The Right Kind of Crazy

10/25/11

Today a student said something inappropriate and my co-teacher and I had completely different ideas about how to deal with the situation.  As I circulated throughout the classroom, my teacher sat up front getting ready to begin the lesson.  While the students were still coming in, a student was at his seat mumbling.  As I passed him, he said something along the lines, man I do whatever the fuck I want.  Immediately I asked, "what was that?"  He responded, "That wasn't me it was my, eh, twin."

This retort threw me into a bit of a fury.  I know what he said, he knew what he said, yet he wouldn't own up to it.  Saying it at all in class was disrespectful; lying about who said it or what was said added another layer of disrespect to the situation.  I would not stand for such things in the classroom.  There would be respect in the classroom if I had anything to say about it.  I had been told I needed to assert myself more, here was a perfect opportunity, or so I misguidedly thought.

As I drew in a deep breathe with which I would reprimand the youngster, my co-teacher said something which made me stop.  Just as I was about to give the student a lecture he probably wouldn't have listened to, my co-teacher said, "well can you make sure your twin doesn't come back."  Boom.  Mind...blown.  Feeding into this alternate reality the student had created, she corrected the behavior playful.  They both knew what he said was unacceptable.  The student also knew she had heard it.  However, he didn't need a lecture, just a reminder.  Her approach allowed the student to save face and be able to participate for the rest of class without being defensive.  This approach was completely different than the lecture I was about to expound upon which would have had very different ramifications.

There is a certain level of craziness teachers need to have to work in a middle school.  This is probably why there are so few teachers who want to work in middle schools.  While balancing the ridiculous load which middle school teachers take care of, a dash of oddity is the necessary element to working successfully with middle school students.  If I had gone on to give my tirade, I almost assuredly would have gone home with a headache.  Whereas my co-teacher made it a non-issue, steering a wide berth between herself and a headache while tending to the situation at hand.

If anyone else has examples of that touch of oddity which is so necessary especially for middle school teachers, but probably for teachers in general, please comment your anecdotes at the bottom.

take about Tavis who used some bad language
then said "that wasn't me who said that, it was my twin"
and ms karre saying oh well tell him to go away