You Know It's Going To Be Bad

I've been out sick for three days, and finally returned today. You know it's going to be bad when the inclusion teacher sends you an email that says, "There were some problems with third period. I'll be really glad when you're back."

I'm convinced half my positive reputation as a teacher relies on how badly my students act when I'm gone. It's not unusual for kids to act up a little, but apparently there was mass chaos, an uninvited visitor, and maybe even some insider trading - I'm still trying to work it all out. Then, when I return, people admire that I can handle that class. It's all part of my devious plan.

Usually, the secret is they don't act that way around me. I told the inclusion teacher today (he's brand new, and still getting his feet under him), that what always seems to happen is that the classes you are actually at odds with will act incredibly good (out of spite, I think), and the ones you'd never guess end up setting the carpet on fire.

Now, my third period class is very challenging, that's for sure. But it's also my loooove class, as I've talked about before.

Apparently, they were so awful, the sub called for help from the teacher next door. She came in, and soon retreated, they were that awful to her. Then she sent our mutual inclusion teacher over after lunch to help out. He wrote detentions for anyone who came in late from lunch. They felt that was unfair, and he had no right, no right I tell you!

He then called our ACHIEVE program. These folks work with our emotionally disturbed kids, and are on call for emergencies. That person came, wrote more referrals, and it went downhill from there.

Then in fourth period, the period the inclusion teacher actually spends with me, he took charge, took role, looked over, and noticed an extra student. The student tried to tell the inclusion teacher he was new in class, but that didn't fly - he'd skipped his other class to come to mine. Maybe he'd decided to audit it.

I saw one of the students from my third period class in the hall at the end of the day today. He said hi, I said, "What in the WORLD happened yesterday?"

He actually hung his head and said, "Oh yea, I got a detention. You see, what happened was..."

That's always my favorite story, You See What Happened Was.