I have made up a sign. On one side it says “No”. On the other side it says, “BISS”. I get tired of answering the same questions over and over. They have a million questions that they know the answer to. One student will start by asking if he can leave the room to get his book. Then he wants to leave to talk to the counselor. When that doesn’t work he wants to go to the nurse. Then he wants to go to the office to call his mother. After all that they will ask to go to the bathroom. I sometimes wonder if he was honest, and asked to leave class to walk the halls and pound on doors, I might actually let him go.
Of course that leads them to the popular question of children in the back seat, “Why?” Eventually they learn that BISS stands for “Because I said so”. Since they keep asking I use the sign, one side “no” the other “BISS”. That allows me to answer without acting like they had a serious question.
Another good answer when someone asks if they can go to the bathroom is, “Right after Peter.” After a time they notice that Peter is still sitting there and ask when Peter is going. I tell them, “He isn’t.”
Do I need my book today?
What time is class over?
Where do you get your shoes?
homo unius libri
Responses to the final three questions:
ReplyDelete1. Take your chances.
2. Ask the bell.
3. If I told you, would you buy me some more shoes?
Young man, you have the makings of a good middle school teacher. Now if we could just find a way to deal with the violence in your soul...
DeleteGrace and peace.