Thursday, February 19, 2009

Something to Remember If/When I'm a Stay-At-Home-Mom

I am so angry today. At work, we took some kids to a play, and since mid- and low-track kids don't often get to go on field trips, those are the students we took. Let me just say...There is a reason mid- and low-track kids don't get a lot of opportunities for field trips, and it is because there are a few who can't handle themselves and will represent the school poorly.

I had one student refuse to go back into the play after intermission. She parked her ass in a chair, and the exchange went a little something like this:

Me: Ok, everybody, it's time to go back in. The play is starting.
Bitch Student: Can I just sit out here for the rest of the play?
Me: No.
Bitch: But I'm sick.
Me: OK, you can sit in the back corner by the door in case you need to go to the bathroom, but you have to come in with us at least.
Bitch: I don't want to.
Me: It doesn't matter. That's what you've been asked to do, so that's what you need to do. Let's go.
Bitch: I'm not going back in there.
Me: If you want to be able to go on field trips ever again, you need to do as you're told.

[By this point, two other teachers, who I will call Mrs. K and Mr. D, have noticed what is going on an come over to try to help.]

Mr. D: (angrily) Listen, this is not a negotiable point. You need to get in there. We are acting as your guardians right now.
Bitch: (yelling) You are not my guardian!
Mr. D: Yes, we are.
Bitch: (screaming at Mr. D) Get out of my face!
Mr. D: Wow, one more thing to add to the referral when we get back.
Mrs. K: Right now we are your guardians. We are the adults in charge of you, and the play is starting, so you need to get in there.
Bitch: I am sick, and she (indicating me) won't let me go throw up.
Mrs. K: You can go ahead and go to the bathroom then and then come in when you're done.
Me: No, that isn't what happened. You asked if you could sit out here rather than going back in. But really, you should have already gone to the bathroom during intermission. Instead, you sat here and laughed and goofed off with your friends. Put your phone away!
Bitch: No.
Mr. D: Listen here-
Mrs. K: (to Mr. D) Go ahead and go into the play. We'll handle this.

(Bitch continues to mess with her phone and headphones and refuse repeated requests to put the items away.)

Mrs. K: (softly) Now, if you're sick, you need to go sit in the back, and if you get sick, that's fine. Go to the bathroom and come back. But you can't sit out here.
Me: (to Mrs. K) Is there someone we can call to come get her? This is ridiculous.
Mrs. K: There's really nothing we can do right now.
Me: (to Bitch) Everything that's happening right now is just being added to your referral when we get back to school. This is your last chance to get in there and watch the play.

(Bitch is silent but refuses to move.)

Me: (to Mrs. K): Go ahead and go in there. I'll sit out here with her. I'm not leaving her out here by herself.
Mrs. K: Are you sure? Why don't you let me sit out here with her?
Me: No, go ahead. I'll do it.
Mrs. K: OK, I'm sorry.
Me: It's not YOUR fault.

(Mrs. K goes into the theater.)

Me: (to Bitch) I hope you don't ever plan on going on a field trip ever again.

(Bitch continues to text message, use her mp3 player, etc. I ignore her for the rest of the day. Eventually another teacher who is no longer watching the play comes and relieves me, and when we leave to go back to the school, Bitch and a friend intentionally get on the wrong bus because they are mad at me, which holds us up and causes us to take longer to get back to school. When I get back to school, I realize that this is the fourth time I have written this girl up, all for similar situations in which she absolutely refused to do something simple I was asking her to do. I notice also that two of the referrals only received a warning from an administrator rather than any actual punishment. I am still pissed now seven hours later. I will probably still be pissed next week.)

Later, I found out that Bitch told another teacher that she had to take an explosive poo and that she was embarrassed. Hmmmmmmmm, funny...I never remember her every going to the bathroom even after she was told she could and even after the bathroom had emptied out and everyone else was back in the theater. Bitch.

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