Thursday, March 09, 2006

The Courtcase

The girls asked me today if they could put me on trial. I knew they were planning it, and I was prepared. I told them it was ok. They also wanted to put my co on trial, but we said that if they were to do that they would have to combine classes and have the cases together. At first they were upset, but they had to agree.
We went down to lunch a little late and we found utter chaos. There were no teachers there, and the lunch monitor, (happens to be a cousin of mine,) was almost in tears. It was the entire school, but my students were acting terribly.
I felt terrible, but this isn't the first time we've spoken to them about the issue. I'm at the end of my rope here.
I knew that I had to get permission from the principal in order to go through with the courtcase, so I went upstairs to wait for her. When I finally got in to her, I told her that the girls had come up with a great idea for history, and I wanted her permission. I asked her if they could do a courtcase like in the supreme court and believe it or not she agreed to it.
I took it a step further then by telling her that the classes wanted to put my co on trial as well, and because we didn't want to waste class time, we wanted to combine the classes and do both cases at once.
She agreed to that as well. She was even excited about it.
My co and I both taught each class for 45 minutes and recess time the classes were to combine.
Recess time we ran into a little disaster.
The 7a class, the usually good class, went on strike. They refused to join for the case claiming that they had no part in making it up and they didn't want to feel left out.
Now I knew there was "sibling rivalry" between the classes, but I had no idea it was this bad.
I refused to walk into any classroom until the issue was resolved.
The girls were making a racket in the halls and we couldn't find the principal. Turns out she was in the 8th grade class, and we waited for her to come out.
In the meantime I walked into the 7a class, made them all take out their history books, and prepare a paragraph in history. They were fuming, but I was not going to give in.
At last, the principal joined us, but it was to yell at me.
I got to her first.
I told her that I was upset at this, I had no idea that one class had nothing to do with it, and when I asked her for permission I told her whatever I knew.
I had no idea that the 7b class were going to put on costumes for this and rearrange the classroom. I honestly had no idea that they would take it so far.
I think I appeased the principal, because she didn't look so mad, and she actually got both classes into 7b's classroom.
Our courtcase began.
It began rather cute. They accused my co of ringing bugs into the classroom and not taking care of them. She had brought the bugs as a project and the girls had loved them.
As her lawyer I answered by saying that the bugs were part of state curriculum and that when she had brought them in, she had given them as a gift to the students. Part of accepting a gift was taking care of it. It had nothing to do with my client.
I also proved that the classes had enjoyed it and that they had disobeyed rules about touching the bugs enough times to maybe suggest that the bugs' escaping their boxes may have been their faults.
As many witnesses as they brought, they couldn't outdo my mouth.
The classes/jury voted in favor of my client.
The second charge they brought against my co was the charge of her liking one class more than the other.
I was upset, because this was borderline fresh, but I agreed to defend my co. I had one girl tell me specifically what was making her think that my co treated her class differently, but she wasn't very clear.
I answered the class by telling them that this question did not deserve an answer because a teacher is allowed to act any way she pleases and a student may not question. But, I did give in to them to the point of telling them about the man who kept going to the doctor complaining that drinking coffee made his eye hurt. Usually, that shouldn't happen, and the doctor figured out that the man had left his spoon in his cup by mistake.
The girls got the message. I then refused to let the girls say another word on the subject. It was not a subject they had any right to question.
G.S. the judge, was cute when she banged her gavel, announcing the court decision. The first thing she said was that girls their age should not be drinking coffee. And whatever they were going to drink, should be with a straw.
I was put on the stand next, and they questioned me about certain things I had promised to bring in Purim time. I had two of them with me. ( I had not forgotten either!) I passed around perfume and I played a tape for them.
I still owe them my little sister and a picture of some sort, but those will come on Sunday.
My little sister had her masquerade today, she wouldn't have missed that for the world.
Before the trials began, I made sure to put the girls on trial.
I was so upset with them for the way they had acted lunchtime that I made them pick representatives to defend the class.
I think they missed the point. They thought they deserved to have the privilege of not eating lunch in the lunchroom.
I asked them if they thought this was the way to go about asking for the privilege, by showing how immature and irresponsible they could be in the dining room.
They had no answer.
I promised to go and talk to the principal about it, but only if they could prove to me that they deserved the privilege.
And then I added that the principal was the "Supreme Law of the Land." They had to promise to do whatever she said, even if they didn't like her verdict. There would be absolutely perfect behavior, and no appeals.
I hope this works.
The high school computer teacher, (also the 5th grade English teacher,) had gotten a high school uniform to wear to class today.
I didn't think about it, so I ran to get an elementary school uniform to wear to my class.
It looked adorable. I put my wig into a ponytail, and most of my makeup was gone by this time of the day. I looked like an 8th grader.
The 12th grade had a good laugh, and then we finished listening to a speech we started last week.
After class they invited me to their school shabbos. I hope to be able to come, but I'll see.
And now.....Thank goodness for the weekend!

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