Tattling
As promised.
The last weeks of school are grueling as everyone, students AND teachers, are just trying to survive with each other while anticipating their best summer ever. This is why I think we should go year round...so that we get steady and spaced out weeks of no school...so that we don't threaten to cross the line to level: "homicidal" every May.
When school and the crazy weekend following ended, I went into solid sleep mode. I napped with Alex in the afternoons and got him to school late for a solid week because we all slept until almost 9 AM (including Ennis).
As I reflected back on the last week of school, it was almost seamless, except for one thing: On the last day of students in my last class, a student couldn't handle himself and when I had him removed, he called me a "fucking snitch" on his way out as he slammed his chair into his desk. The end. That was the last day of students. It stinks that it ended like that...just putting a cap on the already perfect year (yes, sarcasm).
I don't know why it bothered me so much. I've always gotten along* with this student and been respectful and respected in return. I wasn't really mad because clearly, he has a lot more going on than me, but I was hurt because I didn't even snitch. I just said, "Sorry you can't handle yourself in my room, you can't stay." I never gave specifics. Like he was going to get in trouble. Students got in trouble for very little this year...especially him! And dude, it was the last day of school...really? I was pretty much letting anything fly.
It doesn't help that this student lives in the apartment complex directly across from my neighborhood and I see him out and about frequently at the local grocery store and out skateboarding.
But that brings me to something my students always say: Snitches get Stitches.
(Even though they "snitch" each other out all the time.)
Tattling...I get it. No one wants to take the fall alone. Just watch the First 48.
Sometimes though, the person you're snitching out is just an asshole and everyone needs to know.
One afternoon, I stopped by Kroger on the way home from school. I had a rough day and was probably feeling tired, sad, etc. about whatever it was. I opened up the fridge compartment to get an orange juice and the stocker was in the room behind the sections stocking the juices at the same time. I decided that I did not want the juice anymore and opened the door to put it back, but when I pushed back the juices that had slid forward to replace mine, one or more fell off the back. The stocker yelled out in frustration and I apologized sincerely through the shelving. He said whatever and continued to mutter/cuss angrily.
It hurt my feelings because I really was sorry and after the day I had, I really wasn't looking to make someone else's day hard. As I walked through the store to get the remainder of my items, his tone and his words hung above me like a dark cloud and I let it fester and turn to anger. I saw a group of managers walking through the store together doing inventory activities and they asked me how I was.
I was going to say fine, but decided to tell on the stocker for being so mean to me for something that was truly an accident. As I was telling the story, I felt myself choke up and get misty eyed.
As this crazy rambling story unfolded, I thought, am I really doing this?! I am 29** years old. Get it together, crazy lady.
The manager put her hand on my shoulder and said she was sorry, but it was in a really cautious and fake reassuring way that instead suggested, "ok, crazy person, please get your groceries and go home."
I bet she wanted to take back the "how are you?" statement, real bad.
OMG, I am a f*cking snitch! And now a double snitch! I am for sure heading for stitches.
Overly sensitive much? All things to consider in my counseling sessions.
So while I work on growing tougher skin this summer, I'll leave you with something my Dad used to always tell me:
If you think something is wrong with someone, most other people probably pick up on the same thing. There's no need to go and tell everyone about it. Sometimes people just have bad days...
Or something like that. You know I can't remember things accurately.
*He was never in my class because he was always in trouble. Anyone can get along with that!
** You know...
The last weeks of school are grueling as everyone, students AND teachers, are just trying to survive with each other while anticipating their best summer ever. This is why I think we should go year round...so that we get steady and spaced out weeks of no school...so that we don't threaten to cross the line to level: "homicidal" every May.
When school and the crazy weekend following ended, I went into solid sleep mode. I napped with Alex in the afternoons and got him to school late for a solid week because we all slept until almost 9 AM (including Ennis).
As I reflected back on the last week of school, it was almost seamless, except for one thing: On the last day of students in my last class, a student couldn't handle himself and when I had him removed, he called me a "fucking snitch" on his way out as he slammed his chair into his desk. The end. That was the last day of students. It stinks that it ended like that...just putting a cap on the already perfect year (yes, sarcasm).
I don't know why it bothered me so much. I've always gotten along* with this student and been respectful and respected in return. I wasn't really mad because clearly, he has a lot more going on than me, but I was hurt because I didn't even snitch. I just said, "Sorry you can't handle yourself in my room, you can't stay." I never gave specifics. Like he was going to get in trouble. Students got in trouble for very little this year...especially him! And dude, it was the last day of school...really? I was pretty much letting anything fly.
It doesn't help that this student lives in the apartment complex directly across from my neighborhood and I see him out and about frequently at the local grocery store and out skateboarding.
But that brings me to something my students always say: Snitches get Stitches.
(Even though they "snitch" each other out all the time.)
Tattling...I get it. No one wants to take the fall alone. Just watch the First 48.
Sometimes though, the person you're snitching out is just an asshole and everyone needs to know.
One afternoon, I stopped by Kroger on the way home from school. I had a rough day and was probably feeling tired, sad, etc. about whatever it was. I opened up the fridge compartment to get an orange juice and the stocker was in the room behind the sections stocking the juices at the same time. I decided that I did not want the juice anymore and opened the door to put it back, but when I pushed back the juices that had slid forward to replace mine, one or more fell off the back. The stocker yelled out in frustration and I apologized sincerely through the shelving. He said whatever and continued to mutter/cuss angrily.
It hurt my feelings because I really was sorry and after the day I had, I really wasn't looking to make someone else's day hard. As I walked through the store to get the remainder of my items, his tone and his words hung above me like a dark cloud and I let it fester and turn to anger. I saw a group of managers walking through the store together doing inventory activities and they asked me how I was.
I was going to say fine, but decided to tell on the stocker for being so mean to me for something that was truly an accident. As I was telling the story, I felt myself choke up and get misty eyed.
As this crazy rambling story unfolded, I thought, am I really doing this?! I am 29** years old. Get it together, crazy lady.
The manager put her hand on my shoulder and said she was sorry, but it was in a really cautious and fake reassuring way that instead suggested, "ok, crazy person, please get your groceries and go home."
I bet she wanted to take back the "how are you?" statement, real bad.
OMG, I am a f*cking snitch! And now a double snitch! I am for sure heading for stitches.
Overly sensitive much? All things to consider in my counseling sessions.
So while I work on growing tougher skin this summer, I'll leave you with something my Dad used to always tell me:
If you think something is wrong with someone, most other people probably pick up on the same thing. There's no need to go and tell everyone about it. Sometimes people just have bad days...
Or something like that. You know I can't remember things accurately.
*He was never in my class because he was always in trouble. Anyone can get along with that!
** You know...
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