CAD (computer aided drafting) class. The teacher is on jury duty, a trial that is scheduled to go a couple weeks.
Fourth period was the period. Every teacher has one. It's the class where the difficult students reside. In my case, it's the biggest class of the day, and half the class wasn't doing much in the way of classwork.
This was also the class right before lunch.
I generally give a three minute warning. ("We have three minutes left of class.") It's their cue to pack up and get ready to go. This group lined up at the door. The door opened, and a couple students slipped out. We still had a couple minutes before they should have been dismissed.
I was able to get them back. When they repeated this sneakiness the next day, I knew I was going to have to be a whole lot more proactive about this.
On the third day, I called the three minute warning from just beside the classroom door. No one bothered to line up. Success! It meant that I'd have to block the door for them near the end of the period, but that's not a big deal.
But, on the fourth day, it was buyout day. That's the day that students can get buyouts signed so they can be excused from attending school on Friday.
At the three minute warning, I was positioned by the door. I had signed the buyouts. But, of course, a student hadn't given me his earlier. He asked for me to sign it, which meant I had to leave my door position to get my pen.
Naturally, this is when the kiddos lined up at the door. And, of course, someone slipped out. (It was Ten Minutes.)
Of course, I stepped out to retrieve him. He attempted to hide behind the door. At that moment Elliot slipped out...
I got them back. I made them wait until the bell. But they're going to be tricky. On the bright side, they're the only ones that are doing this.
Seems like a lot of effort for little payoff on their parts. Weird. Be well!
ReplyDeleteThis is them playing. Pranking. If they were serious, they would have been sprinting for the exit to the school.
DeleteIt's like rounding up toddlers!
ReplyDeleteAt what point did you look at your teaching certificate and think, yep, I'm a real teacher NOT a babysitter. :) God bless you for the work you do. It's important and you seem to take it in stride.
ReplyDeleteYeah, well, I'm used to this by now.
DeleteI love what Alex said, but at least toddlers may be a bit more compliant than teenagers.
ReplyDeletebetty
Hmmm...if we waited at the door before the class was up I would have been in detention. Instead, I just looked at the clock until the buzzer sounded
ReplyDeleteSome teachers allow it. Some teachers punish it. I deal with which ever kind of class it happens to be when I encounter it.
DeleteI visualize you carrying a pen on your person at all times after that. :)
ReplyDeleteNah. Only on buyout days.
DeleteHi Liz - it'd drive me nutty!! But glad you are usually one step ahead of them ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThey really want to make you work for that paycheck.
ReplyDeleteWow. Sounds like a class full of kittens.
ReplyDeleteKittens... LOL. I should tell them that. They would be so offended...
DeleteTeens ....
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteWhat a silly thing to do.
ReplyDeleteKids! Them not lining up when you stand by the door cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteOne can almost smell the hormones at that age.
ReplyDeleteAlmost? You totally can.
DeleteDo you ever just want to throw up your hands and SCREAM?
ReplyDeleteYup. That's why I learned to write detailed notes. Teachers love to punish crazy stuff.
DeleteThank goodness for people like you!! I taught school for a short period of time and quickly learned I didn't have "the right stuff" to be a good teacher and I would be miserable doing it. The experience left me with a genuine respect for teachers and the work they do!
ReplyDeleteTeenage boys *rolling eyes*
ReplyDeleteI was one of *those kids* in high school. Leaving early meant I didn't have to fight the traffic getting out of the parking lot. I know – terrible. I didn't sneak out, though. I just told my teacher that my locker was on the other side of the school and I wouldn't have time to go there before catching the bus; only I never went to the bus (or my locker, like I said I was going to). *sigh* We can't all be perfect. 😛
ReplyDeleteI'd rather they ask permission. The answer would be no (small school, and getting out is not as bad as a bigger school), but at least we could discuss it.
DeleteHi Liz, if I were in your place, I would have completely run out of all my patience. You seem to have managed them reasonably well. Quite a task!
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're definitely getting on that last nerve.
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