Monday, October 8, 2012

TL: Adults are Sometimes Worse Than Kids

Teacher Lesson: I learned in my third year of teaching that sometimes the adults are worse than the kids.  Often teachers watch out for students swiping our belongings (more about that later), but it can be a fellow teacher stealing right from under your nose.  As it happened...

A teacher was doing a display on Africa, so I bought in some Congolese malachite bracelets.  I didn't think to count them, as they were just going across the hall. The display ends a week later, things are returned.  I didn't think to count them then either.

Fast forward to several weeks later. I'm sitting in the library during a student assembly, and my bracelet walks by. I look up to see who this arm belongs to and I see a woman, Ms. T.

I've never been one to seek out confrontations, but I knew I had to act fast.  I asked my in-the-school-building-confidant and he adivsed me to "go tell her, she's wearing the bracelet you're missing."  I did just that.

She stuttered and lied that a student gave it to her, and then offered me ALL of her bracelets.  I stayed  focused to the one that I wanted-- the one that was mine.  She gave it to me.  I later asked said student, who responded saying, "No!" and "I told you, Ms. _____ lies!"

Lesson learned. Things disappear in a school building.  To name a few: a grammar workbook from the copy room (after that I learned to write my name on everything!), my usb drive, a surge protector (such a teacher steal!) and a few brooms.

All a teacher can do is label her things, search for missing items when necessary and live and learn.

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