A day from you-know-where

The first two days were pretty much blissful. I was loving the kids, loving being a teacher, and actually thinking I just might be able to do this thing for a whole year. (We're taking it a year at a time, here.)

The first mistake I made today was waking up. Actually, that's one of the only mistakes I made, but it's kind of a crucial one. If I hadn't woken up, I wouldn't have had to face the rest of the day. I'm sure you wondering "Why the drama?" Let me just tell you. I got a new student in my class today. I won't say his name or anything about him, but one teacher summed it up when talking about his type. She called the type "Satan, Jr." I'm not sure there's any way that description could be more accurate. Seriously. When he smiles, he's actually kind of scary, like a kid in a horror movie. Anyone seen Pet Sematary? Cue scary voice "C'mere, Gage!" Okay, maybe he's not that bad, but still. He's one of those kids who will smile sweetly at you, but you know it's in a totally mocking manner. All this I've gathered in just one day.

Throughout the day, I would stop to explain procedures and rules as we encountered each situation where he needed to know how to do something. Before I walked the kids out at the end of the day, I told him (as well as all of my other students) that they had to come give me a hug and let me know they were leaving before they could go. As I maneuvered my eighteen kids through the crowd, this child decided that instead of staying with me and letting me know when he saw his mom, he was just going to leave. He mostly did it just to prove that he didn't have to do what I told him to do. Anyway, since I have 18 kids to watch, I didn't even realize that Junior was gone. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this. When his mom got there to pick him up, he was gone and I didn't know where he was. She found him literally 30 seconds later, but that didn't matter. Momma went ballistic and started screaming at me, saying that she wanted Sweetie Pie out of my class. ("Gladly," I thought to myself.) She went ranting and raving into the office, all the while with me trying to explain what happened. Apparently, she just thought I let him go with someone else. If I had, it would've been doing her a favor, trust me. This kid thinks he is SO cute and cool. He isn't. Once she gets into the lobby area, I tried to go into the office, and she says, "You're not gonna walk off on me. I'm gonna walk off on you!" Oooooh. In the words of her son, "Boo-yah!" (No kidding. He's six and he said "Boo-yah" like, 10 times today. I wanted to tell him that phrase went out in the nineties, but I didn't think he'd understand. In hindsight, he probably would've.) I wanted to remind her that we were in elementary school, not junior high and that (shock of all shocks,) we are actually adults, not students. At least one of us is, and I'm not talking about her.

The principal made his way in there, and he was incredible. He was so supportive of me and he actually told her he was going to kick her out of the school if she wouldn't lower her voice. Once she finally calmed down and listened to me, she realized it was her son that was in the wrong and not me. At that point, she turned her attention to the little angel and started asking him why he did that. Of course, he put on the angelic face, but at least at that point she knew the truth. She even apologized for yelling at me, and I'm hoping that it'll help for the rest of the year now that she knows what kind of stuff he pulls. The principal told her that I'm one of the best teachers at the school and that she was fortunate to have her son in my class. (Further proof that the PrinciPAL really is your PAL.)

My first run-in with a parent has officially come and gone. It was pretty bad, but looking at it from the other side, I'm stronger for it. The skin is thickening, and I've learned alot about my principal and other teachers and staff around me. They are awesome, and if I can't be independently wealthy, I am so blessed to be working there with them.

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Two quick, kind of funny stories.

First, we were talking about CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, and I asked the kids to tell me something that you take when you're really tired, meaning "nap." One little boy said, "Pills." I redirected that one, but plan to report it to CPS. Just kidding, totally. I'm sure he meant that his parents take Tylenol PM or something.

And second, one little boy was describing his teenage sister to me and told me that she has "owies" all over her face because she doesn't wash it good. I think "owie" is much nicer than "acne." Sweet boy.

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Have a wonderful weekend, and pray for me in my dealings with my precious new kid. All kidding aside, I'm seriously praying that the Lord will spark in me a patience for this little boy and that I will be able to reach him to intercept him from what could be a very grim future. Pray for me, him, and his parents that we will be able to partner together to get him into a better attitude.