Old?

You know, these kids just don't ever let me down! Just when I'm thinking that nothing of interest is happening in my classroom to write about-BOOM! A student comes through for me...Here's what happened...

Today I had my kids get with a partner for a math activity. It was the follow-up extension of the activity I had done recently for my observation. This time, I let the kids choose a partner. The kids got with partners, and got started on the activity. I made the rounds, checking on the teams to make sure they were working, they knew what they were doing, and helping when necessary.

Several partner teams were not sitting next to each other but across a desk or two from each other. It makes it hard to work together that way, so I would tell them to be "elbow partners," which means I want them sitting next to each other. They'd comply. Then I came to a partner team of two boys. They were sitting across from each other. I asked them to move so that they were sitting next to each other, and I moved on.

A bit later I was back at their table, and the two boys were still sitting across from each other. I told them, more sternly this time, that I wanted and EXPECTED them to be sitting next to their partners, and I wanted them to move NOW. Then I left.

Fortunately, kids at this age still like to tattle on each other, and a girl who was sitting at their table came up to me. She told me that one of the boys said something mean about me. "What did he say?" I asked.

"He said, 'Shut up, Old Lady,'" she said.

So, I called him out into the hallway. "Did you say 'Shut up Old Lady'" after I left your table today?" I asked. He admitted he did say that. Well, I then laid on what I like to call "Mommy Guilt" pretty thick at that point. I don't hold back. I told him that I am nothing but nice to every kid in my class. I told him that I would never, ever say anything to a kid that would hurt their feelings. I told him he had hurt my feelings deeply. He was looking close to tears at that point.

I then wrote him a white slip for talking rudely/inappropriately to an adult. I sent him to the office.

Now, kids are going crazy lately, and many 6th grade boys have been getting into major trouble. This to me was not major. I wasn't happy with what he did. I expected him to get reprimanded, made to write an apology letter, and receive a phone call home. But at recess time I ran into a teacher at our school who was temporarily taking the place of our Education Assisstant while she was out for two days. He's pretty young, about 28 years old.

He slapped the white slip I had written against his hand, and said it was just an awful thing that that boy had said to me. He said he wanted to suspend him from school for two days, but our principal felt he should talk to me first. So, he asked, what did I want? One day, or two days?

A suspension? For something he said without thinking it through? Granted, it wasn't nice, but I think he said it more for showing off to his partner than anything. I think of suspensions as being something for a kid who picks fights and or swears at an adult or brings weapons to school...So I said I thought one day was fine. Then I went to check in a mirror for grey hair. Yup. It's time to go see my hair dresser...

But, in a bit I got a nice apology letter, and I do feel it was heartfelt. After school I saw him and told him to have a nice weekend and I'd see him Monday.

Now, of course my husband is having a great time calling me his "Old Lady..."