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I was reading some bad parenting threads over in Sucky Customers, and I suddenly remembered a great story from last year.
When I was in my final year of college, I had to pass a teaching internship in a public school classroom. I was placed in a 3rd grade class, and another girl from my same college was placed in a room down the hall from mine. This girl was AMAZING, and she was such a positive and likeable person that I think she'll go very far in teaching.
But while she was usually a fun person, she could lay down the law in her classroom if she needed to. I remember one incident where I went to go pick up my class from the lunchroom, and she happened to still be there with her own class. From what I overheard while waiting for my students to line up, one of her students had either been throwing food or trying to start a fight while at lunch. My colleague was getting the story from her students, and eventually came to find out it was a particular girl in her class who was causing the problem.
The moment she came to this conclusion, the guilty party started to cry (these are third graders, so they still cry if they get in trouble/are upset). That was when this new teacher turned and said one of the greatest things I've ever heard in my life - she looks the girl straight in the eye and says, "Uh, uh. No. Go get your Oscar somewhere else."
I almost busted out laughing.
While sometimes you need to be caring as a teacher, other times you need to put your foot down. I don't think people understand how many times kids will start to cry in order to gain sympathy. This girl knew she was caught and turned on the tears, but I don't think she got what she was looking for.
When I was in my final year of college, I had to pass a teaching internship in a public school classroom. I was placed in a 3rd grade class, and another girl from my same college was placed in a room down the hall from mine. This girl was AMAZING, and she was such a positive and likeable person that I think she'll go very far in teaching.
But while she was usually a fun person, she could lay down the law in her classroom if she needed to. I remember one incident where I went to go pick up my class from the lunchroom, and she happened to still be there with her own class. From what I overheard while waiting for my students to line up, one of her students had either been throwing food or trying to start a fight while at lunch. My colleague was getting the story from her students, and eventually came to find out it was a particular girl in her class who was causing the problem.
The moment she came to this conclusion, the guilty party started to cry (these are third graders, so they still cry if they get in trouble/are upset). That was when this new teacher turned and said one of the greatest things I've ever heard in my life - she looks the girl straight in the eye and says, "Uh, uh. No. Go get your Oscar somewhere else."
I almost busted out laughing.
While sometimes you need to be caring as a teacher, other times you need to put your foot down. I don't think people understand how many times kids will start to cry in order to gain sympathy. This girl knew she was caught and turned on the tears, but I don't think she got what she was looking for.
Of course I've always gotten away with ANYTHING because one time my momma brought a gun to the school! (made of wood for a halloween parade prop) and she was the boss since then. My school even called up the college I was going to go to and warned them about her. 
Poor Oakey.
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