Take THAT, smart ass

I have no tolerance for children who talk back to me. Rolling eyes, stuck-out tongues, mumbling under the breath, arguing with directions...it is NOT going to happen in MY class. I've found that modern teachers & parents alike are much more lax in discipline than previous generations, and I think that's a complete fucking shame. It's no wonder kids have no respect when they get to middle school, then high school, and it doesn't get any better when they're released into society. I have clear rules and clear consequences when those rules are broken, and I stay utterly calm when doling out appropriate discipline. "Andy" is a particularly mouthy child in my class and the other teachers pretty much ignore about 90% of it. Welcome to MY world, Andy, that shit isn't gonna fly.

Anyway, today I was walking around my class, attempting to quiet my students so that I could pass out homework. Andy decided to keep chatting, so I told him to quiet down.

A: "I wasn't talking."
K: "Yes you were. I was looking right at you. Please stop."
A: "WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM LADY?"
K: [stares in disbelief] "Go get a paper and fill it out for being disrespectful."

[side note: We have papers that we give them where they write out what they did wrong and what they will do differently next time. It goes home to be signed by a parent. Andy has been pushing the limits with backtalk all week and I'd pretty much had it by that point.]

A: "I WASN'T EVEN TALKING!"
K: "Yes you certainly were. Get a paper."
A: "FINE!" [stalks off, gets paper]

2 minutes later...

A: [puppy dog eyes] "Please Mrs. K, don't make me take it home."

[Standard Andy behavior: Be a little shit and then backpedal so as to avoid consequences. The other teachers buy this act a LOT of the time, and I've even been known to buy it on occasion. His parents are pretty strict, and he knew he would be in deep shit when he got home, hence the act.]

K: "I've let you off the hook all week, Andy. You're taking it home."
A: "YOU'RE MEAN!"
K: "I'm sorry you feel that way, Andy, but you still need to take the paper home."
A: "I KNOW! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
K: "Lower your voice or you're getting another paper."
A: [pouts, finally shuts up]

Another 2 minutes later...

A: [crocodile tears] "Please Mrs. K, I won't do it again."
K: "Forget it, Andy, it's going home."
A: "I WISH YOU NEVER CAME TO THIS SCHOOL!"
K: "I'm sorry you feel that way."
A: "WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE AND LET ME HAVE A HAPPY LIFE?"
K: [waves another paper in front of him] "Lower your voice, Andy..."

At dismissal, on the way out the door...

A: "I'M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN."
K: "That's very sad, Andy, but I'm still going to talk to you."
A: "STOP LOOKING AT ME! DON'T TALK TO ME EVER AGAIN."
K: [keeps looking]
A: "AAAAHHHHH STOP IT! STOP LOOKING AT MEEEEEEE! YOU'RE MEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAN!!!!!"

[tears down the hallway, yelling "MRS. K IS THE WORST TEACHER IN THIS SCHOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!"]


In the space of 10 minutes, I was told that I'm mean, the worst teacher ever, and that I make my students' lives unhappy. Not bad for a day's work.