day anyway. But then he went off and done it :)
ReplyDeleteYup. I think I was happier not knowing.
DeleteSaint Liz works for me.
ReplyDeleteNah. To be a saint, first you have to be dead...
DeleteYeppp you were better off not knowing haha
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteEvery did little bird said...As a parent I use to tell my son a little bird told me...and a little bird visited my parents
ReplyDeletecoffee is on
He was so excited about the good news that he couldn't even wait until class was over and then went on to share it with the next class. Of course with the class being a safe zone, he was safe that no one would snitch or tell, but still more info than I would want to know (even now when son tells me things he did in high school, I'm like "I don't really want to know" because most of it wasn't the kind of things you might want to necessarily hear :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Some things are better left unheard, I believe this case in point was one of them. Peace of mind and all that. Greetings.
ReplyDeleteOy! Kids. Though, as a parent, I do wonder if the parents were aware of the kid's extracurricular activities.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good question. I rather think not, but then again, it might have been an anxiety issue.
DeleteI can't believe he actually told you! You're obviously good at developing trust Liz.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that. I think it's that he already thought I knew.
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